As the Local Public Health Authority (LPHA) for Multnomah County, Oregon, which includes the state’s largest city, Portland, Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD) is Oregon’s largest local health department. MCHD’s work is anchored in the vision of "thriving communities that nurture the health and resilience of all," and the mission that "we work with communities to advance health equity, protect the most vulnerable, and promote health and wellness for everyone." MCHD will apply OE22-2203 Component A funds to strategic investments in public health workforce (Strategy A1) and foundational capabilities (Strategy A2) to sustain and expand workforce capacity to eliminate health inequities.
MCHD will utilize Component A OE22-2203 funding to help meet critical infrastructure needs in the short-term and support strategic investments that will have lasting effects on the organization. MCHD’s application will strengthen public health infrastructure and systems related to the workforce (Strategy A1) and foundational capabilities (Strategy A2). Combined, these strategies will enable MCHD to hire, retain, sustain, and train the public health workforce; improve workforce wellness; and strengthen foundational capabilities related to accreditation, quality improvement, administrative competencies, and community partnerships.
By the end of the performance period, MCHD expects to achieve the following outcomes: 1) Increased hiring of diverse staff; 2) Increased size and capabilities of the public health workforce; 3) Improved organizational systems and processes; and 4) Stronger public health foundational capabilities. Long-term outcomes that will result from the proposed work include: 1) Improved other public health outcomes; and 2) Accelerated prevention, preparedness, and response to emerging threats.