Using data to connect people: why we are unveiling a new geospatial dashboard tool to help analyze public health workforce supply across the U.S.

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This entry is part 49 of 64 in the series Wide World of Public Health Systems

We talk all the time on this blog and elsewhere about workforce shortages. About how there are plenty of grads nationally, but how health departments are having a terrible time hiring. Is it a question of how many grads there are, and in which communities? As part of our work funded by HRSA & CDC to support the public health workforce, the Center for Public Health Systems has developed a geospatial analysis dashboard that provides substantial insights into the regional and local variations in the potential supply of public health workers in the United States. This tool is designed to aid policymakers, educational institutions, and health departments in strategic planning and workforce development. Whether you want to look from a local, state, territorial, tribal, or county-based perspective, this tool has something for you. Just give it a moment to load, there’s a lot going on under the hood.

Advanced Geospatial Methodology

Our methodology employs geospatial analysis techniques to examine the distribution of potential public health professionals from post-secondary institutions. By creating geographic ‘buffers’ around each Local Health Department (LHD), State Health Agency (SHA), federally recognized tribe, county, and college and university we can accurately map and analyze areas based on their proximity to potential workforce sources. If you’d like to read more, please check out our recent manuscript in Health Affairs Scholar.

To ensure accuracy and reliability, our dashboard synthesizes data from multiple sources. The dashboard is designed to allow users from LHDs, SHAs, territories, and tribal health agencies to select their specific department from a dropdown menu, choose a desired distance (up to 500 miles), and immediately view the number of nearby educational institutions and the number of graduates by degree level (associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral). This feature is particularly important for understanding the localized labor supply potential, which is crucial for:

  • Targeted Recruitment: Enabling health departments to identify areas with high numbers of graduates for recruitment efforts.
  • Educational Outreach: Helping educational institutions align their programs with local workforce needs.
  • Policymaking: Assisting in developing initiatives to bridge gaps between educational output and regional health workforce demands.

Explore the Dashboard

Leveraging data-driven insights, the Post-secondary Connections Dashboard serves as a cornerstone for informed decision-making in public health workforce planning. The tool not only sheds light on current workforce potential but also helps in crafting proactive strategies for building a resilient public health infrastructure. 

Dive in now to explore these functionalities firsthand. Join us in navigating these insights to better shape the future of public health across the United States.

About the Author

Sezen Ozcan Onal and JP Leider
Sezen Ozcan Onal is a researcher at the Center for Public Health Systems. She is interested in applying a modern econometric toolkit to address policy-relevant questions in public health research. Dr. Ozcan holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Wide World of Public Health Systems

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