Three National Public Health Associations Will Support Historic Opportunity to Build Public Health Infrastructure

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), and Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) have been awarded grants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support state, local, and territorial health department efforts to modernize data systems, recruit and retain a skilled public health workforce, and address longstanding public health infrastructure needs.

Each organization will work with governmental public health agencies to support implementation of a new Public Health Infrastructure Grant Program to build agency capacity and address public health needs identified during the COVID-19 pandemic. This first-of-its-kind national public health infrastructure program will ensure that public health agencies have the people, services, and systems needed to protect and promote the health of their jurisdictions.

"This historic investment in public health will allow ASTHO and our partners to fully engage and support every state and territorial health agency in the country in their work to address urgent public health needs and prepare for the next pandemic," says Michael R. Fraser, chief executive officer of ASTHO. "We will be helping states address training needs, supporting recruitment and retention efforts, and bringing subject matter experts and leaders together to build up their public health systems."

"The full team at the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) looks forward to working in partnership with ASTHO, PHAB, CDC, and our entire network of public health institutes," says Vincent Lafronza, NNPHI president and chief executive officer. "This investment will equip state, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies to strategically improve complex systems and enhance cross-sector collaboration that will result in strengthened public health capacity serving every community."

"There has never been a more crucial time to build up public health infrastructure and the public health workforce than now," says Paul Kuehnert, PHAB president and chief executive officer. "We are honored to be selected to help carry out the priorities of this initiative that will bolster health department capacity, support the delivery of high-quality public health services, and strengthen health departments' workforce, data modernization efforts, and Foundational Capabilities." 

Through partnership with many different agencies and organizations, the aim of this program is to address long-standing infrastructure needs related to foundational public health capabilities, human resources, and data systems. "Governmental public health leaders have been waiting a long time for an opportunity such as this," says Fraser. "Our three organizations have been dedicated to supporting the field for years, but it is our collective future that we care the most about. This grant will allow us to help build the public health systems our nation needs to address contemporary public health needs alongside so many incredible public health professionals and partners."

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and Freely Associated States, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice. 

The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) was created to serve as the public health accrediting body and is funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The development of public health accreditation has involved, and is supported by, public health leaders and practitioners from the national, state, local, Tribal, and territorial levels.

Mobilizing more than 47 public health institutes covering 34 states, Puerto Rico, DC, and tribal organizations, the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) supports national public health system initiatives and strengthens public health institutes to promote multi sector activities resulting in measurable improvements of public health structures, systems, and outcomes. NNPHI also serves as the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training – NCCPHT.

SOURCE Association of State and Territorial Health Officials