News

Virtual town hall to address the mental health needs of Iowa’s public health workforce

Published on March 4, 2022

The public health workforce is filled with dedicated professionals who have worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to protect and promote the health of communities. Yet, this work has not come without consequence. Negative public and political perceptions of public health have left practitioners feeling underappreciated and subjected to unnecessary scrutiny. A recent survey of Iowa public health professionals found that 67% of respondents were reassessing their careers in public health. The number one influence reported for this reassessment was poor work-life balance, often leading to burnout, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic itself.

A town hall webinar on the mental health of the public health workforce in Iowa will be held on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. Public health practitioners are invited to attend and share their experiences working in public health and to learn and provide feedback about upcoming initiatives to support the public health workforce. To register for this event, visit: https://bit.ly/3h6BPOp

Lina Tucker Reinders, executive director of the Iowa Public Health Association, said, “Not only has the strain of the pandemic work been grueling and continuous, but public health workers have also been unable to complete fulltime duties that existed before the pandemic. Most people are aware of the negative impact the pandemic has had on the hospital systems and its workers, but its impact on the public health workforce has been less visible.”

While many factors contribute to the wellness of the public health workforce, survey respondents reported being very interested in greater access to mental health services and training to better serve their community. The University of Iowa is currently working in a collaborative partnership with public health practitioners across the state and Iowa Public Health Association to identify existing resources and develop capacity to address the mental health needs of the workforce.

“There are many things that are needed to relieve the strain on our workforce, and a call to action is more important now than ever. Learning opportunities and support is one step in the right direction, but everyone needs to be part of the solution,” said Laurie Walkner, interim director of the Institute for Public Health Practice at the University of Iowa.

Contact: Kathleen May, Institute for Public Health Practice, University of Iowa College of Public Health; kathleen-may@uiowa.edu