Northwest Public Health - Fall/Winter 2003

Workforce Development in Challenging Times

Idaho's Public Health Workforce: Changes and Challenges Since 9/11
James Girvan, Cheryl Juntunen, and Linda Powell
The authors surveyed Idaho's district health directors about the workforce challenges they face.

Finding a Passion for Public Health
Kim Moore
An MPH candidate shares her journey into a career in public health.

Expanding Training and Distance Learning in the Northwest
Margaret Shield
Three developments are driving the development of workforce training at the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice

Beyond Workforce Training: What Factors Lead to Integrating Competencies into Practice?
Constance Diaz Swearingen and Norma Neahr Wilkerson
The authors report on the results of a study of the capacity of Wyoming nurses to integrate population-based health into their practice.

Partnering with Health Career Programs
Vickie Ybarra
A look at some ways to get more diverse young people interested in public health professions.

Public Health Ready Prepares Agencies for Emergency Responses
Michael R. Fraser and Sherri McDonald
A Washington State county health department discusses its participation as a pilot site in the national Public Health Ready project.

Necessity Demands Creativity
Melanie Reynolds, Lawrence D. Weiss, Valerie Katagiri, and Greg Oxman
Montana's summer training institute; the University of Alaska Anchorage's new, distance-delivered MPH program; and Oregon's Public Health Academy.

Viewpoint: Technology Is a Prime Component of Montana Public Health Training
Senator Conrad Burns
Montana's senator discusses the opportunity to support workforce development through the use of distance-learning technologies.

TOPOFF Exercise Offers Lessons for Preparedness
Susan May
In May 2003, state, local, and federal agencies spent five days practicing responses to a large-scale emergency. Here's what they learned.

Northwest Region at a Glance
Selected demographics and a discussion of the variety of ways to define rural populations.

From the Dean

From the Editor