New local health officials: health departments’ newest leaders
IntroductionThe purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the demographics of new and experienced local health officials (LHOs) and the rurality and size of the local health departments (LHDs) they serve.Materials and methodsDescriptive characteristics of new LHOs and experienced LHOs were co...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1597909/full |
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| author | Chelsey Kirkland Noah Yee Westfall Krishna Patel Timothy C. McCall Timothy C. McCall Jonathon P. Leider |
| author_facet | Chelsey Kirkland Noah Yee Westfall Krishna Patel Timothy C. McCall Timothy C. McCall Jonathon P. Leider |
| author_sort | Chelsey Kirkland |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the demographics of new and experienced local health officials (LHOs) and the rurality and size of the local health departments (LHDs) they serve.Materials and methodsDescriptive characteristics of new LHOs and experienced LHOs were compared between two national public health workforce datasets: the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interest and Needs Survey (PH WINS) and the 2022 National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) National Profile of Local Health Departments study (Profile). The 2022 Profile study was fielded from July through September 2022 from a population of 2,512 LHDs across the US. The 2021 PH WINS survey was fielded to a nationally representative sample of state health Agency-Central Offices and LHD staff. Descriptive characteristics were computed comparing new LHOs with experienced LHOs based on work status, age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level, rurality and size of the jurisdiction.ResultsApproximately 30% of all LHOs are new (<2 years of experience) with no difference among jurisdiction sizes or rurality. Compared to experienced LHOs, a slightly greater proportion of new LHOs identified as Native American, Black, or Asian, and are younger.DiscussionProviding professional supports to new LHOs and addressing recruitment and retention challenges facing public health leadership can help ensure that the senior executive level of the public health workforce reflects the diverse and varied populations that it serves. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-40302520cf8b4bb4ab6af8a2b943a424 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-40302520cf8b4bb4ab6af8a2b943a4242025-08-20T03:08:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-05-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15979091597909New local health officials: health departments’ newest leadersChelsey Kirkland0Noah Yee Westfall1Krishna Patel2Timothy C. McCall3Timothy C. McCall4Jonathon P. Leider5Center for Public Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesCenter for Public Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesNational Association of County and City Health Officials, Washington, DC, United StatesNational Association of County and City Health Officials, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Clinical Research and Leadership, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United StatesCenter for Public Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesIntroductionThe purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the demographics of new and experienced local health officials (LHOs) and the rurality and size of the local health departments (LHDs) they serve.Materials and methodsDescriptive characteristics of new LHOs and experienced LHOs were compared between two national public health workforce datasets: the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interest and Needs Survey (PH WINS) and the 2022 National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) National Profile of Local Health Departments study (Profile). The 2022 Profile study was fielded from July through September 2022 from a population of 2,512 LHDs across the US. The 2021 PH WINS survey was fielded to a nationally representative sample of state health Agency-Central Offices and LHD staff. Descriptive characteristics were computed comparing new LHOs with experienced LHOs based on work status, age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level, rurality and size of the jurisdiction.ResultsApproximately 30% of all LHOs are new (<2 years of experience) with no difference among jurisdiction sizes or rurality. Compared to experienced LHOs, a slightly greater proportion of new LHOs identified as Native American, Black, or Asian, and are younger.DiscussionProviding professional supports to new LHOs and addressing recruitment and retention challenges facing public health leadership can help ensure that the senior executive level of the public health workforce reflects the diverse and varied populations that it serves.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1597909/fullpublic health workforcelocal health officialsPH WINSNACCHOdescriptive |
| spellingShingle | Chelsey Kirkland Noah Yee Westfall Krishna Patel Timothy C. McCall Timothy C. McCall Jonathon P. Leider New local health officials: health departments’ newest leaders Frontiers in Public Health public health workforce local health officials PH WINS NACCHO descriptive |
| title | New local health officials: health departments’ newest leaders |
| title_full | New local health officials: health departments’ newest leaders |
| title_fullStr | New local health officials: health departments’ newest leaders |
| title_full_unstemmed | New local health officials: health departments’ newest leaders |
| title_short | New local health officials: health departments’ newest leaders |
| title_sort | new local health officials health departments newest leaders |
| topic | public health workforce local health officials PH WINS NACCHO descriptive |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1597909/full |
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