PHIG Success Stories
See firsthand stories of impact from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant. From small wins to transformative changes, these PHIG Success Stories give us a glimpse into how PHIG fosters widespread innovation in public health systems and structures.
On the PHIG Impact Report, Dr. Lindsay Weaver, the state health commissioner for the Indiana Department of Health, discusses the impact PHIG funding has on her state health department.
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With PHIG funds, the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) launched its first paid internship program in spring 2024. MCPHD initially partnered with Indiana University’s Fairbanks School of Public Health and has grown to include more interns and schools. In the summer of 2024, MCPHD hired an Internship Coordinator to streamline internship processes and support the goal of creating a pipeline for students to pursue public health careers. This work included developing a process for paying interns (no previous system was in place) and ensuring a consistent process for all interns, whether paid or unpaid. As a direct example of the program’s community impact, a PHIG-funded intern created a bilingual (English and Spanish) electronic application form for MCPHD’s Diaper Den project, increasing its capacity to process diaper requests from 150 to about 600 per month. The intern also created an electronic tracking form that captured information such as the number of diapers distributed each month by size.
The Indiana Department of Health has utilized PHIG funds to empower future public health leaders through the Public Health AmeriCorps (PHA) program and support local health departments struggling with staffing shortages. The infusion of PHA members has revitalized these departments, enabling them to tackle strategic planning and program implementation effectively. In Henry County, PHA members created a comprehensive community resource map that aids in addressing youth alcohol and nicotine use, allowing for targeted intervention strategies. Additionally, in Hendricks County, a rural community, a PHA member received an offer for a permanent position as a health educator with the county’s Outreach Department at the end of their AmeriCorps service term. Indiana’s commitment to nurturing this talent demonstrates its dedication to building a resilient public health system, ultimately ensuring better health outcomes for all.
In 2023, Indiana lawmakers passed SB 4 and dramatically increased the state's investment in public health, reimaging how the state delivered core public health services. Learn more about how this law was…
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