Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Modernizing Environmental Public Health Tracking to Advance Environmental Health Surveillance - The Utah Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (UEPHTN) in the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) was established in 2002 and has since successfully implemented a robust Tracking program in Utah, integrating the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network’s (NEPHTN) core strategies. The UEPHTN has cultivated a diverse network of partners and stakeholders to collaborate on projects and initiatives within its scope and positively impact environmental public health locally and nationally. The UEPHTN collaborates with data partners to collect, integrate, and analyze environmental health data according to state and national priorities and to identify populations at risk and/or experiencing health disparities. The UEPHTN has developed an extensive web-based portal to display and share environmental health data and continues to implement improvements. The UEPHTN leverages its position to advocate and guide environmental health initiatives at the state level. The purpose of this project titled “Modernizing Environmental Public Health Tracking in Utah to Advance Environmental Health Surveillance” is to enable the continuation of the UEPHTN; build program capacity; prepare for emerging environmental health topics; and maintain and improve its portal. This project addresses each component of the cooperative agreement. The UEPHTN expects to achieve all listed outcomes. The UEPHTN will strengthen surveillance by increasing data monitoring of environmental health topics, improving data quality and timeliness, and increasing surveillance of health disparities. The UEPHTN will bolster its information technology by improving its tools and systems. Partnerships will be cultivated to increase stakeholder inclusion and increase collaboration to reduce health disparities. The UEPHTN will improve its outreach and communication capacity by increasing dissemination of environmental health information to key audiences. The UEPHTN will build program capacity by increasing knowledge and ability among Tracking workforce locally and nationally and increase its capacity to provide technical assistance to advance interventions. The UEPHTN will strengthen program evaluation by improving the quality and timeliness of evaluation data to monitor progress and impact. The UEPHTN will improve the functionality and utilization of its existing Tracking portal. The UEPHTN will increase data use among public health practitioners and environmental professionals, improve identification, monitoring, and addressing of health disparities, reduce environmental exposures and adverse health effects, and reduce health disparities. The UEPHTN will collaborate with its network of partners both internal and external to the CDC, seeking new partners to increase Tracking reach and address gaps. The UDOH and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ) have a long-standing partnership to collaborate and coordinate environmental health activities. This project will target the Utah state population and several at-risk subpopulations experiencing health disparities. Project activities will target these populations to alleviate health disparities linked to environmental factors. UEPHTN staff have sufficient organizational capacity and expertise to accomplish this project. Key staff provide capacity in management, data/computer science, and health communications. The UEPHTN has experience and expertise to fulfill project activities and outcomes, provide national Tracking leadership, cultivate collaborations, maintain a Tracking portal, maintain data flows to CDC, engage key audiences, apply Tracking data, and generate targeted communication products. This project will allow the UEPHTN to continue to identify disproportionately affected populations and alleviate environmental health disparities in Utah, maintain its data network, and expand its technical expertise and program capacity to serve the local population and contribute to national efforts.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).