HHS Announces Efforts to Strengthen Public Health Informatics and Technology Workforce

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) this week announced the establishment of an $80 million Public Health Informatics & Technology Workforce Development Program (PHIT Workforce Program) to strengthen U.S. public health informatics and data science. The initiative will work closely with colleges and universities, particularly those serving underserved and populations of color, to develop curriculum, recruit and train participants, secure paid internship opportunities, and assist in career placement at public health agencies, public health non-profit organizations, or public health-focused private sector or clinical settings.

The PHIT Workforce Program aims to train more than 4,000 individuals over a four-year period through an interdisciplinary approach in public health informatics and technology. ONC will award up to $75 million to cooperative agreement recipients and use the remaining $5 million for overall federal program administration. Award recipients will need to ensure their training, certificate, degree, and placement programs are sustainable to create a continuous pipeline of diverse public health information technology professionals.

Additional information, including information on the application process, is available here.