ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
and missions of local and state public health organizations, federal organizations, and private industry. Graduates from accredited masters-level degree programs can immedi- ately apply for environmental health officer positions within the U.S. Public Health Ser- vice and are prepared for careers in practice as well as related research. Alums have found exciting and meaningful careers, whether they spend their lives serving their home- towns at local or state public health jurisdic- tions or rise to the rank of rear admiral in the Indian Health Service. EHAC is proud of the accomplishments of our accredited programs and their graduates and celebrates their successes in the envi- ronmental public health community. We also recognize, however, that the workforce currently finds itself in a similar position to that in the 1960s—there is a tremendous need for well-trained, workforce-ready prac- titioners. Gerding et al. (2019) predicted the retirement of more than one quarter of the workforce by 2024. A report by the de Beau- mont Foundation (2021) estimated that the existing public health workforce needed approximately 9,500 new environmental public health practitioners in the U.S. to “provide the infrastructure and a minimum package of public health services.” More recently, Leider et al. (2023) com- pared the intent to leave or retire data collected among state and local governmental public health employees surveyed in 2017 and 2021, with actual separations through 2021. Find- ings revealed a “mass exodus” of, on average, approximately 50% of state and local public health employees between 2017 and 2021. Younger employees were found to be leaving at an even higher rate of 75% (Leider et al., 2023). Regardless of if these losses reflect pan- demic-era impacts on employee departures, the result is a significant deficit in the number of current practitioners, as well as the loss of future leaders likely represented in the fleeing cohort of younger employees. The organizational growth and sustain- ability of EHAC also face similar challenges to those challenges being faced by the work- force. To help meet both challenges, EHAC is undertaking strategic planning to address organizational needs, while being responsive to the academic rigor necessary to produce well-trained professionals amid the chang- ing workforce landscape. EHAC is also com-
mitted to continuing its focus on ensuring a diverse workforce by increasing the number of accredited degree programs at HBCUs, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs). One barrier that we have identified for MSIs is that the cost to prepare for initial accredita- tion prevents many from initiating the pro- cess. To address this barrier, we partnered with NEHA, funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to launch a pilot project that provides seed money to institutions to apply for initial accreditation. For 2025, three institutions have been awarded funding, including one HBCU and one tribal-serving institution. The environmental public health field offers a multitude of professional career and research opportunities nationwide. While established among professionals, however, environmental public health is less known by the public and politicians. It has been called the invisible pro- fession, as people rarely hear about the prac- tice unless there is a major public health event. Due to this invisibility, middle school, high school, and college students often do not learn about the depth and breadth of career oppor- tunities in environmental public health until they are juniors or seniors in college, when it can be too late to change their major. EHAC is collaborating with our partners to address the workforce shortage by raising the visibility of the profession. The NEHA National Environmental Public Health Internship Pro- gram (NEPHIP), supported by CDC, places students enrolled in EHAC-accredited degree programs at local and state environmental health departments nationwide. These intern- ships are a win for students, host departments, and the public, and are useful vehicles for mar- keting and promoting practice opportunities. Word of mouth exchanges about internships and other practice experiences have proven the best recruitment tool for attracting students to environmental public health degrees and, sub- sequently, the profession. These students con- vey their excitement to their family and friends at college and back home, possibly introducing the field to individuals for the first time! In closing, while the challenges of the day continue to stress our public health sys- tems, we all have a role to play in ensuring a workforce prepared to meet those challenges. Our council commits to maintaining quality accreditation criteria resulting in risk-oriented
critical thinkers prepared to address complex environmental public health problems. We will continue working with our partners to raise awareness of and support for environ- mental public health needs and opportunities by promoting financial investment in growing the number of NEPHIP internship options and host sites, encouraging student participation in NEHA, creating pathways to the profession, and developing student-oriented marketing tools and campaigns. We encourage you, as professionals, to get involved and convince your organization to host an intern, speak about environmental public health career paths and the impact of an EHAC-accredited education at your local high schools and community colleges, and/ or get involved with the EHAC organization as a council member. The opportunities for action abound to build relationships focused on growing a well-prepared environmental public health workforce. Visit our website at www.nehspac.org for more information. Corresponding Author: Leslie D. Mitchell, MNR, Executive Director, National Envi- ronmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council. Email: executive.director@nehspac.org References de Beaumont. (2021, October). Staffing up: Workforce levels needed to provide basic public health services for all Americans [Research brief]. https://www.in.gov/ health/files/GPHC-de-Beaumont-staff ing-up.pdf Gerding, J.A., Landeen, E., Kelly, K.R., White- head, S., Dyjack, D.T., Sarisky, J., & Brooks, B.W. (2019) Uncovering environmental health: An initial assessment of the profes- sion’s health department workforce and practice. Journal of Environmental Health , 81 (10), 24–33. Hatlen, J.B. (1967). National Accreditation Council meeting. Journal of Environmental Health , 29 (6), 520–522. Leider, J.P., Castrucci, B.C., Robins, M., Hare Bork, R., Fraser, M.R., Savoia, E., Piltch- Loeb, R., & Koh, H.K. (2023). The exodus of state and local public heath employees: Separations started before and continued throughout COVID-19. Health Affairs , 42 (3), 338–348. https://doi.org/10.1377/ hlthaff.2022.01251
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Volume 87 • Number 7
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