Client Massachusetts Academic Health Department Consortium, the Massachusetts Health Officers Association (MHOA), & the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Practice Area Workforce Development
The COVID-19 pandemic magnified long-standing challenges for local Public Health departments, including chronic underfunding and workforce shortages. In response, the Academic Public Health Volunteer Corps was launched through a partnership between the Massachusetts Academic Health Department Consortium, the Massachusetts Health Officers Association (MHOA), and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
The initiative mobilized student and alumni volunteers from 15 Massachusetts-based academic institutions to support local Public Health departments across the state. It created a win-win model: health departments expanded their capacity during a Public Health emergency, while emerging professionals gained hands-on experience that prepared them for careers in Public Health.
Initially focused on testing and contact tracing, the program quickly evolved to address broader needs—from health communications and equity initiatives to data analysis and graphic design. In the fall of 2021 As the initiative matured, it transitioned from the Academic Public Health Volunteer Corps (APHVC) to the Academic Public Health Corps (APHC), formalizing under MHOA with a long-term vision. In total, it provided support to over 130 local health departments and became a scalable model for surge capacity during crises.
As the newly formalized Academic Public Health Corps (APHC) began its first year under MHOA’s leadership, there was a need to better understand how local health departments had engaged with the volunteer program during its earlier phase as the Academic Public Health Volunteer Corps (APHVC). To support this goal, MHOA partnered with BME Strategies in January 2022 to design and deploy a statewide survey capturing experiences from 2021 to 2022.
With deep expertise in Public Health systems and evaluation design, BME led the survey process from start to finish. THe insights helped inform strategic planning, identify operational improvements, and guide future efforts to sustain and strengthen the APHC model.
BME Strategies led the full lifecycle of the project from survey development to final analysis. This ensured the tool gathered meaningful insights while minimizing the burden on local health department staff. Drawing on its expertise in Public Health systems evaluation, the BME team created a balanced tool that combined quantitative questions with space for open-ended feedback.
To support strong participation, BME also led targeted outreach and follow-up communications, ultimately more than doubling the initial response rate. The final analysis highlighted where the APHC was most impactful—such as in data analysis and communications—and identified clear opportunities for growth. These included strengthening communication pathways, improving Corps Member onboarding, and clarifying volunteer roles. Together, these insights provided MHOA with a strategic roadmap to further develop the APHC as a high-impact, equity focused Public Health workforce resource.
The survey captured responses from 59 unique local health departments and regional collaboratives, 26 of which had worked directly with APHVC volunteers. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive: more than 90% of those respondents reported a favorable experience, and nearly 70% expressed interest in working with the APHC again in the future.
Respondents shared that APHVC volunteers filled critical staffing gaps, added capacity during times of strain, and delivered high-quality work across a range of Public Health functions. The most commonly used and most requested area of support was data analysis, mapping, and presentations. This was followed by health communications and social media.
In addition to the quality of support, health departments emphasized the program’s flexibility, creativity, and responsiveness to local needs. At the same time, the survey surfaced several areas for improvement. These included strengthening communication and tracking systems, better aligning student skill sets with department needs, and fostering stronger relationships through more consistent follow-up.
In addition to survey findings, the project produced a series of actionable deliverables to guide future planning and program development. BME Strategies delivered a comprehensive report that summarized health department experiences, satisfaction levels, and key recommendations for improving the APHC. The report included:
This report served as a foundational input for MHOA’s strategic planning and quality improvement efforts for the program.
Through its partnership with MHOA, BME Strategies helped the APHC translate on-the-ground experience into actionable insights. The survey findings confirmed APHC’s growing role as a trusted partner to local Public Health Departments and a valuable contributor to the Commonwealth’s broader Public Health infrastructure.
The project laid the groundwork for smarter systems, stronger partnerships, and a more sustainable model for deploying future Public Health talent where it is needed most.
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