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What if another outbreak of a life-threatening virus spread rapidly across the United States, sickening thousands of people with little time or resources to defend themselves? Would our healthcare system effectively respond?

That’s a question researchers at USF’s (COPH) ask every day as they prepare professionals for potential and public health threats in the future. The college’s (DISTA), addresses workforce development challenges while equipping people with the skills that ultimately can save lives. 

DISTA members recently participated in the annual National Association of County and City Health Officials 360 (NACCHO) in California, the largest convening of local health department professionals in the country. The conference offered a chance for the USF team to network and share experiences and best practices across the local health landscape. 

“We’re collaborating across states, universities, and public health agencies to share expertise, data, and training resources,’’ said COPH alumnus Mitchell Jaskela, MPH, CPH, DISTA program planner analyst. “When programs collaborate nationally, we can standardize best practices, reduce duplication, and make sure that every community benefits from the lessons others have already learned.’’

At the conference, the DISTA team shared how it addresses training needs and bolsters employee retention by developing a modern, scalable training solution to improve preparedness, retention, and field effectiveness across the workforce.

The conference provided “a national lens’’ of shared ideas, Jaskela added, “and a fresh spark of creativity and insight through every local health department we serve.’’

This is important because DISTA has a broad reach. For example, it collaborates with the Southeast STD/HIV Prevention Training Center based at the University of Alabama Birmingham to train newly onboarded public health professionals on both regional and national strategies.

DISTA focuses on infections that represent both urgent public health challenges and opportunities for high-impact intervention, such as syphilis and HIV.

“Our training dives deeply into these areas because they require specialized knowledge from interpreting complicated lab results to conducting sensitive interviews and partner services,’’ said COPH alumnus Dr. Ismael Hoare, academic director and co-principal investigator for DISTA. “By focusing on these priorities, we ensure the training is meaningful, immediately applicable, and impactful.’’

Disease intervention specialists meet clients where they are, connect individuals to treatment, notify exposed partners, and try to stop the spread of infection. Their expertise is applied to many infectious disease prevention efforts, including viral hepatitis and tuberculosis.

Their skills in case investigation, contact tracing, and community engagement are transferable, which makes them an asset in broader public health prevention strategies, said Amethyst Clare Surpris, MPH, CPH, and DISTA program administrator.

A typical day might include supporting a client with a new syphilis infection, connecting them to treatment and needed resources, conducting confidential interviews, ensuring partners get tested and treated, and updating case records in surveillance systems.

“They might also be in the field conducting community outreach, visiting clinics, or training healthcare providers on reporting,’’ Surpris said. “So, their work directly protects communities because they’re breaking a chain of transmission, preventing complications, and saving lives.’’

DISTA benefits from collaboration with USF’s colleges of medicine, nursing, social work and public health, so that it remains a comprehensive training experience. The program has two main goals:

·         To bolster the capacity of the public health workers to respond to infectious disease outbreaks by enhancing and strengthening skillsets

·         To increase specialist retention by providing a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary pathway to prepare new employees for their complex roles

This is part of a philosophy of what the team calls “workforce resilience’’ − giving people the tools and confidence they need to thrive. It encourages peer support and creates career pathways, so specialists can serve their communities in the long term.

“When our workforce is resilient and well-trained, communities benefit,’’ said Dr. Charurut Somboonwit, co-principal investigator at DISTA. “Outbreaks are contained faster, health messages are clearer, and care is more consistent. It’s the foundation of a healthier, safer public.’’