title: Thinking beyond the silos: emerging priorities in workforce development for state and local government public health agencies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Discipline-specific workforce development initiatives have been a focus in recent years. This is due, in part, to competency-based training standards and funding sources that reinforce programmatic silos within state and local health departments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  National leadership groups representing the specific disciplines within public health were asked to look beyond their discipline-specific priorities and collectively assess the priorities, needs, and characteristics of the governmental public health workforce.
  
  
  METHODS
  The challenges and opportunities facing the public health workforce and crosscutting priority training needs of the public health workforce as a whole were evaluated. Key informant interviews were conducted with 31 representatives from public health member organizations and federal agencies. Interviews were coded and analyzed for major themes. Next, 10 content briefs were created on the basis of priority areas within workforce development. Finally, an in-person priority setting meeting was held to identify top workforce development needs and priorities across all disciplines within public health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Representatives from 31 of 37 invited public health organizations participated, including representatives from discipline-specific member organizations, from national organizations and from federal agencies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Systems thinking, communicating persuasively, change management, information and analytics, problem solving, and working with diverse populations were the major crosscutting areas prioritized.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decades of categorical funding created a highly specialized and knowledgeable workforce that lacks many of the foundational skills now most in demand. The balance between core and specialty training should be reconsidered.
authors.affiliation: The Strategic Vision Group, Mequon, Wisconsin (Ms N Kaufman and Mr I Kaufman); de Beaumont Foundation, Bethesda, Maryland (Mr Castrucci and Drs Leider and Sprague); Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Arlington, Virginia (Mr Pearsol, Dr Sellers, Dr Liss-Levinson and Lewis, and Dr Jarris); and Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Washington, District of Columbia (Ms Fehrenbach).
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Castrucci
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pearsol
authors.forename: Jonathon P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Leider
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sellers
authors.forename: Ira R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: Lacy M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fehrenbach
authors.forename: Rivka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liss-Levinson
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Jarris
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Sprague
mesh_terms: D006077:Government Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009111:Local Government; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000191:economics*; D013192:Staff Development / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States