HHS awards $16.8 million to train public health workforce

This is a very important announcement in for the industry of child welfare.  Not only is there a new vision in how the nation protects children, there are plans to reinvest in the best interests of children.

Child Protective Service Agencies along with the Child Placing Agencies have no choice but to prepare for the adoption of transparency and accountability.

The days of Medicaid fraud in child welfare will end, whether you like it or not. 

HHS awards $16.8 million to train public health workforce
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

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.