New York health officials want to fill 500 open positions for the newly created public health corps, created in response to the COVID pandemic.
The program, created in 2021, is meant to provide support for health officials responding to future and emerging public health crises in the state. The program is considered the first in the nation and is meant to strengthen communication and preparedness.
“Public health is a challenging, exciting field and it’s encouraging to see the amount of interest in the New York State Public Health Corps from New Yorkers and local health departments,” Acting State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “The emergence of viral threats like COVID-19 demonstrate we must be prepared and rise to the challenge of these public health emergencies. Protecting public health starts in our communities with New Yorkers who are willing to use and enhance their talents and expertise to help advance our state’s public health agenda.”
The creation of the program comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration is trying to expand the ranks of the state's health care workforce in the next five years by 20%.
Public health officials in New York have responded to a variety of issues in recent years aside from the ongoing COVID pandemic. Outbreaks of polio and mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, as well as a rise in flu cases this winter alongside childhood RSV have created challenges at the state and local levels.
Meanwhile, New York is working to expand its early warning of the spread of contagious illnesses like COVID.
People working in the public health corps have been part of the state's wastewater surveillance program, which is expanding to monitor not just COVID, but other diseases in the state.
Health officials are seeking people with college and advanced graduate degrees who have training in public health, medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacology/pharmacy, allied health, social services, communications and information technology, logistics planning, education, and emergency health programs.