New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems
CDC-RFA-OE22-2203
Project Abstract Summary
New York City faced significant public health and healthcare system impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, which laid bare long-standing weaknesses and created new challenges to the public health infrastructure. The pandemic and its many impacts revealed disparities and gaps in the City’s public health system, while exacerbating others. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) plans to improve its systems and operations in order to meet the varied and complex needs of NYC’s population, particularly following over 2.5 years of responding to COVID-19.
DOHMH plans to strengthen its partnerships and its investments in communities by hiring, retaining, sustaining, and training the public health workforce and by investing in key, strategic components of Agency and City infrastructure, including DOHMH’s foundational capabilities such as information technology, human resources, financial management, communications, and contract and procurement services. DOHMH will also invest in data modernization strategically in order to expand, improve, and accelerate public health services and, in turn, better address public health concerns, including COVID-19.
DOHMH expects to achieve the following outcomes:
• Increased hiring of diverse staff; increased size and capabilities of the public health workforce with improved wages and protections
• Improved organizational systems and processes; strengthened foundational public health capabilities
• A more modern and efficient data environment; increased data interoperability; increased availability and use of public health data to inform programming and investments
Finally, given the expediency with which DOHMH plans to receive and expend these funds, DOHMH will utilize a fiscal agent, Public Health Solutions, to receive, obligate and liquidate grant funds on DOHMH’s behalf. The relationship between DOHMH and Public Health Solutions for management of grant funds in the areas of emergency preparedness and response has resulted in significant efficiencies in the procurement of goods and services, including rapid and complete spend-down of awards; and DOHMH looks to achieve the same efficiency in management of this award.
