Grant Will Support HCPH’s Additional Staffing and Professional Development
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded a $25 million grant to Harris County Public Health (HCPH) to expand on HCPH’s workforce, staff development activities, and community capacity building. The award was accepted this afternoon by the Harris County Commissioners Court.
“These dollars are an investment in both our community and in our public health workforce. Our public health sector has been hit hard over the past few years and I am grateful for [HCPH Executive] Director [Barbie] Robinson and the entire HCPH team for their work in procuring this grant,” said Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones. “The health and safety of our residents is my top priority. I am grateful to the CDC for awarding a grant that will build a stronger public health system and provide better opportunities for our residents, and for the current and future HCPH workers.”
The CDC Public Health Infrastructure Workforce and Data Systems grant will equip HCPH with the necessary support to improve the health and wellbeing of Harris County by:
- Maintaining current positions and creating new ones – including the development and hiring of 27 new fully funded positions to carry out work activities under the grant, as well as sustaining HCPH’s data and performance infrastructure
- Providing professional development opportunities
- Investing in community-based organizations
- Enhancing internal data infrastructure
“The CDC grant will not only empower our workforce capacity to better serve the communities in Harris County, but also enhance the quality of our outstanding services to our community members,” said Director Robinson of HCPH. “We are grateful for having received this funding which will enable us to meet the public health needs of Harris County.”
A portion of the grant will also fund the creation of a learning and development work unit to support professional development activities for the HCPH workforce.
Funding in the amount of $25,091,359 is approved for the first year with a majority of the grant being expensed over a 5-year period. Future year funding for the allocated “foundational” learning and development unit will be based on programmatic progress and the availability of funds.