Public health services depend on a capable, adaptable infrastructure and the pandemic has heightened the need to explore opportunities to strengthen this infrastructure.
In May 2021, with support from the the Kresge Foundation, the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) published Challenges and Opportunities for Strengthening the US Public Health Infrastructure, Findings from the Scan of the Literature. Download it here
The report highlights needs in public health workforce development, the role of misinformation and the system needs that go far beyond funding, along with much more. If you are short on time, page 18 begins a must-read section on cross-sector partnerships. Are you curious to find out what the review found to be the number one barrier to cross-sector partnerships?! Check it out here
Through the CATCH-UP project in Oklahoma, the Public Health Institute of Oklahoma has been collecting information to better understand the public health infrastructure challenges specific to our state. There is a form on our website at https://publichealthok.org/programs/tracking-barriers/ where you can submit barriers as you encounter them. This information is a critical step in understanding where we are and how we can get to where we need to be. No barrier is too big or too small, report them all!