Strategy Three
Build a Skilled, Multidisciplinary Workforce to Increase Informatics and Chronic Disease Competencies
STLTs can build a strong foundation for chronic disease surveillance modernization through strengthening informatics skills and chronic disease competencies across their workforces.
Read more about ways to identify workforce needs, promote new skills uptake, and enhance workforce capacity through trainings, fellowships, and partner engagements.
Workforce Needs Assessments And Hiring Support
CDC workforce training needs assessment
This assessment can be applied to chronic disease surveillance programs to identify priority training needs for modernization efforts.
CDC Foundation Workforce Services
Health departments can leverage CDC Foundation’s workforce services to identify top talent to support a broad range of public health initiatives like data modernization, evaluation, and program management. CDC Foundation supports health departments in roles such as chronic disease epidemiologist, comorbidity coordinator, informatics specialist, and data visualization specialist.
CSTE's Epidemiology Capacity Assessment
The CSTE Epidemiology Capacity Assessment (ECA) report is the most complete and comprehensive national data on the U.S. applied epidemiology workforce. For over 20 years, CSTE has reported on staffing, vacancies, funding, training needs, and other domains for applied epidemiologists, the key sector of the U.S. public health workforce.
Fellowships
CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship (PHIFP)
PHIFP is a two-year, paid fellowship for professionals with a master’s or doctoral degree in public health, informatics, computer science, or a related field. Applicants typically apply in the fall for the following summer start date. Fellows contribute to projects that strengthen informatics infrastructure, data standards, and system integration.
CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship (AEF)
AEF is a two-year program places recent master’s or doctoral graduates in state and local health departments to receive applied training in epidemiology and public health practice. Applications open in the fall, with placements beginning the following summer. Fellows may work directly with chronic disease programs to enhance surveillance, analyze trends, and inform data-driven public health interventions.
Applied Public Health Informatics Fellowship (APHIF)
APHIF is a one-year fellowship for recent master’s or doctoral graduates in informatics, public health, or related disciplines, offering placement in a health department to work on informatics-driven projects. Applications are generally accepted in the fall for a start date the next summer; eligibility includes U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. The fellowship supports modernization efforts by training practitioners to improve data systems, streamline workflows, and integrate chronic disease data into broader health IT frameworks.
PIHOA's Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program (PPHFP)
PPHFP is a two-year professional development program for early career candidates interested in working long-term with public and community health organizations in the US-affiliated Pacific Islands.
Strengthening Public Health Programs in the Pacific (SHIP)
SHIP is a field-based epidemiology education program with three degree pathways. Programs are often 12 months and delivered at no cost to US-affiliated Pacific Island health professionals.
Workforce Partnership Examples
The US Virgin Islands (USVI) Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT) and the Howard University College of Pharmacy Public Health Informatics & Technology (PHIT4VI) Program
To address the territory’s need for a skilled public health informatics workforce, this initiative offers Virgin Islanders training in public health informatics, health information, and telehealth, thereby enhancing the local capacity for chronic disease surveillance and health data modernization. This collaboration exemplifies how strategic partnerships can be leveraged to build specialized public health workforce capacity.
The Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) initiative
Kansas developed a novel electronic record system tailored for community health workers (CHWs). CHWs are increasingly integral to data modernization and workforce strengthening, particularly in enhancing chronic disease surveillance. Their involvement bridges the gap between community-level health insights and public health data systems. The system enables CHWs to efficiently document client interactions, track determinants of health, and coordinate care. The platform supports over 60 users across 20 counties, enhancing data collection uniformity and facilitating real-time monitoring and evaluation.
Public Health Informatics Trainings
Public Health Training Hub
A comprehensive list of self-guided courses, ranging from data informatics to privacy and systems thinking
Leading Change in Informatics and Data Analysis
A webinar that provides a foundation in change management and practical tools for utilizing formal change management for an informatics or data analytics project.
AMIA Health Informatics Essentials: Health Information Systems
A web-based, self-paced training exploring the fundamentals of health information systems and processes.
Skills-Based Trainings
CSTE's Data Science Team Training (DSTT)
Hands-on training program that helps health department teams apply data science to real-world projects, including chronic disease data use. It promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and upskilling in public health informatics.
R training
DataCamp’s interactive course teaches the basics of R programming, including vectors, factors, lists, and data frames, providing a foundation for data analysis.
SAS training
ArcGIS training
Esri provides a range of free web courses, including a 6-day certification course covering topics like ArcGIS Online basics, data management, and spatial analysis. The course is suitable for beginners and intermediate users.
Tableau training
Tableau offers a collection of courses and free training videos covering various aspects of Tableau, including getting started guides and advanced features.
PowerBI training
Microsoft offers comprehensive training modules for Power BI, covering basics to advanced topics, helping users connect to data sources and create interactive reports.
Microsoft Excel and Access trainings
Alison offers a variety of free Excel trainings, from beginner to advanced levels, as well as several Access trainings. Microsoft Access is a user-friendly information and database management tool that allows for analysis of large amounts of data.
SmartSheets training
SmartSheets offers a 5-day introductory crash course, as well as a training platform with more advanced courses.
Toolkit Navigation
Foundational Concepts
Understand the core principles, key terminology, and initiatives grounding CSTE’s Chronic Disease Surveillance Data Modernization Strategic Plan
Implementation Actions and Strategies
Learn about the strategies and objectives outlined in CSTE’s Chronic Disease Surveillance Data Modernization Strategic Plan and explore tools for implementation
Implementation Stories
Draw from real-world examples of chronic disease surveillance across a range of jurisdictions with varying levels of experience and resources
Community and Collaboration
Identify and cultivate partnerships with other practitioners working on chronic disease surveillance modernization