The PH WINS Team went on a whirlwind tour of four islands in two weeks to prepare health departments for the launch of the Islands Pilot. (Photo credit: Rachel Hare Bork and Kay Schaffer. Audio credit: Rhythm Of The World by Global Genius)
For the first time, public health workers in the U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States can make their voices heard through a historic expansion of the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS). Over 8,000 public health agency employees across all eight of these jurisdictions have been invited to participate in the PH WINS Islands Pilot. Previously, PH WINS was available only to state and local health departments in the 50 states.
Fielded in partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Pacific Island Health Officers’ Association (PIHOA), the survey gives employees the opportunity to share their perspectives on engagement and morale, training needs, and addressing public health issues, and collects data on the demographics of the workforce.
The U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States comprise five Territories (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and three Freely Associated States (Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands). Island jurisdiction health departments face unique challenges to sustain their workforce, such as geographic isolation, non-competitive salary structures, and underdeveloped academic pathways. The PH WINS Islands Pilot will provide health departments with actionable data to address these problems and strengthen the capacity of their workforce.
Over the past year, the PH WINS team traveled to health departments across the U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States to meet employees, connect with leaders, and learn firsthand about the history and culture of their workforce. The survey instrument was then adapted in close collaboration with partners at island health departments, ASTHO, PIHOA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).
Participating agencies will receive a version of the survey that has been amended slightly from PH WINS 2024 to reflect their unique contexts and include expanded response options, most notably in the demographics section. The survey will also be available for the first time in Spanish for employees in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The PH WINS Islands Pilot will provide island jurisdictions with evidence to support island-centric solutions to pressing public health issues, helping them protect their communities’ health and well-being. For questions, please contact the PH WINS Team at [email protected].
