Overview

Health & Medicine is the convener of the Public Health Workforce Collaborative (PHWC) – a collective of employers who are committed to building an independent policy center that conducts research, educates, and collaborates with other groups to advocate policies and impact health systems to improve the health status of all people. The Collaborative works to build a unified, sustainable, and equitable public health workforce in the Chicagoland region and is comprised of over 20 organizations that include the region’s largest local health departments, public health research institutions, FQHCs, and community-based organizations who were vital to emergency-response efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Formed in December 2020, the Collaborative’s work centers around two pillars of action. The first is to support and elevate efforts to invest in Community Health Workers –who are seen as a vital component of the future of the public health workforce and an integral part of improving overall population health. The second pillar is to support the creation of a Public Health Reserve – a recruitment, training, and employment navigational hub for public health employees across competencies.