In the United States, a network of state and local public health agencies are responsible for implementing a vast range of public health services that prevent illness, track outbreaks, and promote good health for millions of Americans. Unfortunately, sustained financial support for this governmental public health infrastructure has been woefully inadequate and inconsistent. One recent study, for example, estimated that the U.S. needed an additional 80,000 full-time employees even before the COVID-19 pandemic to provide basic public health services—an increase that would cost an estimated $10 billion annually.

In the face of these shortages, policymakers and elected officials have developed programs to bolster the size and capacity of the U.S. public health workforce, including Public Health AmeriCorps. A collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and AmeriCorps, Public Health Americorps placed individual AmeriCorps members with state and local public health organizations to address local health needs and build a pipeline for future public health professionals.

Minnesota’s program, called the Minnesota Public Health Corps (MNPHC), was one of the largest statewide programs in the country, with dozens of program participants deployed to local health departments across the state. A new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) focuses on the program and highlights how MNPHC members helped fill critical gaps in governmental public health. Using data from service plans (developed by members and their host agencies) and over 400 monthly reports submitted by 60 AmeriCorps members from across the state, SPH researchers tracked participants’ activities, successes, and challenges.

The results, published in the Journal of Health Policy and Management, found that MNPHC members made significant contributions in several areas, including:

• Strengthening communications and outreach. Members planned campaigns, managed social media, and created educational resources for health observances.
• Deepening community engagement. Members partnered with coalitions, attended listening sessions, and supported culturally tailored outreach on topics like opioids, mental health, and vaccine hesitancy.
• Expanding data capacity. Members assisted with community health assessments, data analysis, and program evaluation to inform local decision-making.

“The Minnesota Public Health Corps showed us what’s possible when we invest  in strengthening the public health workforce,” said Henry Stabler, lead author and researcher at SPH’s Center for Public Health Systems (CPHS). “This study found that members were not only providing vital support to under-resourced agencies, but also building the skills to become the next generation of public health leaders. It is deeply disappointing that funding for this program has now been eliminated—just as it was beginning to prove its long-term value. At a time when communities still face critical health challenges and public health workforce shortages, programs like MNPHC are more critical than ever.”

Co-authors of the study include CPHS Researcher Chelsey Kirkland, Associate Professor JP Leider, Jaclyn Frank, and Rachel Price.

The authors suggest further research could examine the long-term impacts of MNPHC, particularly whether members remain in the public health workforce and how their contributions affect agency outcomes.