Strengthening wisconsin's governmental public health infrastructure, workforce, and data systems - wisconsin's public health system has been critically under-resourced for decades

To address these gaps, the wisconsin division of public health (DPH) will use grant funds to bolster the implementation of the foundational public health services (fphs) model across the state, including: (1) refining our definition of core public health services more concretely in fphs terms; (2) quantifying the resources and staff required to implement them; and (3) addressing identified gaps through strategic positions that provide needed training, skills development, and application opportunities. A high-level summary of the work we propose undertaking is outlined below. Cross-cutting activities in year 1, DPH will conduct a system-wide assessment of the public health system, including state, local and tribal health department (lthd) structure, financing, staffing, salaries, workforce wellbeing and job satisfaction, core competencies, and capacity to provide foundational capabilities. In later years, DPH will also work with a contractor to quantify the economic and human impacts of governmental public health. A1. Workforce DPH's workforce goal is to assure a well-trained, skilled, motivated, and adaptable workforce, capable of providing the foundational capabilities. Towards achieving this goal, DPH will hire 48 strategic positions that focus on raising staff capacity for the foundational capabilities across DPH and lthd partners. Proposed actions include strengthening and establishing partnerships with academic and non-academic recruitment pipelines; changing recruiting and hiring practices to foster greater diversity, equity, and inclusion; partnering with HR to explore retention-related topics (e.g., pay equity, remote work policies, etc.); enacting mechanisms to respond to professional trauma and burn-out; and providing targeted training to staff in core competency gaps, among others. Additionally, 40% of A1 funding will be allocated to lthd partners. A2. Foundational capabilities DPH's approach for foundational capabilities focuses on creating the conditions needed to strengthen workforce skills and capacities in the face of significant turnover and loss of institutional knowledge. These activities include developing and costing the wisconsin fphs model, completing reaccreditation for the state of wisconsin, providing training in the core competencies and foundational capabilities to state and local staff, and improving capacity to communicate public health's role and impact with the public and key partners. Additionally, $150,000/year plus technical assistance and targeted training will be reserved for related lthd partners. A3. Data modernization the DPH data modernization (A3) strategy focuses on modernizing wisconsin data sources, storage and exchange systems, and workforce capabilities used to inform decision-making and facilitate the delivery of effective, timely public health services and programs. A3 activities include information-gathering with key stakeholders about data systems needs, exchange relationships, and data sources; developing and creating the data modernization implementation plan; and completing three projects from the DPH data modernization portfolio: modernize the data request tracking system, update the data sources repository, and create a regional IT infrastructure for delivery of visualized data to lthds. Outcomes DPH's expected long-term outcomes include a larger, more equipped workforce that has the skills needed to implement the foundational capabilities, which will better position the public health system to meet wisconsin's public health needs. Additionally, wisconsin DPH seeks to leverage a stronger system and improved return-on-investment knowledge to build sustainable fiscal, logistic, and legislative support for the public health system. Over the next five years, these outcomes will advance w