About the Public Health Mentoring Program

Background

The Massachusetts Health Officers Association (MHOA) is recognized by members and other agencies as an effective professional group representing and advocating for local public and environmental health. MHOA leads, supports, and advocates for the delivery of statutory and foundational public health services across every municipality in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MHOA informs, educates, and empowers its members to ensure healthy communities for all.

Foundational to MHOA’s work is the belief that all people in Massachusetts should have equal opportunities to achieve their full health potential. This vision requires a robust public health system that can promote equitable health outcomes for everyone, regardless of their geographic location or circumstances. MHOA strives to embed this principle of equity in to all of its initiatives, including advocacy and workforce development.

Maintaining high standards within public health work requires a skilled and competent workforce. However, over the last decade, the local public health workforce has shrunk by more than 15%, detrimentally affecting the ability to carry out essential public health services. In response to this workforce shortage, MHOA is establishing a Local Public Health Mentoring Program to support the existing workforce and while bolstering retention.

Program Description

MHOA is introducing a pilot program for its Local Public Health Mentorship Program in 2023, initially focusing on a small mentee cohort consisting of early-stage local public health professionals. The development of this pilot program was a collaborative effort between MHOA members, local public health officials, and representatives from the Academic Public Health Corps (APHC), who formed a dedicated Steering Committee. The program design was also informed by investigative focus groups with potential mentors and mentees.

To ensure meaningful mentor-mentee matches, the mentorship program will implement a participatory application process, which will consider the professional interests, goals, backgrounds, and geographic regions of mentors and mentees. Once matched, mentors and mentees will engage in a series of ongoing, monthly conversations over the course of the 9-month program. These conversations will serve as the cornerstone of the mentoring relationship, providing a platform for open communication, guidance, and knowledge-sharing between mentors and mentees.