This project shares stories from public health practitioners across Iowa about the current state of public health in the United States and uses their stories to identify existing strengths and areas for improvement.
Team members:
- UIowa: Rima Afifi (lead), Heidi Haines (lead), Daniel Sewell, Edith Parker, Natoshia Askelson
- PRC-RH Students: Abran Nicolas, Master's student biostatistics
- Partners: Lina Tucker-Reinders (co-lead, Iowa Public Health Association), Sarah Dixon (Iowa Primary Care Association), Kaitlin Emrich (Black Hawk Public Health), Michelle Lewis (Siouxland Health Department), Jimmy Reyes (University of Northern Iowa), Kelly Wells Sittig (Iowa Cancer Association), Christine Estle (Jefferson County Public Health)
Project dates: 2025-present
Funding sources: UI PRC-RH
Project tags: mental health, public health workforce
Details
Description
The objective of this project, in partnership with the Iowa Public Health Association, is to gather stories in Iowa from the local public health workforce about the current state of public health in the United States right now. The new survey will assist in strategic planning and action to support communities in managing public health challenges in the current context including around crises and provide results on how to better support the public health workforces (areas of needed improvement). For the purposes of this study we are defining the public health workforce as all those working in local, regional, state, and national health departments as well as those working in governmental and non-governmental public health agencies or community-based organizations with a public health focus. We will use an innovative mixed methods data collection tool, SenseMaker, which helps visualize patterns across stories from a wide range of people. Public health professionals are invited to share short stories of their experiences —based on the prompt: “Imagine you are trying to explain to someone the current state of public health in the United States right now, what story might you tell ?".
Follow-up questions allow them to tell us more about their story. Results of the analysis of themes across stories will highlight strengths within the public health systems, as well as areas of needed improvement.
The results of this project will also assist in strategic planning and action to support communities in managing public health challenges in the current context; and provide suggestions on how to better support the public health workforce We are committed to sharing these stories and the main themes that emerge from them with policy and decision makers locally and at the State level to allow for evidence-based responses to public health needs and challenges.
This project is a follow up to our Harnessing Knowledge, Elevated Learnings: Iowa's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Resources, Media, & Publications
Media:
- CPH News. University of Iowa researchers launch new statewide project to gather stories from public health workforce. February 12, 2026.