Office of Public Health Workforce Development

1. Office of Public Health Workforce Development www.state.ct.us/dph Joxel Garcia, MD, MBACommissioner

2. Labor Issues • Low unemployment rate nation and statewide • Average age of professional nurse is 46.5 • 60% of nursing work force works full time • 23% works part time • 17% of licensed nurses do not work in the profession

3. Labor Issues • CT. Dept. of Labor expected nursing opportunities to increase by 33% from 1996 to 2006 • From 1994 to 1999, increase in CT nurses was 2.9% • Student population from CT nursing schools declined from 925 in 1994 to 584 in 1999

4. Labor Issues • CT ethnic and racial minorities increased significantly in last decade • Multicultural growth creating market in health care industry • Gender and racial disparities in CT nursing professions

5. Office of Public Health Workforce Development • Lies within Commissioner’s Office • Study, monitor, and evaluate workforce issues, including • Professional workforce shortages • Public health worker competencies • Work in partnership with other interested parties

7. Partners • Centers for Disease Control • CT Hospital Association • Local Health Directors • UCONN • Departments of Education & Labor • Professional Trade Organizations • LTC Facilities • CT Nurses Association • CT National Guard

8. Office Goals • Enhance public health work force competencies through development of a public health work force certification program at: • State • Local • Institutions of higher education levels

9. Establish marketing program to recruit and retain diversified public health workforce Office Goals

10. Office Goals • Provide direct access to the Office of the Commissioner by the: • Community • Healthcare practitioners/providers • State agencies • Institutions of higher learning • Others • To address broad range of workforce issues

11. Office Goals • Establish “Health Tracks” for children starting in elementary school and following through primary and secondary education • Collaborative effort with the Department of Education and local school systems • Establish tutorial opportunities

12. Office Goals • Expand information available via Internet • Web to serve as clearinghouse for health career information • Resource for students, guidance counselors, teachers, and public

13. Objectives • Short Term Objectives • 2 year • 10% increase in Work Force applications • 20% increase in urban students’ applications to health care programs • Forecast Workforce needs • Data Collection system

14. Objectives • Long Term Objectives • 5 Years • Eliminate Nursing Shortage • Increase by 40% application rate to health care fields • Increase continued education of GED graduates by 30% • Forecast Market Trends and adjust proactively • Workforce to match State demographics

15. Current Initiatives • Work Force Data Collection • High schools • Higher education • Market • Marketing • Middle & High Schools • Faith Based Institutions • Community Groups

16. Current Initiatives • Mentoring • DPH, UCONN, Private Sector • Internships • Career Shadowing • Inner City Work Force Development • GED programs • Traditional Schools • Churches • “House Calls” • “Door to Door”

17. Current Initiatives • “House Calls” • Senior Citizen health education campaign • “Door to Door” • Health education campaign targeted at urban communities • Partnership with urban housing authorities, faith-based institutions, community groups, etc • 2-3 hour events featuring health experts • each event audience specific

18. Keeping Connecticut Healthy www.state.ct.us/dph Commissioner Joxel Garcia, MD, MBA