Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • ESG: THE NEW IMPERATIVE
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • COVID-19
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Transformation
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Digital Health
  • Insights
    • ACA 10 Years After
    • Best Practices
    • Special Reports
    • Innovations
  • Data/Lists
    • Rankings/Lists
    • Interactive Databases
    • Data Points
  • Op-Ed
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Awards
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
    • Women in Healthcare
    • - Luminaries
    • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
    • - Leaders to Watch
    • - Luminaries
    • - Top 25 Women Leaders
    • - Women to Watch
  • Events
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Custom Media Event: ESG Summit
    • Transformation Summit
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Supply Chain Revenue Cycle
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Strategic Marketing
    • - Virtual Health
  • Listen
    • Podcast - Next Up
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • MORE +
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Opinion & Editorial
July 22, 2021 01:00 PM

Want to prevent the next public health crisis? Ensure a strong preventive medicine workforce

Dr. M. "Tonette" Krousel-Wood
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Dr. M. “Tonette” Krousel-Wood is president of the American College of Preventive Medicine.

    Face the facts: Our healthcare system was not prepared for COVID-19. From skyrocketing emergency department and intensive-care unit admission rates, to plummeting levels of critical supplies, consistent misinformation, and inconsistent testing—we were caught off guard.

    Prior to COVID-19, our healthcare system was already bowing under the weight of the epidemic of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and other chronic conditions that were common indicators for higher mortality with COVID-19. These diseases impact more than 129 million Americans and take more than 1.7 million lives every year–more than double the lives the pandemic claimed in the U.S.

    Recently, the Biden administration announced plans to invest more than $7 billion from the American Rescue Plan to improve the public health infrastructure through training and hiring. As preventive medicine physicians, we commend the administration on this proactive effort, but warn that unless these efforts are directed at training the public health and clinical workforce responsible for addressing the chronic disease epidemics, our systems and our communities won't be prepared for the next disaster when, not if, it happens.

    To effectively achieve the goal of improving the public health infrastructure, this one-time influx of money must be paired with a longer-term, strategic investment in public health-trained physician leaders, including preventive medicine physicians. The American College of Preventive Medicine encourages hospital and health system administrators, public health officials, and clinical advisers to invest in elevating the skill set of a healthcare workforce that is uniquely trained in both clinical and public health.

    A strategic move to evolve us from sick care to well care sets up on solid footing to begin building a system that prioritizes the practice of prevention. By screening for diseases and promoting wellness initiatives at the population health level, we can address common chronic illnesses that currently impact half of all Americans and cost the country more than $3.8 trillion. Unless strategic investments are made now, these figures will only continue to grow and further deteriorate the health of our nation.

    Formal public health training and real-world practice-based experiences provide opportunities for specific skill building. While meeting the growing demands of healthcare require these future leaders to have competency in clinical preventive medicine, it is crucial they also have a firm grasp on the C-suite perspective, the healthcare needs of their populations, and the evidence-based approaches to address clinical and public health challenges.

    Competency-based training in all these areas provide future leaders with the business reality of operating a high-quality and sustainable health system, an administrative understanding of preventive medicine, population health and clinical training. This broad and formal instruction allows for quick and efficient integration and engagement across a wide range of health settings from hospital administration and public health to preventive medicine and clinical care.

    The appropriations of emergency COVID-19 relief funds to public health workforce development provide a unique opportunity for healthcare organizations and systems to enhance their infrastructure in dealing with current and future health challenges. To ensure long-term public health preparedness and success, ACPM encourages hospital and health system leaders to build a future workforce that understands their workplace at the clinical, population and administrative levels. These investments will provide health systems the infrastructure to respond quickly and ably to challenges we face now and in the future.

    Dr. M. "Tonette" Krousel-Wood is president of the American College of Preventive Medicine.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Dennis Matheis
    Sentara Healthcare names Dennis Matheis next top executive
    supreme-court-healthcare-ok_WEB_i.jpg
    Healthcare groups react to Supreme Court abortion ruling
    Sponsored Content
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • COVID-19
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Digital Health
    • Insights
      • ACA 10 Years After
      • Best Practices
      • Special Reports
      • Innovations
    • Data/Lists
      • Rankings/Lists
      • Interactive Databases
      • Data Points
    • Op-Ed
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Awards
      • Nominate/Eligibility
      • 100 Most Influential People
      • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
      • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
      • Excellence in Governance
      • Health Care Hall of Fame
      • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
      • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
      • Top 25 Innovators
      • Diversity in Healthcare
        • - Luminaries
        • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
        • - Leaders to Watch
      • Women in Healthcare
        • - Luminaries
        • - Top 25 Women Leaders
        • - Women to Watch
    • Events
      • Conferences
        • Transformation Summit
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Leadership Symposium
      • Galas
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Supply Chain Revenue Cycle
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Strategic Marketing
        • - Virtual Health
      • Webinars
      • Custom Media Event: ESG Summit
    • Listen
      • Podcast - Next Up
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • MORE +
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing