Reasons for Turnover of Kansas Public Health Officials during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cristi Cain (), D. Charles Hunt, Melissa Armstrong, Vicki L. Collie-Akers and Elizabeth Ablah
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Cristi Cain: Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 1000 SW Jackson St, Topeka, KS 66612, USA
D. Charles Hunt: Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, 11875 S Sunset Dr., Olathe, KS 66061, USA
Melissa Armstrong: Department of Population Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214, USA
Vicki L. Collie-Akers: Department of Population Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, MS 1008, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
Elizabeth Ablah: Department of Population Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-15

Abstract: Public health officials played a critical role in COVID-19 mitigation and response efforts. In Kansas, 51 local health department (LHD) administrators and/or local health officers left their positions due to the pandemic between 15 March 2020 and 31 August 2021. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that led to turnover of Kansas local public health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those eligible to participate in this study included former LHD administrators and/or health officers who were employed at or contracted by a Kansas LHD on 15 March 2020 and resigned, retired, or were asked to resign prior to 31 August 2021. Researchers used a demographic survey, a focus group, and key informant interviews to collect data. Twelve former LHD leaders participated in this study. Four themes emerged from phenomenological analysis: politicization of public health; a perceived lack of support; stress and burnout; and the public health infrastructure not working. The findings of this study can guide the Kansas public health system to address the issues leading to turnover of leadership and prevent future turnover. Future research must explore strategies for mitigating leadership turnover and identify alternative public health structures that could be more effective.

Keywords: turnover; local health departments; COVID-19; pandemic; Kansas; health officers; public health officials; administrators; burnout; county commissioners (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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