CDC Considers Funding for Public Health Infrastructure Improvements
Published: July 12, 2010
The 5-year "Strengthening Public Health Infrastructure for Improved Health Outcomes" FOA is available on Grants.gov at CDC-RFA-CD10-1011. This cooperative agreement program is designed to support innovative changes in key areas that improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of the public health infrastructure that will support the delivery of public health services and programs as specified within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (PL 111-148). The program goal is to systematically increase the performance management capacity of public health departments in order to ensure that public health goals are effectively and efficiently met.
Funding for FY2010 is $42.5M. Eligible applicants include all 50 states; Washington, D.C.; 9 large local health departments supporting cities with populations of 1 million or more inhabitants (Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; Houston Texas; Los Angeles, California; New York City, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California); 5 U.S. Territories 3 U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands; up to 7 federally-recognized tribes with an established public health department structure (or their equivalent) that provide public health services to their tribal members; or bona fide agents of any of the eligible entities. Applications are due through Grants.gov on August 9, 2010, by 11:59 pm EST.
"Key areas" for infrastructure investments to create more efficient and effective public health service delivery include, but are not limited to improvements in the following:
A. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
1. food- and water-borne disease identification and prevention
2. prevention of healthcare-associated infections
3. leading causes of death and, once available, National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy priorities
B. Public Health Policy and Public Health Law
1. capacity to support structural and environmental changes in the community to promote health
2. capacity to assist in changing or enforcing policies, laws, ordinances, regulations or national standards that provide for more effective public health practice, including increased linkage to the health care system
C. Health IT and Communications Infrastructure
1. the vital statistics system (e.g., electronic birth and death registration and certificates) to describe the health of populations as well as individuals
2. electronic health record/IT systems to improve quality, safety, decision-making and population-based care
3. communications systems and processes (e.g., information syndication and social media capacity) to make populations aware of health promoting behaviors and clinical interventions
D. Workforce and Systems Development
1. Broad-based public health workforce training to support health reform (e.g., e-learning and other training, fellowship programs)
2. Laboratory and epidemiologic capacity to enhance the behavioral, clinical and environmental changes brought about by health reform
3. Public health program and public health system transformation (e.g., changes to how the health department is organized and functioning to provide for more effective and efficient use of resources and more effective public health practice, including increased linkage to the health care system).
