Education and Training
Why It Is Important
- Many rural areas do not have a local public health agency to provide essential public health services. Limited staff in small agencies must carry out multiple roles and functions creating significant challenges in delivering public health services and coordinating workforce development activities.
- Retaining and recruiting qualified public health professionals to serve in rural areas present barriers to strengthening the rural public health workforce.
- In 2007, the State Public Health Worker Shortage Report from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) predicted public health retirement rates as high as 45 percent over the next five years.
- Without a sufficient number of public health professionals or an adequately trained workforce, the health of the nation cannot be ensured.
Our Focus
- The USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness is committed to strengthening the public health workforce in predominantly rural and underserved areas through the implementation of programs for life-long learning.
- The Center develops, delivers, and evaluates competency-based education and training activities based upon the needs of state and local public health agencies.
Benefits of Education and Training Activities
- Develop the knowledge and skills of the public health workforce.
- Enable the public health workforce to promote and protect its community’s health.
- Ensure a competent workforce to strengthen capacity in rural areas.
- Support and promote public health workforce development and core competency efforts.
Areas of Expertise
- Pandemic Influenza Planning and Response
- Infection Control
- Rapid Needs Assessment
- Environmental Health
- Mental Health
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- All Hazards Preparedness and Response
- Epidemiology
- Community Engagement
- Agroterrorism
- Table Top and Functional Exercises
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To view and/or download resources on infection prevention, such as toolkits for classroom and workplace settings, as well as materials in Spanish, click here.
Previous training activities include the Texas Training Initiative for Emergency Response (T-TIER), non-certified and certified continuing education for Promotores/Community Health Workers, partnerships with the Texas Public Health Training Center, and materials for Disease Reporting.
Texas A&M Health Science Center
School of Rural Public Health
1266 TAMU
College Station, Texas
77843-1266
(979) 845-2387
