PHF E-News - May 2026

Public health news, resources, tools, and information to improve organizational performance, equip the workforce, and build public health infrastructure.

PHF E-News: News for Public Health

Upcoming Academic Health Department Partnership Webinars

In collaboration with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the Public Health Foundation (PHF) will be offering two webinars on academic health department (AHD) partnerships in June:

Strengthening Academic Health Department Partnerships: Workforce Pathways in California on June 18, 2026 from 3-4pm EDT
The Mutual Advantage: How Graduate Assistants Elevate Academic Health Department Partnerships on June 30, 2026 from 2-3pm EDT

These webinars will provide a foundational introduction to AHD partnerships and highlight fellowship programs to connect emerging public health graduates with health departments in California and North Dakota. Register today to join.

Save the Date: 2026 Public Health Learning Forum

November 16-19, 2026

The 2026 Public Health Learning Forum returns this fall, bringing together public health professionals nationwide to share practical strategies for workforce development, quality improvement (QI), and performance management.

Become a Sponsor: Sponsorship packages are available now! This is a prime opportunity to reach public health leaders and practitioners across the country. View the prospectus or contact Mike Barry at mbarry@phf.org to learn more.

Registration & Agenda Coming in June 2026! Details on sessions, speakers, and registration are on the way. Visit the event page to stay up to date.

PHF’s Virtual Workshops on Performance Management and Quality Improvement in Public Health

Did you miss registering for PHF’s spring performance management and QI virtual workshops? Stay tuned to PHF E-News for additional workshop offerings later this year.

New Article: Data Does Not Lie—Until It Does

Data does not lie intentionally, but it can mislead profoundly when it is poorly collected, poorly defined, or stripped of context. This new article highlights why data quality is not merely a technical concern but a leadership responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The article shows how AI amplifies existing data flaws and why organizations must move beyond data accumulation to building trusted data that is accurate, consistent, and rich in context. Read the full article and learn more about PHF’s AI Technical Assistance and Training Services.

Webinar Archive: Harnessing AI to Strengthen Public Health Systems through Smart Deployment

The recording of PHF’s recent webinar, Harnessing AI to Strengthen Public Health Systems through Smart Deployment, is now available on the TRAIN Learning Network (TRAIN). In this webinar, PHF and Riester explore how to thoughtfully plan, deploy, and use AI to strengthen public health systems, and offer a sneak peek at PHF’s new AI-powered Immunization Benchmarking Platform. Watch the recording to learn more.

TRAIN is Your Key to Seamless Onboarding

Did you know that the TRAIN Learning Network, provided by PHF, is so much more than a portal to 5,000 nationally available public health and emergency preparedness and response courses? TRAIN was built not only to facilitate professional development but as a targeted tool for workforce development, and can be leveraged for all your staff training needs. With the ability to create and assign training plans as well as robust reporting options, TRAIN is a perfect fit for onboarding new staff and supporting them as they grow. Learn more about how you can use TRAIN for staff onboarding.

New Blog Post: When Quality Improvement Starts to Decay

Performance management and QI systems can quietly lose effectiveness over time, even when the structure is still in place. PHF’s new blog post, When Quality Improvement Starts to Decay: A Public Health Leadership Imperative, examines why performance management and QI systems drift into autopilot and what public health leaders can do to re‑engage, restore accountability, and sustain improvement. Read the blog to learn how to recognize warning signs and take action before system decay impacts communities.

Did You Know? TRAIN Reaches Learners Worldwide

TRAIN not only has learners in every US state, but across 229 countries around the world. Create your free account and start learning today.

Engage in Self-Care This Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, with this year’s theme—More Good Days, Together—a call to reflect on what makes a “good” day and to help ensure more good days for everyone. Take some time this month and throughout the year to learn more about the importance of self-care and techniques to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health with courses available on TRAIN.

Spring Sale on All PHF Publications

May Featured Publication: Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice

Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice offers key features and applications of descriptive and analytic epidemiology, an in-depth study of public health surveillance, and a step-by-step description of outbreak investigations. It will show you how to calculate and interpret frequency measures (ratios, proportions, and rates) and measures of central tendency and how to use tables, graphs, and charts to organize, summarize, and display data.

Save 10% when you order any PHF publication through June 30, 2026. Discount automatically applied at checkout. Receive a 20% discount when you order 250+ copies. Please call us toll-free at (877) 252-1200 for a price quote on bulk purchases. Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm ET.