Document Type

Capstone Experience

Graduation Date

5-2019

Degree Name

Master of Public Health

Department

Health Promotion

First Committee Member

Brandon Grimm, PhD, MPH

Second Committee Member

Nizar Wehbi, MD, MPH, MBA

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to assess the capacity and needs of the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) workforce and to develop a workforce development plan that would meet the accreditation standards of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). An assessment survey was developed online through the Survey Monkey website using competency skills based on the guidelines established by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice. The selected competency skills were reviewed and approved for relevance by the SWNPHD leadership and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, Office of Public Health Practice (OPHP). A total of 57 questions across 8 domains of the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals were used to develop the survey and distributed to the SWNPHD staff. Data was collected based on assigned numerical values and exported to Excel spreadsheet. The information was, then, analyzed using descriptive statistics. One of the goals of the assessment survey was to measure the SWNPHD workforce’s perception of the levels of importance and capacity of each competency skills and to determine the training needs based on the difference in percentage between these levels. Competency skills with variance of 15% or more were considered training needs. By analyzing the workforce of the SWNPHD, it revealed the capacity and training needs of the organization, as well as provided the framework for the development of a workforce development plan in order to meet the PHAB accreditation requirements. Furthermore, it could provide opportunities for improvement to sustain both the current and future workforce.

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