CA Public Health Departments Struggle to Fill Vacancies

After the COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the often invisible, but essential, work of those in the public health sector, California made it a priority to reverse decades of underinvestment. It set aside hundreds of millions of dollars to increase staffing. About 24% of the jobs across CDPH were vacant in June — nearly 10% higher than six years earlier, according to the State Controller’s Office. Over those same six years, the department added more than 1,200 positions.

“Public health is about preventing people from getting sick in the first place,” said Brad Pollock, chair of the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences. “If you don’t have enough people working in the agencies, then these issues are going to get ignored, which means more people get hurt and compromise their health.” Read more from the Sac Bee here.