The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) will receive $80.5 million over the next five years from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support public health workforce development and training, establishing core skills, and data modernization.
As per its official release, “The OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems through Innovation and Commitment to Action Grant”, supported in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is an investment that supports the vital public health infrastructure needs of U.S. jurisdictions.
The Public Health Infrastructure Grant Program aims to ensure that every community in the United States has the people, resources, and systems necessary to promote and protect health. Health Commissioner Judith M. Persichilli stated, “This is the beginning of a very exciting new chapter for the New Jersey Department of Health and public health in the Garden State.”
“We have an excellent opportunity to establish a more resilient New Jersey health department with a robust, well-trained workforce, a modernized infrastructure, and a stronger system. Everyone has something to gain.”
Through a matrix of support for state and local health agencies, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) will facilitate the continuous transformation and modernization of New Jersey’s public health system with the assistance of these monies. The award will assist the Department in its efforts to:
- Facilitate public health workforce recruitment, progression, and retention through workforce planning and professional development.
- Manage the performance of programme activities and grant administration.
- Expand the NJDOH Centralized Data and Analytics Hub, which provides data-driven insights to guide the actions of the entire New Jersey Department of Health and its partners.
- Using the Office of Minority and Multicultural Health, promote health equity in policies, initiatives, and practices.
- Enhance the Office of Women’s Health to promote women’s health throughout their lives, with a particular emphasis on reproductive health.
- Invest agency-wide resources in comprehending health inequities, addressing social determinants of health, and facilitating care interactions.
- Continue to expand regionalized support for local health partners’ capacity- and infrastructure-building workforce efforts.
The Murphy Administration has recently made substantial investments in public health infrastructure, including $116.5 million in funding for eligible county, municipal, and regional local health departments to support the development or expansion of long-term health infrastructure improvements and provide resources to address complex emergencies such as COVID-19, emerging local needs, and other important public health priorities.
“The COVID-19 epidemic brought to light important difficulties facing our public health system, which we must continue to solve for the benefit of our citizens,” stated Commissioner Persichilli.
“As we emerge from the epidemic and view the future through the perspective of opportunity, we will build on the gains made and continue to incorporate the creative, data-driven approaches we used during this health emergency in order to shape the future of New Jersey’s public health.”
The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) will receive $79,590,240 in the first year of a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $80,541,230 that is fully funded by CDC/HHS. Funding for subsequent years will be contingent on programme progress and the availability of finances.
