FEATURE
Presenting clear , established policies up front can help employees feel more empowered to speak up when necessary and are a way to start shifting the culture of the workplace . Then , follow through — remember that the effects of privilege can lead individuals to view circumstances through different lenses .
Such efforts require people in-house who understand the community . Diversity of thought and experience are important in any organization , but especially so in public health , notes Kelly Winter , PhD , MPH , chief of the Training Workforce and Development Branch in CDC ’ s DLS .
“ When we have a public health workforce that better reflects the diversity of populations we serve ,” she said , “ we increase the likelihood that our public health programs and initiatives will be relevant , actionable , successful and sustainable .”
Dismantling Barriers
Diversifying that workforce starts with dismantling the effects of privilege in the educational pipeline , from recruitment and admissions to job placement and advancement , said Laura Magaña , PhD , president and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health ( ASPPH ).
Through a close examination of academic public health programs , ASPPH has generated a set of recommendations on education , practice and research . They aim to help institutions review and redesign admissions criteria , curricula , teaching approaches and measures of student success to ensure that they reflect principles of diversity , inclusion and antiracism . “ We use an equity lens for everything that we ’ re doing ,” Magaña said .
The organization is also working to broaden entryways into academic public health , looking at community colleges and continuing education programs as well as bachelor ’ s and graduate programs to make sure paths are in place to help students from underrepresented communities access educational opportunities , as well as the resources and support they need to succeed in and beyond school .
For example , some ASPPH-accredited schools and programs no longer require GRE scores from applicants . This requirement constitutes a systemic barrier for a diverse pool of applicants , Magaña said , and there is very weak evidence that GRE scores predict academic success .
“ It ’ s a barrier for some who have not had those opportunities but could , if they came to our institutions , be great public health professionals .” Other efforts reflect a shift toward a broader view of what it means to be a successful public health professional . This year , ASPPH launched a workforce development center , working with laboratories and other partners to identify necessary competencies for an effective , inclusive public health workforce .
“ We ’ re living in a world that is changing so much ,” she said . Professionals are used to ongoing training to keep up with technical developments in their fields , she notes . It ’ s time to take a similar approach with professional and social competencies — skills like resilience , communication , working with diverse teams , leadership and problem-solving with an inclusive perspective .
“ This has to be part of curriculum ,” said Magaña . “ These topics have to be really embedded .”
Often that can be accomplished through changes in the way material is presented or evaluated , such as active learning , scenarios that include multiple viewpoints , case studies and working in unfamiliar communities . Faculty should be trained to recognize their own biases and learn to integrate cultural competencies into their teaching . And programs need to create space for students to talk about questions of privilege and discrimination . “ That ’ s how you learn — by being uncomfortable , by being out of your comfort space ,” Magaña added . “ We need to expose our students to develop these other competencies .”
That support also needs to extend beyond graduation . ASPPH is working with institutions to clarify advancement pathways for professionals from underrepresented minorities and boost equity in research support . Nationally , they are advocating for loan forgiveness programs . APHL and CDC ’ s expanded laboratory fellowship program and new internship program are bolstering opportunities for students and early-career scientists . In collaboration with organizations that serve underrepresented groups and communities , they are working to identify and eliminate barriers to participation in and completion of laboratory training programs . And CDC ’ s DLS has a core health equity goal of increasing diversity within the fellowship and internship programs by 40 % by 2025 .
“ These are exactly the type of barriers that we need to eliminate ,” said Magaña .
A Workforce That Walks the Walk
To build an inclusive workforce , hiring , training , support and promotion should all be reframed around equity by actively looking for and rooting out effects of privilege .
It starts with how recruitment is approached , said APHA ’ s Fine .
“ It ’ s not enough to say you welcome diverse applications and provide equal opportunities — you have to proactively seek out people with the backgrounds you want and engage with the communities where they are . Where are you seeking and sourcing your talent ? [ A posting on ] Indeed is not enough ,” Fine said . He also recommends rethinking how to write position descriptions , focusing on plain-language descriptions of the duties and needed skills . Positions should sound attainable to people with varied backgrounds and help individuals see how different experiences and skillsets may be transferable to the role .
14 LAB MATTERS Summer 2023
PublicHealthLabs @ APHL APHL . org