Recommended citation: Schaffer K, Porter JM, Bell C, Castrucci BC. “From Words to Action: Equipping the Public Health Workforce to Advance Health Equity,” de Beaumont Foundation. May 2025.
State, local, and federal leaders are increasingly recognizing that long-standing disparities in health outcomes are rooted in systemic factors that affect the well-being of millions of Americans. These disparities—between rural and urban communities, across income levels, and among different racial and ethnic groups—hold back individuals, families, and entire regions. Striving for health equity means working to ensure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible—a goal that would result in lower health care costs, stronger economies, and a better quality of life.
A new de Beaumont Foundation report, From Words to Action: Equipping the Public Health Workforce to Advance Health Equity, investigates the public health workforce’s capacity and readiness to address the various conditions that shape health outcomes. Written by Kay Schaffer, Jamila M. Porter, Caryn Bell, and Brian C. Castrucci, the report is based on a survey of more than 44,000 state and local public health employees and interviews with 20 public health employees. It offers practical, evidence-informed insights that can help health departments advance health equity effectively and sustainably.
A key finding of the survey and interviews is that public health workers believe that addressing racism is central to its mission, but few have the resources, support, or authority to make equity a core part of their jobs. Leadership is key to change, the report says. Too often, leaders express support for equity but don’t follow through with policies, practices, or budgets that reflect those values.
The report recommends five key actions:
- Make equity part of every job. Don’t relegate it to side projects or grant-funded roles.
- Align policy and funding with values. Review hiring practices, grant criteria, and internal processes through an equity lens.
- Support and trust staff. Especially those with lived experience, whose insights are essential to this work.
- Share power with communities. Build collaborative decision-making structures that give residents real influence.
- Measure what matters. Collect and use data that tracks structural drivers of health, not just health outcomes.
The authors acknowledge that this isn’t easy work and the current political climate makes it even harder. But advancing health equity isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a national imperative.
Read the full report, From Words to Action: Equipping the Public Health Workforce to Advance Health Equity, written by Kay Schaffer, Jamila M. Porter, Caryn Bell, and Brian C. Castrucci.
