PRI was awarded a five-year cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide coordination, technical assistance, and training to the 10 Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) Centers established by CDC. Our goal in this work is to achieve improved public health preparedness and response nationwide by enhancing regional collaboration and increasing the use of evidence-based practices, staying informed by the direct needs of the communities, practitioners, and regions involved.
Over the five year project period, as the CDC’s Coordination and Technical Assistance Partner (CTAP) for the Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response, PRI will create a learning network for public health preparedness and response, establish Communities of Practice (CoPs) to improve the national implementation of Evidence-Based Strategies & Interventions (EBSIs), and continuously enhance a national inventory of EBSIs.
Throughout our first year in this role (2024-2025), PRI has
- Convened bimonthly virtual workshops to establish an initial PHPR Learning Network within the Centers.
- Deployed a PrepNexus system via Google Workspace and other tools to evaluate and host the current inventory of EBSIs and other coordination tools
- Coordinated workshops at the NACCHO Preparedness Summit to enhance Center thinking and showcase the Center work.
- Supported the centers with technical assistance around evaluation tools and intervention design
- Created a set of eligibility criteria for PHEPR evidence, and conducted an initial review of that evidence, looking for what works to improve PHEPR
- Discussed with partners the proper role for these Regional Centers in the ongoing preparedness cycle of each region.
In Year 2, PRI will release our first version of this evidence inventory, called EvidenceLink, to help centers design and test their interventions. We’ll also be working in collaboration with all Regional Centers and CDC to enhance and evaluate the national implementation of these evidence-based practices. Our goal, over the next few years, is to facilitate self-directed growth and peer learning and assessment within and between Regional Centers over the project period.
For inquiries about the R2C, email Mary Cleary, Senior Project Manager – Regional Centers for PHPR.
About The Centers
The Regional Centers play an essential role in advancing the uptake of evidence-based strategies and interventions across communities, enhancing their ability to prepare for and respond to public health threats. In addition to the core funding, CDC is supporting efforts for tribal, rural, and frontier communities to disseminate and implement tailored evidence-based strategies and interventions.
To bolster the effectiveness and resilience of the public health system, regional coordination is essential. A key focus of the Regional Centers will be to promote access to services and resources, ensuring that populations with increased risk are not disproportionally impacted by public health emergencies. By working with state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments, non-profits, universities, hospitals, and healthcare coalitions, the Regional Centers will strengthen the nation’s overall readiness and response capabilities. Learn more about the Centers below:
HHS Region 1 – Harvard University, MA:
CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
HHS Region 2 – Columbia University, NY:
NJ, NY, PR, VI
Population Focus: Rural
HHS Region 3 – Johns Hopkins University, MD:
DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV
HHS Region 4 – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC:
AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
HHS Region 5 – University of Minnesota, MN:
IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
HHS Region 6 – Tulane University, LA:
AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
HHS Region 7 – University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE:
IA, KS, MO, NB
HHS Region 7 – University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE:
IA, KS, MO, NB
HHS Region 8 – University of Utah, UT:
CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY
Population Focus: Tribal
HHS Region 9 – University of California San Francisco, CA:
AZ, CA, HI, NV, Pacific Territories: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands
Population Focus: Rural/Pacific Island Territories
*HHS Region 10 – University of Washington, WA:
AK, ID, OR, WA
Population Focus: Tribal