The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) is developing a Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) Certification examination in collaboration with the National Board of Public Health Examiners. The DIS Certification Project, supported by cooperative agreement CK20-2003 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease, aims to standardize and validate knowledge, skills, and abilities of disease intervention professionals, increase quality and consistency of service delivery, support the recruitment and retention of a diverse disease intervention workforce, and strengthen pathways from educational institutions to a career in disease intervention.

ASPPH acknowledges the critical role of community colleges as a fundamental part of the vocational and higher education trajectory for diverse learners and populations. The subject matter expertise of community college academicians, advisors, career counselors, and/or program administrators is vital to our efforts. We are particularly interested in how to attract, recruit, and retain disease intervention professionals who can contribute to managing and eliminating the burden of infectious disease in vulnerable populations and communities. Based on both qualitative and quantitative data, we know that many who would seek a credential as an infectious disease professional are exposed to this work as a part of lived experiences, volunteer work during the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts in their respective faith-based communities, high school curriculum and advising, and as a viable alternative to other health professions.

The expertise of community college health professions faculty, advisors, counselors, and administrators is a valued contribution to the development of the nation’s disease intervention workforce, and we invite you to participate in a virtual convening of community college representatives to explore pathways to careers in disease intervention, hosted by the League for Innovation in the Community College and ASPPH. Details are as follows:

Date: Thursday, December 7, 2023
Time: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM PT (breaks included)
Location: Virtual (Zoom link provided upon registration)

Click here to RSVP by December 1, 2023.

Contact: Kaitlin Tager