CDC Orientation for New Health Officials

About

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Orientation for New Health Officials is a program in the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support (OSTLTS), Division of Public Health Capacity Development, Knowledge Management Branch. This program is designed for new health officials from state, tribal, local and territorial (STLT) public health agencies to gain a comprehensive perspective of CDC’s priorities, operations, and leadership. This orientation provides health officials an opportunity to collaborate with CDC leadership and other health officials to advance their public health goals. The orientation takes place annually at CDC in Atlanta, GA.

Goal & Objectives
The goal of the orientation is to initiate and improve relationships with CDC and other health officials to strengthen the public health system. After participating in the orientation, all new health officials will be able to

• Share methods for communicating with CDC and accessing CDC resources
• Describe the public health priorities of CDC, barriers to prevention, and proven and promising prevention strategies and solutions
• Establish priorities and strategies for their jurisdictions based on science and CDC’s winnable battles
• Identify ways to have continued engagement and collaboration with CDC and other health officials

 

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History

The CDC Health Official Orientation Program was originally developed and administered in the Public Health Practice Program Office from 1992 – 2005. The original program was designed to provide STLT health officials who had been in their positions for less than two years with a comprehensive perspective of CDC's mission, structure and leadership. This was accomplished through presentations, interactive small discussion groups, and tours of the CDC facility and Emergency Operations Center. Participants were identified and nominated by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). During this time, more than 300 senior-level STLT health directors attended the program conducted at CDC headquarters.

In May 2010, the newly designed program was reestablished under the direction and administration of OSTLTS' Knowledge Management Branch. CDC/ATSDR Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, envisioned the orientation as a way for CDC to work collaboratively with new health officials who had been in their positions less than 12 months, to achieve common health goals.

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Additional Resources

During the CDC Orientation for New Health Officials, a series of presentations are given by senior-level staff from the Centers, Institutes and Offices at CDC. These, as well as videos and web resources, are provided here to help orient new health officials to CDC and help them reach their public health goals:

• CDC Emergency Operation Center Virtual Tour, "Behind the Scenes: EOC"
• CDC's six public health priorities, "Winnable Battles"
• CDC Learning Connection, a portal designed to help you locate public health learning products created by CDC and partners
• "What Every Health Official Should Know"
• Webinar: Strategies to Support Public Health Sustainability: Michigan Economic Case Study

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Eligibility & Application Process

New state, tribal, local and territorial health officials who have been in office less than 12 months are eligible to attend the orientation. OSTLTS works closely with ASTHO and NACCHO to identify potential applicants to attend the orientation. New health officials who would like to attend should contact their local ASTHO or NACCHO representative for more information.  

Questions

For additional questions about the CDC Orientation for New Health Officials, please email OSTLTS.