STRENGTHENING US PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, WORKFORCE AND DATA SYSTEMS - ACROSS THE STATE, COVID-19 CONTINUES TO TAX AN ALREADY OVERWORKED AND UNDERFUNDED SYSTEM AS PUBLIC HEALTH REMAINS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE PANDEMIC EFFORTS. MANY PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS ARE LEAVING THE FIELD FROM BURNOUT, STRESS, AND FATIGUE. NOW, MORE THAN EVER, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO IMPROVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT EFFORTS TO DEVELOP, TRAIN, AND SUSTAIN A STRONG PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE. WITH UNPRECEDENTED FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND EXTERNAL MOMENTUM, THE OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (OSDH) HAS AN EXPANDED ROLE IN BRINGING PUBLIC HEALTH PARTNERS TOGETHER. THE OSDH PRIORITIZED AND BASED MOST OF THE PROPOSED STRATEGIES IN THIS NOFO RESPONSE TO ALIGN WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH FOUNDATION FOUNDATIONAL CAPABILITIES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FUNDING REQUEST, IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,806,647, IS TO INCREASE THE OSDH'S WORKFORCE, FOUNDATIONAL CAPABILITIES, AND DATA MODERNIZATION THROUGH STRENGTHENING AND DEVEL

Summary

STRENGTHENING US PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, WORKFORCE AND DATA SYSTEMS - ACROSS THE STATE, COVID-19 CONTINUES TO TAX AN ALREADY OVERWORKED AND UNDERFUNDED SYSTEM AS PUBLIC HEALTH REMAINS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE PANDEMIC EFFORTS. MANY PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS ARE LEAVING THE FIELD FROM BURNOUT, STRESS, AND FATIGUE. NOW, MORE THAN EVER, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO IMPROVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT EFFORTS TO DEVELOP, TRAIN, AND SUSTAIN A STRONG PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE. WITH UNPRECEDENTED FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND EXTERNAL MOMENTUM, THE OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (OSDH) HAS AN EXPANDED ROLE IN BRINGING PUBLIC HEALTH PARTNERS TOGETHER. THE OSDH PRIORITIZED AND BASED MOST OF THE PROPOSED STRATEGIES IN THIS NOFO RESPONSE TO ALIGN WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH FOUNDATION FOUNDATIONAL CAPABILITIES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FUNDING REQUEST, IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,806,647, IS TO INCREASE THE OSDH'S WORKFORCE, FOUNDATIONAL CAPABILITIES, AND DATA MODERNIZATION THROUGH STRENGTHENING AND DEVEL