News

New Training Available: Introduction to the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals

Do you know how the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies) can help strengthen your public health workforce? The Public Health Foundation’s (PHF’s) new self-paced online course introduces the Core Competencies and shows how they can be applied to real-world workforce development challenges. Access the free course: Introduction to the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals.

Interested in customizing this or other courses for your organization? Contact PHF’s eLearning Development Services team to learn more.

Check Out Our August Spotlight eLearning Article: What Would You Do? Bringing the Core Competencies to Life Through Scenario-Based Public Health Training

The second article in our new eLearning series, What Would You Do? Bringing the Core Competencies to Life Through Scenario-Based Public Health Training, explores how to design an engaging eLearning experience with scenario-based learning. It covers the essentials of scenario design and offers guidance on how to build purposeful scenarios. The article includes a walk-through of the process for building an effective eLearning scenario, using the Core Competencies as an example. 

Learn more about how PHF can support your eLearning initiatives though our eLearning Development Services.

Next Council on Linkages Meeting: September 12th

Join the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages) for its next meeting on September 12, 2025 from 1-3pm EDT. Among other topics, this meeting will feature insights from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, updates from Council on Linkages member organizations on their latest workforce development efforts, and an interactive discussion on how organizations are using the Core Competencies. We’ll wrap up with a look ahead at two events you won’t want to miss: the 2025 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and PHF’s 2025 Public Health Learning Forum. Access the full meeting agenda and register on the meeting webpage.

Integrating AI into Your Public Health Organization – Not If, But When and How

Public health organizations are beginning to recognize artificial intelligence’s (AI’s) potential to enhance decision-making, improve programs, and better serve communities. But where do you start? This Q&A features PHF’s Senior Quality Advisor, Jack Moran, PhD, who discusses key misconceptions, practical first steps, and why embracing AI is critical to the future of public health. Read the full Q&A and discover how PHF’s AI and Problem Solving Technical Assistance and Training Services help public health organizations navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI by supporting its safe, effective, and strategic use in performance improvement efforts.

Putting PH WINS to Work Using the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals and TRAIN

Ready to act on your latest Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) training needs data? Dig a little deeper and take the next steps using the Core Competencies and the TRAIN Learning Network (TRAIN). The Core Competencies help to transform broad training areas to more specific skills so you know where to focus your energy, and TRAIN offers more than 5,000 free courses to meet a variety of training needs. Learn more today.

Register for the 2025 Public Health Learning Forum

November 18-21, 2025

Join PHF this fall for the 2025 Public Health Learning Forum! Registration is open for this valuable learning opportunity to be held November 18-21. To help sustain performance improvement efforts when many organizations are facing funding and travel-related concerns, this event is being offered virtually and at no cost. Building on PHF’s widely used Performance Improvement Services, Forum sessions will focus on training and tools to support public health workforce development, quality improvement, and performance management to strengthen governmental public health workforce capacity. Register today to save your spot!

Interested in becoming a sponsor for this event? Contact us to learn more. 

New TRAIN Affiliate: California Department of Public Health

The TRAIN community welcomes the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) as a new Affiliate! CDPH will leverage TRAIN’s robust catalog and administrative capabilities to support workforce development efforts at the state and local levels.

Hot Topic: Addressing the Opioid Crisis

Substance use disorders, including opioid use disorder, continue to impact communities across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid overdoses are the leading injury-related cause of death in the country. To bolster health departments in their critical roles addressing this crisis through prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery strategies, PHF has developed a new Hot Topic: Opioids resource, showcasing our key support areas:

• Consulting tailored to local response efforts 
• Training to build workforce capacity, including over 100 opioid-related courses via TRAIN 
• Practical resources that support evidence-based action

Visit our website to learn more.