Lab Matters Summer 2022 | Page 5

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ’ S MESSAGE

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer , I am looking back at where we have been and what we have accomplished , both as public health professionals and as human beings , over the past two and a half years .

There is no question that our world has undergone a seismic shift . Even as pandemic restrictions fall and our lives open back up , we really must take the time and acknowledge the collective trauma that we have undergone . Early this year , the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention redistributed their mental health survey to state , tribal , local and territorial public health workers . You can read about the previous survey , but one startling statistic that came out of the new survey was that almost as many people responded to the second survey as to the first survey . That kind of return was completely unexpected to me , but it indicates a critical need for the conversation to continue around the mental health of our members , our staff and our community .

Another thing that will be changing a bit is how APHL structures its work as an association . While we remain a “ memberfirst ” organization , we are also in the middle of some adjustments in how our staff work . When we were forced to move to all-remote in March 2020 , we found that while a lot of processes had to be rethought , our staff really appreciated having the chance to focus a bit more on the “ me ” work that is just as important as the group work that takes place in our physical space . We are conducting surveys and focus groups within our staff and senior management in order to better understand staff work styles across and within groups , to better engage staff to be their best and most productive selves and to use our physical space more effectively . We have also engaged with the Board of Directors to get a member perspective on how they see APHL as an organization and what members expect in APHL ’ s physical space . We are really looking forward to our first staff dedicated “ APHL Week ” in mid-July 2022 .

Being at APHL 2022 in-person was such a change from the past two years of Zoom and Teams meetings . I also had the opportunity to speak at the 2022 Preparedness Summit in late April . In both instances , while masks and other COVID-19 mitigation protocols were in effect , the hope and positivity from conference attendees was infectious . Everyone is ready to move forward and into a new phase … I will not say “ new normal ” because the concept of “ normal ” is different for every person . And I do not think it is possible to return to the way things were done , even if we wanted to . What we need to remember as we move into this new phase is that we did not , and have not , failed in our duties and responsibilities . In the words of my friend Michael Fraser , PhD , CEO of ASTHO and one of my fellow panelists at the Preparedness Summit : “ Don ’ t let this loud narrative drown out the fact that your response was anything other than successful . We were not perfect , but the notion that public health failed is total bull ****.”

There is still a need to sustain the work and infrastructure that we have built out during the pandemic . And that is the big job ahead of us . It will take a lot of advocacy in communities that we have never turned to before . Our field is ready for the next generation , but it will take all of us to get that next generation interested , involved and ready to take on future challenges . We may be tired , but I know we are also ready , willing and able to do what it takes . Be open to telling your unique stories to those who will listen . And above all , do not stop believing in yourself , in your teams or in your work . n

Scott Becker , MS Chief Executive Officer , APHL

What we need to remember as we move into this new phase is that we did not , and have not , failed in our duties and responsibilities .”