Public Health System Workforce Plan

Background: 

In 2023, the Oregon State Legislature provided a $50 million additional investment to bolster public health modernization funding for long-term improvements to Oregon’s public health system. In receipt of these additional funds, the Oregon Health Authority-Public Health Division (OHA-PHD) committed to developing a statewide public health workforce plan and asked for the Oregon Public Health Advisory Board (PHAB) to play a vital role. PHAB advised that a workgroup be created to focus on review of existing data about the workforce. In November 2023 a PHAB workgroup consisting of state, Tribal Health Authority, Local Public Health Authority, Community-Based Organizations and academic partners was established to create recommendations for OHA's statewide public health system workforce plan. Those recommendations were approved in February 2025. 

Focus of Plan: 

Implementation of the comprehensive statewide public health workforce plan is underway and represents a significant step forward. It's the first plan of its kind to thoroughly address the diverse workforce needs throughout our public health system, including priorities for recruitment, retention and workforce stability, training and development, and system strategy and infrastructure.

It includes workforce needs, perspectives and data from the state, Tribal Health Authorities, Local Public Health Authorities, Community-Based Organizations, and academic institutions. This plan aims to build a diverse, well-trained, and stable workforce; strengthen leadership and organizational capacity; improve equity, cultural responsiveness, and community engagement; create sustainable pipelines for future public health workers; and ensure the system can respond effectively to emergencies and long-term health needs.

Goal: 

The plan is both a strategic roadmap and a commitment to long-term investment in Oregon’s public health workforce to meet current and future challenges while advancing health equity statewide. Through ongoing work and new opportunities, Oregon is advancing a more unified, equitable, and sustainable public health workforce ready to support communities across the state as their needs grow and change. 

Quarterly Update

• Quarter 3 - 2026 Written Communication Update
  

Opportunities to Connect & Collaborate

PHorum

Beginning fall 2026, external partners are invited to join PHorum sessions to engage with statewide public health efforts, learn about Oregon Health Authority-Public Health Division (OHA-PHD) program work, and contribute perspectives that support interdisciplinary collaboration. Please note, that OHA-PHD presenters may indicate whether a topic is intended for an internal-only audience or open to all in the public health system. This allows us to honor the presenter's intended space for each discussion. 

Sessions typically highlight topics such as:

• Program updates
• Data insights 
• Equity-focused strategies
• Collaborative projects

By opening this space to external partners, OHA-PHD hopes to foster shared learning, increase transparency, and strengthen connections across Oregon's public health ecosystem. 

Opportunities to join the PHorum sessions will be shared via OHA-PHD Liaisons with Tribal Health Authorities, Local Public Health Authorities, Community Based Organizations and academic institutions. 

Public Health Preceptor Connect & Development Network

For the past three years, Oregon State University and the OHSU–Portland State University School of Public Health have co‑facilitated the Public Health Preceptor Connect & Development series (PHPConnect). Because applied practice experiences are central to public health training, preceptors play a vital role by mentoring students, providing feedback, and evaluating their performance. PHPConnect was created to strengthen preceptor support and training, helping enhance both student learning and preceptor engagement. 

PHPConnect meets bimonthly from October to June via Zoom and offers a collaborative space for preceptors to continue learning and share practices. Sessions feature presentations led by university faculty and current preceptors, along with time for open discussion. Participants consistently value the chance to connect with peers, exchange strategies, and build confidence in their roles. 

To sign up for the listserv, please contact Jamie Jones at jljones@pdx.edu or Tonya Johnson at Tonya.johnson@oregonstate.edu.

Implementation Team

Purpose of Team

• Support the implementation of the systemwide workforce plan deliverables
  Help navigate limitations and challenges that may arise during execution
• Identify additional contributors who should be engaged in this work
• Provide insights, feedback, and guidance that will help shape practical solutions for our public health system.
  

Expectations for Members

• Quarterly meetings (90 minutes)
• Active participation in discussions and decision-making
• Sharing perspectives from your area of expertise and collaboration with external partners
• Commitment to collaborative problem-solving and advancing workforce priorities.
  

Roles & Expertise

The Implementation Team consists of the following subject matter expertise: 

• The Project Management Team members 
  • The Project Lead
  • Overall Project Advisor/subject matter expert in Workforce Development
  • One Project Manager 
• Two Executive Sponsors including one subject matter expert for Academic Partnerships
• One subject matter expert and Public Health Advisory Board Liaison
• One subject matter expert for the Community Based Organization public health workforce
  
• One subject matter expert for the Tribal Health Authority and Local Public Health Authority public health workforce 
  
• One subject matter expert in Training Contributions, Communities of Practice, and Public Health Infrastructure Grant Coordination
• One subject matter expert in Data Needs and Public Health Division alignment