Trailhead convened CPHWC in April 2020 to support the urgent need to increase the number of people working in the field of public health as contact tracers, case investigators, resource coordinators and several other positions at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As persistent health disparities exacerbated by the pandemic have highlighted the need for the public health workforce to evolve, the work of CPHWC has expanded to strategically envision how the field may leverage increased public awareness and funding from federal, state and local agencies to ensure that Colorado has an experienced, diverse, ample, inclusive, and innovative workforce to address public health challenges for years to come. Additionally, CPHWC seeks to address the widespread, persistent burnout being experienced by public health practitioners and explore policy, funding and structural supports needed in order to sustain, retain and accelerate those within the public health workforce.

CPHWC is proactively exploring initiatives focused on:

1. Strengthening public health workforce system alignment and coordination
2. Improving public health communication strategies
3. Collecting and monitoring public health workforce data
4. Developing and enhancing training and career pathways
5. Cultivating effective recruitment and retention strategies
6. Implementing policy and organizational structures for a future workforce with a health equity-based lens

The Colorado Public Health Workforce Collaborative is comprised of members from the following partner organizations:

• The Alliance of Colorado Community Health Workers, Patient Navigators, and Promoters de Salud
• Boulder County Public Health
• Central Colorado Area Health Education Center
• City and County of Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE)
• Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO)
• Colorado Cross-disability Coalition
• Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE)
• Colorado Health Institute (CHI)
• Colorado Hospital Association
• Colorado Medical Society
• Colorado Safety-net Collaborative
• Colorado School of Public Health
• Denver Prevention Training Center
• Immunize Colorado
• Kiowa County Public Health
• Metro Denver Partnership for Health (MDPH)
• Patient Navigator Training Collaborative
• Prowers County Public Health and Environment
• Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment
• Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center (RMPHTC)
• The Health Education and Resource Institute (THEARI)