Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Professional Roles and Responsibilities of Health Educators.

Public health professionals are at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic response. However, the roles and responsibilities of health educators in pandemic response are unknown. Researchers examined multiple factors that described how health educators' work priorities and lives have been affected by COVID-19. An electronic questionnaire was administered nationally to health educators to assess the effect of the pandemic on their professional responsibilities, the challenges they are facing, and their fears about the future. Of the 913 respondents, 487 (43%) reported changing work priorities, with 80% of that group (389) sharing that their work priorities shifted focus to COVID-19. Most felt qualified to take on the new job responsibilities, but many feared the inability to get back to previous work roles or for their organizations to financially withstand the pandemic. Regardless of workplace setting or job priorities, health educators are prepared in the skills outlined in the Responsibilities and Competencies for Health Education Specialists, which may have led to their abilities in shifting roles so quickly and effectively. Findings from this study may prepare public health agencies to better use and train health educators for their roles in rapidly shifting public health priorities.

Health Educator Perspectives on Seeking Medicaid Reimbursement in Indiana.

Health education is a growing field. However, there is confusion about the role delineation of health education specialists (HES) and other health education (HE) providers. Additionally, recent reimbursement opportunities allow employers to bill for HE services but offer confusing language regarding eligible service-providing professionals. This study surveyed health educators in Indiana to assess knowledge, attitudes, and perceived abilities to bill Medicaid and other insurers for HE services. Using a cross-sectional research design, an original 22-item Web-based questionnaire was developed and distributed to all Certified Health Education Specialist/Master Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES/MCHES) practitioners residing in Indiana. Additional respondents were recruited using a snowball technique, as original respondents asked to share the survey with colleagues. A final data set of 61 respondents was analyzed. All respondents' organizations provided HE services, with the majority indicating they do not charge and do not bill for HE services. Additionally, 60% of the respondents agreed that HES should be reimbursed for services, and the vast majority believed reimbursement to be important for the field. With recent reimbursement opportunities for HE and preventative health services, it is important that HES advocate for the profession and for potential reimbursement opportunities, such as Medicaid, to enhance the field and support HES jobs.

Health Advocacy for Busy Professionals: Effective Advocacy With Little Time.

Health advocacy is a central responsibility for health educators and public health practitioners, as documented clearly in our professional competencies. Professional organizations such as the Society for Public Health Education and the American Public Health Association undertake frequent advocacy initiatives and strive to engage their members in advocacy strategies on a regular basis. Despite this understanding and advocacy training requirements in academic preparation programs for public health professionals, students and emerging professionals often lack advocacy experience. In this article, we provide descriptions of multiple effective health advocacy strategies spread across the time intensity spectrum, in order of least time intensive to most. Advocates may select the best strategy based on the needs of their target audience, the amount of time and energy they have for the task, and the level of confidence they have in practicing the strategy itself.

Building Advocacy Capacity and Skills Through a Statehouse Advocacy Day: Indiana SOPHE Experience.

The purpose of this article is to provide public health organizations and practitioners a guide for organizing an advocacy summit to develop and practice advocacy skills. Further development of advocacy skills in current and prospective public health practitioners is vital in improving health outcomes among communities creating sustainable change. Though many approaches are available to help students and professionals acquire advocacy skills, an engaging real-life event such as the advocacy summit described within this commentary can be highly beneficial for both novice and seasoned advocates. The feedback obtained from summit participants showed that participants are interested in similar opportunities and believe that such events help further hone their advocacy skills. The essential steps to plan a successful advocacy summit are provided in the article, as well as a sample planning timeline, making it easier for public health advocates in other states to successfully plan similar events.