Office of Public Health Workforce Development

www.state.ct.us/dph

Joxel Garcia, MD, MBACommissioner

Labor IssuesLabor 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

Labor IssuesLabor 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

Labor IssuesLabor 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

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

Joxel Garcia, M.D.Commissioner

Affirmative ActionOffice

Bureau of Administrative &Support Services

Elise Gaulin-Kremer, Chief(LH)

Warren WollschlagerChief of Staff

Office of Policy, Planningand Evaluation

Marie V. Roberto, Chief(LH)

(EMS)(PWFD)

Bureau of CommunityHealth

Ardell Wilson, Chief(LH)

(EMS)

Bureau of RegulatoryServices

Cynthia Denne, Chief(LH)

(EMS)(PWFD)

CT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Norma D. GyleDeputy Commissioner

Office of HealthCommunications

William Gerrish, Director(LH)

(PWFD)

Public Health HearingOffice

Donna Brewer,Director

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Edna BerastainExecutive Assistant

Office of EmergencyServices

Mark Libby, Director

Family Health ServicesInfectious DiseaseEnvironmental Epidemiology & OccupationalHealthHealth Education & InterventionAIDS Prevention& InterventionProgram Support & Contract Management

Health Systems RegulationCommunity-based RegulationEnvironmental HealthLegal Office

Fiscal OfficeContracts Administration/Audit OfficeData ProcessingHuman ResourcesPublic Health Laboratory

Policy, Planning & AnalysisHealth Information Systems Vital Records Cancer RegistryMulti-cultural Health

LH = member of internal EMS AdvisoryCommittee

Office of Local HealthLen McCain, Director

Local Health AdvisoryCommittee

EMS = member of internal Local HealthAdvisory Committee

Internal EMS AdvisoryCommittee

Office of PublicHealth Workforce

Development

PWFD = member of Office of Public WorkforceDevelopment

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

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

Office Goals

Establish marketing program to recruit and retain diversified public health workforce

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

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

Office Goals

Expand information available via Internet

Web to serve as clearinghouse for health career information

Resource for students, guidance counselors, teachers, and public

ObjectivesObjectives

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

ObjectivesObjectives

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

Current InitiativesCurrent Initiatives

Work Force Data Collection– High schools– Higher education– Market

Marketing– Middle & High Schools– Faith Based Institutions– Community Groups

Current InitiativesCurrent Initiatives

Mentoring– DPH, UCONN, Private Sector– Internships– Career Shadowing

Inner City Work Force Development– GED programs– Traditional Schools– Churches– “House Calls”– “Door to Door”

Current InitiativesCurrent 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

Keeping Connecticut Healthy

www.state.ct.us/dph

Commissioner Joxel Garcia, MD, MBA