Achieving a Healthy Oklahoma: Cross-Sector Cooperation to Improve Public Health Preparedness and Pandemic Response.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health launched the Achieving a Healthy Oklahoma (AHO) initiative in 2021. The goals of AHO were to assess lessons learned in Oklahoma from COVID-19 and set the foundation for enhanced public-private community collaboration by developing recommendations to prepare for future public health crises and promote health across all major economic sectors. Over 700 stakeholders were engaged in surveys, interviews, workgroup meetings, community listening sessions, and steering committee meetings over 8 months to accomplish these goals. Stakeholders produced 60 sector- and stakeholder-specific policy recommendations to address the major issues uncovered during the initiative. The AHO team then distilled them into 5 recommendations: (1) invest in the future of Oklahoma's health workforce to include critically needed public health professions in Oklahoma's healthcare loan repayment programs; (2) establish contracts between higher education institutions in Oklahoma and state and local health departments to monitor health sector workforce needs and provide training; (3) strengthen the delivery of coordinated public health services within local communities during emergencies and daily operations by dedicating health department roles to coordinate public health projects and services; (4) improve preparedness by coordinating annual emergency management exercises across local and state health departments; and (5) emphasize the efficiency and effectiveness of cross-sector collaborative efforts between public, private, and tribal partners. The AHO initiative serves as an action guide for assessing and improving state-level public health emergency responses and strengthening public health infrastructure. Implementing the recommendations in Oklahoma and assessing and addressing similar needs across the nation are necessary to prepare the United States for future public health emergencies.

Designing the process evaluation for the collaborative planning of a local turning point partnership.

This study describes the design of the process evaluation of a collaborative effort among community partners to address health issues in central Oklahoma. The design is an application of a sound process evaluation planning framework that integrates the components of context, reach, dose delivered, dose received, fidelity, implementation, recruitment, barriers, and maintenance. The planning framework also provides guidance regarding the steps of designing and implementing the process evaluation. This planning process was conducted by utilizing a participatory research approach. At the end of the planning phase, the evaluation team accomplished the following: (a) development of an evaluation plan, (b) development of evaluation instruments (i.e., surveys, interview guides, observation forms), and (c) development of evaluation questions and process objectives. The information derived from this study can be valuable to practitioners and researchers involved in the planning of community partnerships or coalitions and interested in process evaluation that takes place in community settings.

State health policy makers: what's the message and who's listening?

This article is based on a white paper commissioned by the Directors of Health Promotion and Education, a national organization representing state health agency directors and practitioners in health promotion and education initiatives. The work reflects an assessment of current understanding of how state-level policy makers receive and use information related to health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Although health education practitioners are routinely encouraged to use policy and environmental change strategies, a systematic approach to communication with policy leaders is not readily available. This work describes the current knowledge of the relationship and offers recommendations for research and practice.

Using information technology to improve the public health system.

Information technology can be both a vital tool and critical link in the modern public health system. This article discusses the role of information technology in public health and the activities of the Information Technology Collaborative, one of the collaboratives that comprise the national Turning Point initiative. Data are presented from a nationwide survey investigating local health department information technology needs and information technology use. This data, and data from an investigation of state-level public health information technology, will be presented in a more complete format on the Information Technology Collaborative's online Public Health Information Systems Catalog, a free resource for individuals interested in public health informatics. Recommendations for future initiatives, policy changes, and information technology standards are discussed.

Policy and environmental change: new directions for public health.

Solving major, persistent public health problems requires new policies and more aggressive, sweeping interventions that affect large populations. We need well-conceived health policies and effective interventions for environmental change, but are we likely to get them? To find out, the Directors of Health Promotion and Education and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiated a study of state and local public health agencies in the United States from 1996 through 1999. Data were collected by peer- and non-peer-reviewed literature searches, key informant interviews, reviews of Internet sites, and a nationwide survey. Study conclusions found confusion about the legitimacy of advocacy, lack of priority and funding for interventions that take more time versus quick fixes, variable leadership, reluctance to take risks, and a political climate that often discourages government agencies to take on these interventions. There are successes, yet more can be done.

Health education leadership development: a conceptual model and competency framework.

A National Public Health Education Leadership Institute was developed through collaboration among national health education professional organizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a school of public health. The institute provides health educators in leadership positions throughout the country access to a 15-month integrated and sequential professional leadership development program. This article presents a conceptual model and competency framework for that program. The model contains elements considered critical for design of leadership programs in public health and can be used by both professional development and academic programs to shape their design of leadership curricula.