practice strategic plan 2022-2028

Progress Tracker

The Gillings School six-year practice strategic plan, approved in July 2022, provides a roadmap for action. Gillings elevates practice as equal with research and teaching to help make North Carolina the healthiest state in the nation and to advance health globally.

The practice vision, goals and strategies were developed by the Gillings Practice Task Force after interacting with over 175 people across faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends, and stakeholders. The interactive progress tracker provides periodic updates about the steps we have taken to make a meaningful difference in health equity and outcomes.

plan pdf

Improve the structure and align roles of practice.

GOAL:

Clearly identified and sufficiently resourced entity responsible for catalyzing faculty, student, and staff engagement at the intersection of research, academics and practice.

PROGRESS

Strategy 1A

Establish clear leadership for practice.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort is in the startup phase with some barriers of concern that are being monitored.

Project details

September 2022: John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH, was appointed as the new associate dean for practice.
‍March 2023: Search for a director of the NC Institute of Public Health (NCIPH) has begun.
June 2023: Candidates for the director position at NCIPH participated in on campus interviews.

Strategy 1B

Expand NCIPH’s role to be the key platform for organized practice efforts at Gillings.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort is in the startup with some barriers of concern that are being monitored.

Project details

April 2023: Conversations about restructuring of NCIPH are ongoing.

July 2023: NCIPH is hiring multiple positions that will continue and expand current projects.

Prioritize and implement key recommended practice initiatives.

GOAL:

Implement innovative, defined practice initiatives to help Gillings actualize our vision for practice and make a measurable difference in improving health equity and health outcomes.

PROGRESS

Strategy 2A

Create/sustain public health partnership hub(s) with defined communities in N.C.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort is in the startup and progressing as planned.

Project details

March 2023: Key stakeholder interviews have been completed. Based on advice from the internal Practice Coordinating Committee (PCC), the Practice Unit is working with the ten public health regions to form a rapid steering committee to co-design the community process of designing the hub model.
May 2023: Meetings with a community advisory committee have begun to provide advice on upcoming co-design workshops with potential hub locations.

Strategy 2B

Develop/sustain coordinated resilience/response capacity to PH emergencies.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort has not yet started.

Strategy 2C

Advocate for academic health departments across N.C.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort is in the startup and progressing as planned.

Project details

April 2023: A convocation of public health programs at colleges and universities across NC was hosted by the Gillings practice team. The NC Public Health Academic Practice Network will continue to meet regularly and work together to improve practice opportunities for students and faculty including implementation of more academic health departments.
June 2023: The NC Public Health Academic Practice Network met again with intention to formalize this group. The network will convene at the NCPHA Fall Educational Leadership conference in September.

Strategy 2D

Create a public health collaborative to address complex problems.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort is in the startup and progressing as planned.

Project details

April 2023: Conversations with key groups regarding the structure of a public health collaborative have begun.

Fund practice from a variety of sources.

GOAL:

Strategic plan for practice will be fully funded with a diversified mix of federal, state, local governmental investments, private support and grants and contracts.

PROGRESS

Strategy 3A

Coordinate a Resource Development Workgroup to develop a phased funding strategy to implement the strategic plan.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort has not yet started.

Strategy 3B

Diversify funding.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort has not yet started.

Strategy 3C

Assess feasibility of systematically tracking practice expenditures.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort has not yet started.

Incentivize practice to enable more faculty, staff and students to engage.

GOAL:

Expanded and improved set of incentives will be fully operational in supporting faculty and staff engagement with public health practice partners.

PROGRESS

Strategy 4A

Expand and sustain all forms of incentives.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort is in the startup and progressing as planned.

Project details

March 2023: Appointment, tenure, and promotion guidelines are being reviewed to encourage practice.

Strategy 4B

Reduce barriers.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort is in the startup and progressing as planned.

Project details

April 2023: Conversations have begun with the internal Gillings Practice Coordinating Committee to identify barriers to practice-based research and engagement.

Measure contributions and communicate our story.

GOAL:

Develop infrastructure to systematically collect, analyze, review, report, communicate and use data on practice activities and impact on improving the public’s health.

PROGRESS

Strategy 5A

Clearly define measures to track practice activities and impact.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort is in the startup and progressing as planned.

Project details

May 2023: Current measures are being reviewed by the practice unit and the Institutional Data Chief Office.

Strategy 5B

Develop a process for collecting, analyzing and reviewing measures and data on practice.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort has not yet started.

Strategy 5C

Create a dynamic reporting platform and communication plan.

Updated 07/11/2023

Progress summary

This effort has not yet started.