HHS Awards $16.8 million to Train Public Health Workforce

Most of the funding is made available by the Prevention and Public Health Fund included as part of the Affordable Care Act.

September 13, 2010

Grants awarded to 27 Public Health Training Centers

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the award of $16.8 million to support 27 Public Health Training Centers (PHTC) at schools of public health and other public or non-profit institutions across the country.  The PHTC Program helps improve the public health system by enhancing skills of the current and future public health workforce. Institutions accredited to provide graduate or specialized training in public health are eligible for funding.  Most of the funding - $15.4 million - is made available by the Prevention and Public Health Fund included as part of the Affordable Care Act.

"Today's awards represent a dramatic increase in support for Public Health Training Centers," said Secretary Sebelius.  "Investing in prevention and public health is the foundation for improving the health and well-being of all Americans."

Funded organizations (1) plan, develop, operate and evaluate projects that support goals established by the Secretary in preventive medicine, health promotion and disease prevention; or (2) improve access to and quality of health services in medically underserved communities. Other PHTC activities include assessing the learning needs of the public health workforce; providing accessible training; and working with organizations to meet strategic planning, education, and resource needs.

"Whether facing public health emergencies such as natural disasters, or chronic conditions like obesity, a well-trained public health workforce is critical to ensuring the nation's health and welfare," said Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N., administrator of HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which oversees the PHTC program.

Awards are listed below. For more information on HRSA's health professions programs, visit http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/.

Public Health Training Center Awards

Organization

City

State

 Total

Arizona Board of Regents

Tucson

Arizona

$647,637.00

The Regents of the University of California

Berkeley

California

$649,819.00

Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles

California

$650,000.00

San Diego State University Research Foundation

San Diego

California

$647,875.00

University of Colorado Denver

Aurora

Colorado

$649,497.00

University of South Florida

Tampa

Florida

$650,000.00

The University of Georgia

Athens

Georgia

$630,032.00

Emory University

Atlanta

Georgia

$650,000.00

Indiana University

Indianapolis

Indiana

$129,267.00

University of Kentucky Research Foundation

Lexington

Kentucky

$647,307.00

Tulane University

New Orleans

Louisiana

$650,000.00

Trustees of Boston University, Boston University Medical Campus

Boston

Massachusetts

$649,977.00

The Regents of the University of Michigan

Ann Arbor

Michigan

$650,000.00

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill

North Carolina

$643,004.00

Trustees of Dartmouth College

Hanover

New Hampshire

$618,734.00

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New York - School of Public Health

New Brunswick

New Jersey

$647,654.00

The Research Foundation of the State University of New York

Albany

New York

$649,921.00

The Ohio State University

Columbus

Ohio

$650,000.00

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma

$649,750.00

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania

$649,994.00

University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus

San Juan

Puerto Rico

$650,000.00

University of South Carolina

Columbia

South Carolina

$650,000.00

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City

Tennessee

$650,000.00

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Houston

Texas

$649,801.00

Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk

Virginia

$488,360.00

University of Washington

Seattle

Washington

$650,000.00

Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Madison

Wisconsin

$628,480.00

TOTAL

$16,777,109.00

The Health Resources and Services Administration is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  HRSA is the primary Federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable.  For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.