Public Health Data Strategy Workforce Acceleration
The Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI)
Across the nation, many of today’s public health systems are running on yesterday’s technologies and out-of-date information and data connections.
Improving this digital infrastructure is going to require updated equipment, new policies and the addition of skilled technical professionals at all levels.
The Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI) focuses on providing the data and technology experts needed to accelerate these information system improvements and bolster the ability of public health agencies to serve all communities equally.
Career Opportunities for Tech and Data Professionals
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to use your skills to make a real difference in public health and people's lives.
As a WAI placement hire, you can work at organizations on projects that will help:
- Predict disease outbreaks
- Enhance surveillance and strengthen response
- Improve data sharing and reporting
- Produce actionable reports on health equity
- Foster more timely and efficient public health decision-making
- Improve communication between patients, communities and health care professionals
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Workforce Acceleration for Public Health Authorities
WAI also presents an opportunity to help agencies fuel information system improvements and strengthen their technological workforce. With more modern and integrated systems, public health authorities will be better equipped to rapidly detect and respond to new threats; make more informed and timely decisions; and deliver healthier outcomes for the populations they serve.
The first cohort of public health authorities have been selected and are preparing to hire their new WAI placements. Agencies interested in participating or supporting this work can apply by June 28, 2024.
Why Data Modernization Matters
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed cracks in America’s public health data infrastructure, including overwhelmed systems, limited access to critical data and the need for additional technical workforce to improve systems that detect and minimize the impact of real-time threats. This has fueled a national effort to modernize public health information systems, updating and integrating data systems to enhance the collection, analysis and sharing of health information.
Examples of information system improvement projects include:
- Streamlining public health data from multiple datasets into one analytic tool
- Replacing paper-based data management with electronic systems
- Implementing data systems like electronic case reporting (eCR) platforms to improve data exchange between public health agencies and organizations
- Migrating data from simple “flat files” (e.g., Excel) to enterprise-level database technologies
- Building automated interfaces, such as dashboards, to make public health data more accessible to decision-makers
- Migrating data to the cloud or incorporating cloud-based technology to enhance efficiency and scalability
For more information, contact WAI@cdcfoundation.org.
The Workforce Acceleration Initiative is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $73,945,916 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Association of Public Health Laboratories
- United States of America
Learn more about data modernization for public health:
