About CSTE Conveners4 The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Denise Koo, MD, MPH Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a professional association of more than 1050 public Matthew Boulton, MD, MPH health epidemiologists working in states, local and federal University of Michigan School of Public Health health agencies, and territories. CSTE works to establish Chairs effective relationships among state and other health Guthrie Birkhead, MD, MPH agencies and provides technical advice and assistance New York State Department of Health Competencies for Applied Epidemiologists in to partner organizations such as the Centers for Disease Kathleen Miner, PhD, MPH, CHES Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Governmental Public Health Agencies: Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Consultant and Editor Jac Davies, MS, MPH A p p l i e d E p i d e m i o l o g y CSTE Consultant and Editor CSTE’s national headquarters is located in Atlanta, Georgia. Competencies (AECs ) CSTE is governed by a 10-member Executive Board Expert Panel Kaye Bender, RN, PhD, FAAN An introduction to the new standards comprising four officers and six members-at-large. University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing of practice for epidemiologists working Roger Bernier, PhD, MPH During the 1950s, CSTE was charged with recommending Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. public health system. Mike Crutcher, MD, MPH nationally notifiable diseases to CDC. CSTE has continued Oklahoma State Department of Health to collaborate with CDC to improve the public’s health by Richard Dicker, MD, MSc AEC Development supporting the efforts of epidemiologists working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 5 state and local levels and by promoting the effective use James Gale , MD, MS In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and University of Washington Prevention (CDC) and the Council of State and of epidemiologic data to guide public health practice and 5 Kristine Gebbie , DrPH, RN Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) convened an improve health. Policy development, strong partnerships Columbia University School of Nursing expert panel1 to define the competencies of with related organizations, workforce preparation, Gail Hansen, DVM, MPH Kansas Department of Health and Environment applied epidemiologists in governmental public professional expertise, and commitment to public health Richard S. Hopkins, MD, MSPH health agencies. research make CSTE a unique resource for epidemiologists Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sara L. Huston, PhD nationwide. North Carolina Divison of Public Health The panel comprised leaders in epidemiology Maureen Lichtveld5, MD, MPH who work in local, state, and federal public Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health agencies and accomplished individuals For more information, visit Miriam Link-Mullison, MS, RD from academia and industry. Jackson County (IL) Health Department Kristine Moore5, MD, MPH www.cste.org/competencies.asp University of Minnesota Goal Hal Morgenstern, PhD www.cdc.gov/od/owcd/cdd/aec/ University of Michigan School of Public Health To improve the practice of epidemiology in Lloyd Novick, MD, MPH public health agencies. To receive a printed copy of the toolkit, Onondaga (NY) County Health Department contact CSTE at: Len Paulozzi, MD, MPH Objectives Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Arthur Reingold5, MD The panel set forth objectives to create a University of California at Berkeley Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists: comprehensive list of competencies that William M. Sappenfield, MD, MPH 2872 Woodcock Boulevard, Suite 303 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • Define the discipline of applied Atlanta, GA 30341-4015 Gregory Steele, DrPH, MPH epidemiology and P 770-458-3811 Indiana University School of Medicine • Describe what skills four different levels Lou Turner, DrPH, MPH of practicing epidemiologists working in F 770-458-8516 State Laboratory of Public Health, North Carolina www.cste.org Mark E. White, MD governmental public health agencies Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should have to accomplish required tasks.

4 Panelist with organizational affiliation at start of process. 5 Review panelist. 1 The expert panel members are listed on the back of this brochure. Intended Uses of the AECs Competency Defined Epidemiology Practitioners can use the competencies to Competencies are action-oriented statements that delineate the essential knowledge, skills, and assess their current skill level and define focus areas for abilities in the performance of work responsibilities.2 Competencies are describable and observable. additional training. Striving to achieve higher competency levels can be used as a career-development plan.

Epidemiology and Competency Construct Employers can use the competencies to create career Epidemiologist Defined The AECs were built on the competency set developed ladders for their epidemiology positions on an objective Epidemiology, one of the core sciences of public health, by the Council on Linkages between Academia and Public basis. Job descriptions can be aligned with the competencies is “the study of the distribution and determinants of Health, with modifications to reflect the particular needs of to objectively evaluate a candidate’s merits in the field. health-related states and events in specific populations, epidemiologic practice. Additionally, organizations can use the competencies to and the application of this study to control of health The AECs are organized into the eight skill domains defined assess their overall epidemiologic capacity. problems.”3 by the Council on Linkages, as follows: • Assessment and Analysis Educators can use the competencies to design education An epidemiologist is a person who investigates the • Basic Public Health Sciences programs that meet public health agencies’ needs by occurrence of disease, injury, or other health-related • Communication mapping the competencies to epidemiology curricula. In conditions or events in populations to describe the • Community Dimensions of Practice addition, critical elements of epidemiology practice defined distribution of disease, or risk factors for disease, for • Cultural Competency within the competencies can be incorporated into existing population-based prevention and control. • Financial Planning and Management coursework. Consequently, epidemiology graduates will • Leadership and Systems Thinking possess many of the skills outlined in the AECs, which will Public heath epidemiologists who work in local, state, • Policy Development help them quickly transition into productive members of and federal health agencies are critical for detecting, the public health workforce. controlling, and preventing major health problems. Each skill domain comprises one to nine high-level competencies specifically related to applied epidemiology. Epidemiologists elucidate and communicate risks and National Organizations can use the AECs to further Subcompetencies and sub-subcompetencies define each recommend actions to prevent and control an array of develop the epidemiology workforce. For example, both competency to make the expectations of each component serious threats to the public’s health. the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and the CDC/ clear to the user. CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship curricula are being The expert panel developed comprehensive Additionally, competencies are organized into four skill aligned to the AECs, and the Association of Schools of epidemiology competencies spanning four levels of levels, called tiers, with language specific to level of Public Health has developed guidelines for mapping the practitioners’ responsibility, experience, and skill. experience, knowledge, and job responsibilities expected AECs to curricula. An extensive validation process allowed all levels of within each tier. Tiers are organized as follows: epidemiologists and stakeholders to provide quantitative • Tier 1—Entry level or basic and qualitative feedback. Thus, the competencies not • Tier 2—Mid-level only reflect an evidence-based approach to defining • Tier 3a—Supervisory competence but also support those whose performance • Tier 3b—Senior scientist will be ascertained and ultimately improved. AEC Resources AEC “Toolkit” Components Full text of the competency document, additional • Competency Skill Assessments background information about the AEC development • Informational PowerPoint® Presentations 2 Nelson JC, Essien JDK, Loudermilk R, Cohen D. The Public Health Competency process, and summaries of competencies by tier are • Sample Position Descriptions Handbook: Optimizing Individual & Organization Performance for the Public’s Health. Atlanta, GA: Center for Public Health Practice of the Rollins School of Public Health; available on the websites below. In addition, a “toolkit” is • Informational Brochure 2002. available with resources to help individuals and organizations • Summary of Available Training Resources incorporate the AECs into their practice. • An Interactive Introduction to the Competencies 3 Last JM. A Dictionary of Epidemiology. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001:62. Lessons learned from implementation of the AECs will strengthen, and result in future revisions of, the competencies and toolkit.

For more information, visit: www.cste.org/competencies.asp www.cdc.gov/od/owcd/cdd/aec/