Success Stories
See firsthand stories of impact from the PHIG grant. From small wins to transformative changes, PHIG is fostering widespread innovation in public health systems and structures.
With PHIG support, DOH-Hillsborough and USF expanded their partnership to upskill staff, boost retention, and strengthen the public health workforce through training and education.
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To strengthen public health in rural, tribal, and frontier communities, South Dakota leveraged PHIG funds to support its "Creating Healthy & Wealthy Communities" workshop, which brought together over 140 participants from more than 50 communities. Hosted by the South Dakota Department of Health, the South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations, and the Wellmark Foundation, the two-day event opened with remarks from the state's Secretary of Health, Melissa Magstadt, and Tribal Relations Secretary, Dave Flute. Attendees participated in sessions and activities focused on grant management, budgeting, and evaluation—equipping them with tools to support healthier, more vibrant communities.
Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) is using PHIG funding to strengthen its workforce and better serve the community. They hired a full-time Workforce Development Director who helped launch an updated Public Health 101 training, form new national, state, and local partnerships, and move toward becoming an academic health department. ACPHD also conducted a Community Health Needs Assessment with 27 focus groups in seven languages, engaging over 300 residents. PHIG funding supported incentives that doubled focus group engagement and enabled hiring an external firm to analyze results, with findings to be shared with residents and partners later in 2025.
PHIG funding supported Nebraska’s Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) in launching a required 21-hour onboarding training for all staff. New hires must complete it within 180 days, with topics including public health competencies, building trust, ethics, resilience, and navigating challenging conversations. DCHD also rolled out a tracking system to monitor completion. This onboarding process marks a major step forward, as DCHD previously had no standardized onboarding or training system for new staff.
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is using PHIG funds to build a bridge to the state’s Latino communities. In 2024, RIDOH hired Spanish-speaking Consultant Carla Martin, M.D. to serve as a health ambassador on Spanish-language radio, podcasts, and television. Through regular appearances, Martin—who is Board certified in pediatrics, internal medicine, lifestyle medicine, and obesity—educates audiences on many public health topics such as chronic disease prevention and reversal, vaccinations, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for those at risk for HIV. “In our culture, people have high regard for Latino doctors who look like them and speak their language,” Martin said. “I want to be a source of truthful information that helps people feel empowered to improve their health.” Martin is now creating more in-person opportunities—known as “charla con Doctora Martin” or “chat with Dr. Martin”—to serve these communities. These include activities such as “Walk with a Doc” and appearances with local community organizations. “Creating a space where people can ask questions, in their language, is really important,” she said.
Montana is using a customized virtual training platform to improve workforce development, resolve logistical challenges, and strengthen public health services with timely, trusted, and trackable resources.
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