A Mixed-Methods Assessment of Minnesota Public Health Corps and Member Career Capital.

Abstract

Context: Persistent workforce shortages have challenged the public health workforce. During COVID-19 response, the federal government launched Public Health AmeriCorps (PHA) to embed AmeriCorps members in public health systems. Minnesota Public Health Corps (MNPHC), a PHA initiative, focused on placing members in Minnesota public health agencies to strengthen capacity.

Objective: The objective of this study was to strengthen the evidence base for public health workforce development by evaluating the relationship between MNPHC participation on members' "career capital," and subdomains of "Knowing How," "Knowing Why," and "Knowing Whom," through a mixed-methods approach, addressing a key gap in program evaluation and guiding future strategies.

Design: Single-group, pre-post observational, explanatory mixed-methods design.

Setting: Public health agencies with at least one MNPHC member.

Participants: MNPHC members.

Main outcome measures: Career capital.

Results: Participants demonstrated significant gains in overall career capital (scale of 1-7) after service, with mean scores increasing from 5.4 preservice to 6.1 postservice ( P < .001). In the "Knowing How" domain (scale of 1-7), scores rose from a preservice mean of 5.4-6.1 postservice ( P < .001), supported by 2237 qualitative references from 94 members. The "Knowing Why" domain (scale of 1-7) showed an increase from 5.6 to 6.1 ( P < .001), with 315 qualitative references from 74 members. In the "Knowing Whom" domain (scale of 1-7), scores improved from 5.2 to 5.9 ( P < .001), with 171 qualitative references from 65 members.

Conclusions: Quantitative results showed a difference in members' career capital from preservice to postservice; the qualitative data support and contextualize the quantitative findings. An integrated interpretation supports an inference that participants' career development was both statistically and experientially significant, with applied skill-building acting as a potential driver of broader gains.