The Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center (GPTEC), a division of the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board, is pleased to announce its selection to participate in the CDC Foundation’s new Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI). This initiative aims to meet the growing technology workforce needs of the nation’s public health systems by providing skilled technology and data professionals to support critical improvements in public health information systems.
As a participant in the Workforce Acceleration Initiative, GPTEC will receive additional capacity through the placement of professionals dedicated to enhancing the public health infrastructure within tribal communities. This partnership will allow GPTEC to make crucial improvements in our ability to rapidly detect and respond to emerging health threats, make more informed and timely decisions, and ultimately deliver healthier outcomes for the Native populations we serve across the Great Plains region.
These tech and data experts will be part of a national effort involving 49 selected State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial (STLT) public health agencies. Recruitment and hiring efforts are already underway to place experts in areas such as engineering, software development, IT infrastructure, informatics, and IT project management. This enhanced workforce will support GPTEC’s mission to provide comprehensive epidemiological services that promote health equity and strengthen public health outcomes for tribal communities.
General Workforce Acceleration Initiative Announcement
The CDC Foundation recently announced the launch of the Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI) to address the technology workforce needs of the nation’s public health systems. This program seeks to strengthen the public health infrastructure by placing 140 skilled tech and data professionals across 49 State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial public health authorities throughout the country. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in America’s public health data infrastructure, revealing the need for improved systems and a larger technical workforce to address real-time health threats.
WAI is designed to close these gaps by delivering modern technologies, updated policies, and additional workforce capacity to public health agencies. Through these improvements, public health authorities will be better equipped to respond to future health threats, make timely decisions, and promote healthier outcomes for all communities.
The Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center (GPTEC), a division of the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board, provides leadership, technical assistance, and advocacy to tribal nations in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Its mission is to eliminate health disparities in Native American communities by improving public health systems through data-driven research, surveillance, and culturally appropriate health promotion initiatives. GPTEC also supports capacity-building in tribal health programs through workforce development and partnerships with other health organizations
