Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis, Indiana (Drs Yeager, Menachemi, and Halverson, Mr Jacinto, and Ms Danielson); and de Beaumont Foundation, Bethesda, Maryland (Dr Chapple-McGruder).
J Public Health Manag Pract. 2020 Jan/Feb;26(1):9-15. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000937.
State health officials (SHOs), the executive and administrative leaders of state public health, play a key role in policy development, must be versed in the relevant/current evidence, and provide expertise about health issues to the legislature and the governor.
To provide an empirical examination of SHO backgrounds and qualifications over time.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional survey of current/former SHOs.
State health official educational backgrounds; public health experience; previous employment setting.
Two-thirds of respondents (64.6%) reported having a medical degree, approximately half (48.3%) a formal public health degree, and almost one-quarter (21.8%) a management degree. The majority had governmental public health experience at some prior point in their career (70.0%). Almost two-thirds worked in governmental public health immediately before becoming an SHO. The proportion that was female increased significantly by decade from 5.6% in the 1970s/80s to 46.4% in the 2010s (P = .02).
The main finding from this study shows that more than two-thirds of SHOs have had governmental public health experience at some point in their career. This is not a new trend as there were no statistical differences in public health experience by decade. More than half of the SHOs were appointed to the role directly from governmental public health, indicating that their public health experience is timely and likely germane to their appointment as SHO. Findings also indicate improvements in gender diversity among one of the most influential leadership roles in governmental public health whereas significant changes in racial and ethnic diversity were not identified. Women are increasingly being appointed as SHOs, indicating increasing gender diversity in this influential position. Given that governmental public health employees are predominantly women, there is still room for gender equity improvements in executive leadership roles. This is coupled with the need for further racial and ethnic diversity improvements as well.
州卫生官员（SHO）是州公共卫生的行政和管理领导者，在政策制定中发挥着关键作用，必须精通相关/当前证据，并向立法机构和州长提供有关健康问题的专业知识。
随着时间的推移，对 SHO 的背景和资格进行实证检验。
设计、设置和参与者：对现任/前任 SHO 的横断面调查。
州卫生官员的教育背景；公共卫生经验；以前的就业情况。
三分之二的受访者（64.6%）报告拥有医学学位，约一半（48.3%）拥有正规公共卫生学位，近四分之一（21.8%）拥有管理学位。大多数人在职业生涯的某个阶段都有政府公共卫生方面的经验（70.0%）。几乎三分之二的人在成为 SHO 之前曾在政府公共卫生部门工作。女性的比例按十年计算显著增加，从 70 年代/80 年代的 5.6%增加到 2010 年代的 46.4%（P=.02）。
本研究的主要发现表明，超过三分之二的 SHO 在职业生涯的某个阶段都有政府公共卫生方面的经验。这并不是一个新趋势，因为按十年计算，公共卫生经验没有统计学差异。超过一半的 SHO 直接从政府公共卫生部门被任命为这一职务，这表明他们的公共卫生经验是及时的，可能与他们被任命为 SHO 有关。调查结果还表明，在政府公共卫生领域最具影响力的领导角色之一中，女性的比例有所增加，而种族和民族多样性的显著变化尚未确定。越来越多的女性被任命为 SHO，这表明在这个有影响力的职位中，女性的比例越来越高。鉴于政府公共卫生部门的员工主要是女性，在行政领导角色中仍有提高性别平等的空间。此外，还需要进一步提高种族和民族多样性。
