Epidemic Intelligence Service Alumni in Public Health Leadership Roles

Marvin So, Andrea Winquist, Shelby Fisher, Danice Eaton, Dianna Carroll, Patricia Simone, Eric Pevzner and Wences Arvelo
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Marvin So: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
Andrea Winquist: Epidemiology Workforce Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Shelby Fisher: Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
Danice Eaton: Epidemiology Workforce Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Dianna Carroll: Epidemiology Workforce Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Patricia Simone: Epidemiology Workforce Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Eric Pevzner: Epidemiology Workforce Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Wences Arvelo: Epidemiology Workforce Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-9

Abstract: Since 1951, the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has trained physicians, nurses, scientists, veterinarians, and other allied health professionals in applied epidemiology. To understand the program’s effect on graduates’ leadership outcomes, we examined the EIS alumni representation in five select leadership positions. These positions were staffed by 353 individuals, of which 185 (52%) were EIS alumni. Among 12 CDC directors, four (33%) were EIS alumni. EIS alumni accounted for 29 (58%) of the 50 CDC center directors, 61 (35%) of the 175 state epidemiologists, 27 (56%) of the 48 Field Epidemiology Training Program resident advisors, and 70 (90%) of the 78 Career Epidemiology Field Officers. Of the 185 EIS alumni in leadership positions, 136 (74%) were physicians, 22 (12%) were scientists, 21 (11%) were veterinarians, 6 (3%) were nurses, and 94 (51%) were assigned to a state or local health department. Among the 61 EIS alumni who served as state epidemiologists, 40 (66%) of them were assigned to a state or local health department during EIS. Our evaluation suggests that epidemiology training programs can serve as a vital resource for the public health workforce, particularly given the capacity strains brought to light by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: workforce; leadership; applied epidemiology; Epidemic Intelligence Service; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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