Public Health Workforce Development

On the Public Health Workforce Development website you will find resources about Wisconsin's public health workforce diversity, sufficiency and competency, and information about statewide and national projects to promote workforce development.

Status Reports on the Public Health Workforce in Wisconsin

Healthiest Wisconsin 2020: Everyone Living Better, Longer (State Health Plan)

Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 emphasizes developing a Diverse, Sufficient, and Competent Workforce that Promotes and Protects Health as an Infrastructure Focus Area. Learn more about the State Health Plan and the Workforce Focus Area Profile at the DHS website:  Wisconsin State Health Plan - Healthiest Wisconsin 2020.

Wisconsin Public and Community Health Registered Nurse Workforce Report

This is the first Wisconsin Public and Community Health Registered Nurse Workforce Report. This report presents key descriptive information about the Wisconsin public and community health registered nurse (RN) workforce, based on data from the 2010 Wisconsin Public and Community Health Registered Nurse Workforce Report (PDF, 2.3 MB). The report purposes are to:

  • Document the education and skills of Wisconsin's public and community health nursing workforce.

  • Describe the diversity of public and community health RNs, their intentions to remain in direct nursing care, and their experience with emergency preparedness and response.

  • Draw comparisons between the state's public and community health nursing workforce and the RN workforce in all other settings.

  • Compare Wisconsin's 2010 public and community health RN workforce data to national 2008 RN data.

  • Provide analysis that will contribute to forecasts of the future supply of public and community health RNs.

Wisconsin Public Health Workforce Report, 2011

This report focuses on the governmental public health workforce, and includes some data about the workforce of other selected public-sector organizations. The report brings together information that will enable educational institutions, state and local emergency readiness and public health preparedness experts, community agencies, local health department administrators, boards of health, legislators and others to plan for a trained and qualified public health workforce. Workforce planning helps to assure a diverse, sufficient, and competent public health workforce, prepared to promote and protect the health of the public.

Wisconsin Public Health Workforce, 2008

This report provides baseline public health workforce data. It focuses on the governmental public health workforce, and includes some data about the workforce of selected other public-sector organizations. The report is a first step toward workforce planning. It will assist educational institutions, state and local emergency readiness and public health preparedness experts, community agencies, local health department administrators, boards of health, legislators and others to plan for a trained and qualified public health workforce.

Clinical Laboratory Workforce Survey Report, 2012

Clinical laboratory science professionals are integral to the public health workforce. In addition to performing routine clinical laboratory testing for assessment of health and treatment of disease, these professionals are at the forefront of identifying infectious/communicable diseases, anti-microbial resistance patterns, and implementing emerging technologies such as molecular biological methods which are rapidly changing the field of clinical laboratory science.

Clinical Laboratory Workforce Survey, 2010

This is the first publication briefly describing laboratory science professionals in Wisconsin. Laboratory science professionals are among the health disciplines that constitute the public health workforce. As demonstrated by the recent Novel Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak, laboratory science professionals address public health challenges.

Local Health Department Survey

The Local Health Department Survey presents results of the annual Local Health Department Survey, which is mandated by section 251.05, Wisconsin Statutes. In this survey, each local health department in Wisconsin provides responses to questions about the department's financing and staffing.

Status Reports on the National Public Health Workforce

The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Professions posts research on the state of the healthcare workforce tracking shortages, trends and issues as they develop. BHPR - Health Workforce Studies

The National Association for County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has special reports on the local health department (LHD) workforce at their webpage:
Workforce Development and Training NACCHO

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) 2007 Public Health Workforce Report may be found under "Publications" on The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials webpage: Workforce and Leadership Development | State Public Health | ASTHO

Workforce Development Main Web Pages

Last Revised: January 15, 2016