About OSTLTS

Director, Public Health Law Program: Matthew Penn

The Public Health Law Program is administered by the Public Health Law Office within the OSTLTS Office of the Director. Public Health Law Program activities include

• Providing support and consultation for, and access to, public health law expertise at state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) public health levels
• Reviewing, studying, and disseminating information about existing state and local laws that may have application to public health
• Engaging national, state, and local public health partners and policy makers; state, local, and US court systems; and law enforcement in identifying priorities and in developing and applying legal tools
• Developing practical, law-centered tools for practitioners and policy makers at STLT levels
• Providing consultation and technical assistance to CDC programs and partners

Director, Public Health Associate Program: Heather Duncan

The Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) is a competitive, two-year, paid training program with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PHAP associates are assigned to public health agencies and organizations across the United States, where they gain hands-on experience that will serve as a foundation for their public health careers. After completing the program, PHAP graduates are qualified to apply for jobs with public health agencies and organizations.

Director: Craig Thomas

Deputy Director: Stacey M. Jenkins

Chief, Applied Systems Research and Evaluation Branch: Andrea C. Young

Chief, Health Department and Systems Development Branch: Roberta Erlwein

The mission of the Division of Public Health Performance Improvement (DPHPI) is to advance US public health agency and system performance to better serve and protect the population. DPHPI consists of the Applied Systems Evaluation and Research Branch and the Health Department and Systems Development Branch. The Customized Support for Health Officers team, also housed within DPHPI, offers technical assistance and CDC support to health officials to help them improve population health in their communities. DPHPI activities include

• Promoting coordination among federal and state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) health agencies to support the improvement and development of organizations and enable evidence-based policy and decision making
• Identifying and evaluating gaps in the structure and operation of public health agencies and systems
• Forecasting emerging opportunities and challenges to governmental public health agencies and systems and assisting in prioritizing essential resources to ensure optimal response
• Strengthening operational performance and capability of STLT health agencies
• Developing and disseminating evidence of successful strategies, organizational structures, policies, programs, and system improvements
• Supporting STLTs to meet national standards and attain accreditation
• Supporting STLT health agency performance management and quality improvement activities
• Providing the scientific leadership and management to ensure the quality of science within OSTLTS

Applied Systems Research and Evaluation Branch
Activities include

• Engaging in research to identify gaps in the structure and operation of public health agencies and systems
• Evaluating and reporting on STLT health outcomes and other indicators as appropriate to stimulate improvement activities
• Conducting assessments and analysis of programs and data to increase effectiveness and efficiencies
• Providing evidence of successful strategies, organizational structures, policies, programs, and system improvements that advance prevention and health promotion programs and overall health outcomes
• Evaluating and validating standards, policies, leading practices, and models across CDC and STLT agencies

Health Department and Systems Development Branch
Activities include

• Identifying, synthesizing, and forecasting emerging opportunities and challenges to public health departments and systems
• Providing leadership to prioritize and develop tools, resources, standards, and practices to strengthen operational performance and capability of STLT health departments with special emphasis on performance and quality improvement, as well as assessment and planning
• Supporting efforts to use national accreditation and other important standards to improve public health performance, quality, and service delivery
• Providing technical assistance, expertise, consultation, and cross-learning opportunities to STLT health departments

Associate Director for Partnership Support: Samuel Taveras

Partnership support activities are designed to advance the mission and goals of CDC and OSTLTS and include

• Coordinating CDC-wide funding to national, nonprofit public health partner organizations to strengthen and build capacity and infrastructure of public health agencies and public health systems
• Improving management and administration of the partnership cooperative agreement
• Improving performance of CDC-funded public health partners
• Providing support for cross-agency partnerships, relationships, and collaborations
• Maintaining ongoing communication with public health partners and technical advisors
• Maintaining documentation on public health partner business activities and progress in achieving proposed objectives
• Improving the access to, and quality of, public health partner products and services
• Leveraging partner services, products, and value to improve the function and accountability of state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments

Associate Director for Tribal Support: CAPT Carmen Clelland

Within the OSTLTS Office of the Director, the Tribal Support Unit coordinates CDC programs and policies that benefit or affect American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. The Tribal Support Unit works to

• Enhance the relationship building and liaison role between CDC/ATSDR and tribes
• Develop tribal-related communication strategies
• Apply the Tribal Consultation Policy and formal government-to-government consultation
• Collaborate with AI/AN-serving organizations, including urban and rural Indian organizations
• Manage the Tribal Advisory Committee, which advises the CDC director and ATSDR administrator on policy issues and broad strategies affecting AI/AN tribes and people
• Partner with the US Department of Health and Human Services
• Manage extramural funding affecting AI/AN communities
• Serve as subject matter experts on CDC/ATSDR-wide Native efforts