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Impacting Public Health: PHIG Success Stories

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.

  • PHIG Supports Training, Partnerships, and Community Insights in Alameda County

    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.

    Woman leads a focus group discussion.

  • Douglas County Launches First Standardized Onboarding Program

    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.

    Man takes notes while working at his laptop.

  • Rhode Island Builds Trusted Source of Health Information for Latino Communities

    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.

    Dr. Martin being interviewed at a radio station.

  • Montana Leverages Virtual Platform to Optimize Training and Improve Service Delivery Across the State

    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.

    Read more about this story.
    Woman stands at a podium presenting on Montana's virtual training.

  • Long Beach Hosts 2024 Public Health Conference with PHIG Assistance

    Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services used PHIG funding and technical assistance to host the 2024 Long Beach Public Health Conference for over 400 staff, interns, and guests. The Workforce Director, Wellness Coordinator, and Program Evaluator—hired through PHIG investment—played a central role in developing the event with the Region 9 PHIG Hub’s technical assistance, including support in securing expert speakers and sharing in-depth learning resources with attendees. The conference was grounded in the Surgeon General’s Framework for Worker Mental Health and Wellbeing, advancing essential learning in workforce retention and development for Long Beach public health professionals.

    The back of attendee heads as they attend a conference presentation.

  • San Francisco Invests PHIG in Promotores Leadership Initiatives

    Through PHIG, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is investing in the leadership development of our city's promotores, a cadre of community health workers whose efforts were vital in reaching the Latinx community with testing, vaccines, and food support during the COVID-19 pandemic. SFDPH has partnered with a coalition of organizations to form a promotores Community of Practice (CoP), and on September 21, 2024, hosted the first-ever San Francisco Citywide Promotores Conference. The conference provided a novel platform to celebrate their dedication and collaborate on strategies to address health disparities in the Latinx community. Additionally, with PHIG funding, we supported a delegation of local promotores to attend the Vision y Compromiso conference in Los Angeles. Looking ahead, SFDPH is committed to continuing the CoP and hosting several professional development trainings and activities to support community wellness.

    Attendee at Promotores Conference speaks in the center of a group.
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