Workforce Program

Our work focuses on recruiting, integrating and retaining Montana’s public health workforce.

The purpose of the Public Health Workforce Program is to advise and assist Montana’s local and tribal health departments with recruiting and integrating staff for vacant and new positions, especially as related to COVID-19 response, recovery and resiliency.

Our focus includes:

  • Advertising and promoting job placement opportunities: We coordinate with public health organizations across the state, including local health departments, tribal health departments, the Montana Public Health Institute, the Montana Public Health Training Center, and the Montana Public Health Association (MPHA).
  • Recruit new positions and workers: We strive to help health departments with gaining authorization for new workforce positions, recruiting new public health workers, and placing individuals with health departments. We also seek to address any barriers throughout the process with creative and innovative solutions.
  • Promote public health as a career of choice: We will work with high school and college students to coordinate work-study opportunities such as internships, practicums and other field experiences.
  • New public health worker orientation: To ensure the success and retention of student placements and new public health hires, the Workforce Program will assist with development and implementation of an orientation and integration program for new public health workers.
  • Graduation to workforce program: We will place interns (including undergraduate students and SPCHS Applied Practice Experience students), graduates from the SPCHS and other related programs into public health positions across the state.

Meet the Director

 

leigh taggart headshot

Leigh Taggart

Leigh is a graduate of the University of Montana MPH program, and a registered nurse.  She is an adjunct faculty at the School of Public and Community Health Sciences, where she teaches several courses including the MPH capstone practicum and integrative learning experiences.  Prior to coming to the University, Leigh worked as a Registered Nurse in critical care, mentoring new nursing students, and developing orientation curriculum.  She also brings with her 15 years of global public health experience, executing program planning, implementation and evaluation on projects in Morocco and Uganda.  Leigh is excited to be in her new role as Workforce Development Program Manager.  Feel free to reach out to her for any Public Health Workforce needs and questions.

Contact Leigh at:
Leigh.taggart@mso.umt.edu