Leveraging Island-Centric Strategies to Address Workforce Challenges
December 06, 2024 | Island Areas Workgroup, Workforce Development Subgroup
Key public health workforce challenges in the U.S. territories and freely associated states (T/FAS) include geographic isolation, non-competitive salaries, underdeveloped academic pathways, and inefficient HR systems. From May 2023 to February 2024, the Island Areas Workgroup Workforce Interest Group conducted a series of Learning Labs to explore these challenges and identify T/FAS strategies to recruit, retain, and develop local public health professionals. This report highlights the innovative practices implemented and the ongoing needs shaping public health workforce development in these jurisdictions.
ASTHO’s Island Areas Workgroup seeks to advance health equity for U.S. territories and freely associated states through jurisdiction and federal departmental coordination and administrative change. It brings together leaders from island jurisdictions, federal agencies, and partner organizations to find solutions that can optimize the procedures, organizational policies, and programmatic structures surrounding island health programming. ASTHO staff support subgroup activity and host quarterly meetings.