ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
might pose a problem for the profession, with approximately one quarter of respondents planning to retire within the next 5 years (ASTHO, 2014). Few respondents indicated that their undergraduate field of study was environ- mental health. As a result, many environ- mental health program employees may lack formal academic training in environmental health sciences, which highlights the need for continuing workforce development. Similar trends can be found at the state level. The 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), which encompassed a nationally representa- tive sample of state and local public health workers, found that the public health work- force is predominantly white, female, and over the age of 40. PH WINS also assessed future training needs and identified the top priorities for the workforce as budgeting and financial management, systems and strate- gic thinking, and developing a vision for a healthy community (de Beaumont Founda- tion et al., 2017). Many respondents indicated that they rec- ognize their work is important but feel they lack sucient training and that creativity and innovation are not rewarded. The survey also found that health departments could face high turnover rates in the next 5 years. The most frequently cited reasons for leaving are pay and lack of opportunities for advancement. A 2012 ASTHO survey also indicated a high number of vacancies, which health departments might be unable to fill due to budget cuts and hiring freezes (ASTHO, 2014).
TABLE 1
Environmental Health Workforce Demographics
Demographic
Respondents (%)
Serves a population of <50,000
20 50 30 86 51 67 54 37
Serves a population of 50,000–1,000,000
Serves a population of >1,000,000
Identifies as White Identifies as male
Holds a title of environmental health specialist or sanitarian
Is ≥46 years
Spends more than one half of the time working on non-environmental health programs
Source: Gerding et al., 2019.
A.Performing environmental health sur- veillance, including planning surveil- lance activities and collecting and ana- lyzing data. B.Conducting inspections, including review- ing regulations and standards, maintain- ing inspection equipment, and performing inspections of various facility types. C.Conducting investigations by performing epidemiology, lead, and other environmen- tal health investigations and verifying risk abatement. D.Conducting compliance reviews by con- ducting plan reviews and determining per- mitting status. E.Providing environmental health informa- tion by collaborating with stakeholders, conveying environmental health risks, and implementing emergency response pre- paredness plans. Research has shown that there is a need for increased workforce development pro- grams and initiatives within state and local health departments. An assessment by the UNCOVER EH initiative sought to identify the highest priority needs for advancing the environmental health workforce. From the assessment, Gerding et al. (2020) found that environmental health professionals lack suf- ficient training and development opportuni- ties, as well as standardized qualifications, educational requirements, and credentialing. As such, formal leadership training programs would provide professionals with specialized skills and enhance the impact of environ-
mental health programs. Moreover, standard- ized qualifications would provide a common identity for environmental health profession- als, raise awareness of environmental health services, and increase the ability to generate evidence of the value of the environmental health profession. Many environmental health departments do not have up-to-date equipment or tech- nology, which can hinder the ability of envi- ronmental health professionals to conduct inspections and deliver essential services (Gerding et al., 2020). Additionally, environ- mental health data and management systems are inconsistent across jurisdictions, which limits the ability to identify the emergence of environmental health issues and evaluate the impact of services (Gerding et al., 2020). Furthermore, many environmental health departments report a lack of sucient sta and a high number of vacancies; therefore, there is a need to raise awareness about the benefits of environmental health as well as generate financial and political support for the profession. Finally, health departments should form partnerships with other agen- cies and organizations and engage in cross- jurisdictional sharing of resources to increase capacity (Gerding et al., 2020).
Workforce Responsibilities and Development Needs
In 2013, NEHA conducted a job task analysis (JTA) to determine required duties and tasks for Registered Environmental Health Special- ists/Registered Sanitarians (REHS/RS). The JTA defines an REHS/RS as someone who “conducts inspections, investigations, and surveillance and response to environmental emergency situations to minimize illness, injury, and disease while increasing envi- ronmental public health awareness” (Profes- sional Testing, Inc., 2020). The current REHS/RS certification exami- nation organizes required tasks into the following categories (Professional Testing, Inc., 2020):
Conclusion and Recommendations
Despite the importance of environmental health programs in protecting public health, there remains little standardized guidance
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