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Heartland Center for Population Health and Community Systems Development

 The Heartland Center for Public Health and Community Systems Development works with academic and practice partners locally and nationally to support a systemic approach to workforce development. The Saint Louis University center assesses competency gaps and provides competency-based professional development courses online or on-site.

The SLU center offers more than 600 online modules, programs, tool kits and other resources. We curate these resources yearly to ensure they meet nationally recognized professional competence frameworks and quality e-learning standards. The resources also meet the Public Health Accreditation Board’s public health agency accreditation standards for e-learning and other capability and continuing education requirements.

We partner with the academic and practice organizations making up the Midwest Public Health Training Center, and belong to the national network of 10 regional training centers funded by the Health Resources Services Administration.

Our mission is to improve competence and capacity among the professionals who provide essential services for the health, safety, and resilience of communities locally and nationally. We provide a comprehensive approach to workforce development in public health, social service, emergency management, health care and other related practice fields.

Research Briefs

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Uptake in Black and African American Populations

Authors

Erika Collins, M.H.A.(c); Reethika Veluri, BS(c); Alyssa Coleman, M.P.H., CPH®; Kimberly R. Enard, Ph.D., M.S.H.A., MBA, FACHE®

December 2023

Key Findings

  • Black and African American (AA) populations are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in Missouri and across the United States (US).1-3
  • COVID-19 vaccines are effective in reducing morbidity and mortality from the virus, yet vaccine uptake is disproportionately lower in Black and AA groups compared to White and other racial and ethnic groups due to historical, sociocultural, and structural barriers to care.4
  • Tailored outreach strategies that consider the intersectional identities of racial, ethnic and other social groups are needed to overcome barriers to vaccination.4-6
Factors Affecting COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Uptake in Faith-Based Communities and Strategies to Improve Them

Authors

Senhit Berhane, BS, MPH(c); Shammah Kodjo-Soroh, MD, MPH(c); Kaleb Rasmussen, BS, MHA(c) JD(c); Alyssa Coleman, MPH, CPH®; Kimberly R. Enard, PhD, MSHA, MBA, FACHE®

November 2023

Key Findings

  • The vast majority of Americans identify as religious (47%) or spiritual (33%).2 Among adults in Missouri, 77% are part of Christian and 3% are part of non-Christian faiths.3
  • Ten percent of Americans believe that COVID-19 vaccine uptake conflicts with their religious beliefs; 50% favor granting religious exemptions with faith leader support.4
  • Twenty-five percent of Americans who are hesitant say one of six faith-based approaches would make them at least somewhat more likely to get vaccinated.4
Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health and Well-Being of the Public Health Workforce

Authors

Ikeoluwa Akintujoye, M.B.B.S., MBA; Alyssa Coleman, M.P.H., CPH®; Kimberly R. Enard, Ph.D., M.S.H.A., MBA, FACHE®

December 2023

Key Findings:

  • In 2022, 46% of health workers reported feeling burned out often or very often; 13% experienced harassment; 44% intended to look for a new job.2
  • Like other states, members of the public health workforce in Missouri report high levels of psychological distress, burnout, and work-related exhaustion.3
  • Awareness and utilization of resources to support workers in distress are low.3

Conversations with Leaders in Public Health Podcast

Julie J. Gary, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Podcast Episode #6

Julie J. Gary, Ph.D., M.P.H., joins the Heartland Center podcast to discuss her career path to Behavioral Health Bureau chief for the City of St. Louis Department of Health, the importance of addressing social determinants in behavioral health and substance use work, and predictions about the end of the opioid epidemic. She also shares lessons for future public health workers and stories about her faith and military career.

Rebecca Roesslet

Podcast Episode #5

Rebecca Roesslet joins the Heartland Center podcast to discuss the skills and experience that helped her lead as a Public Health Planning Unit Supervisor during the COVID-19 pandemic. She discusses the various rewarding experiences in public health she’s had over her 20-year career, including how she became involved in community engagement. The podcast ends with Roesslet’s predictions for what’s to come in the next 50 years of public health.

Kate Donaldson & Damon Broadus

Podcast Episode #4

In this episode, Kate Donaldson and Damon Broadus sit down with host Kimberly Enard, Ph.D., director of Heartland Centers and SLU's CPHSJ Master of Health Administration program.

Kate Donaldson is the deputy director of the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, and Damon Broadus is the department's director of health promotion and public health research. Both Kate and Damon facilitate development and innovation for the department's administration of public health programs. This includes department-wide accreditation, strategic planning, quality improvement efforts, health promotion, public health research, assessment evaluation and policy. Kate, also has a wide range of experience designing and implementing community-based healthy living programs for kids and adults, while Damon is well respected for his ability to build powerful partnerships and develop key coalitions. 

Marvia Jones, Ph.D.

Podcast Episode #3

In this episode, the Heartland Centers Director and SLU CPHSJ Master of Health Administration Program Director Kimberly Enard, Ph.D., sat down with Marvia Jones, Ph.D.

Jones is the health director for the City of Kansas City, Missouri. At the University of Kansas, she earned a Master of Public Health and a Ph.D., in community behavioral psychology. She is passionate about creating environments that support healthy individuals and families through effective policymaking and strategic investment.

Emily Goodin

Podcast Episode #2

In this episode, the Heartland Centers Director and SLU CPHSJ Master of Health Administration Program Director Kimberly Enard, Ph.D., sat down with Emily Goodin.

Goodin discusses her experience as an administrator of a small county health department during the COVID-19 pandemic. She gives advice to administrators looking to establish emergency preparedness practices and how to overcome the challenges of building the infrastructure for emergency response.

Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, M.D.

Podcast Episode #1

In this episode, the Heartland Centers Director and SLU CPHSJ Master of Health Administration Program Director Kimberly Enard, Ph.D., sat down with the Director of Health for the City of St. Louis Matifadza (Mati) Hlatshwayo Davis, M.D., M.P.H.

Hlatshwayo Davis discusses her work to transform the City of St. Louis Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes challenges to community and engagement and how her department was able to overcome those challenges. She emphasizes the importance of balancing day-to-day tasks with promoting health equity.

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