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The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)
has been a central source of
practice based, job relevant,
high priority training for
public health professionals in
state and local health
departments since its beginning
in 1946. For many years this
training primarily was
delivered in the classroom or
laboratory. But fundamental
changes in the American health
care system increased both the
number of persons who needed
training and the number of
content and skill areas they
needed training in, and in
recent years CDC found itself
unable to meet the increased
demand using traditional
methods.
The Public Health Training Network (PHTN) was
established in 1993 to provide a more effective
system for education of the public health workforce.
PHTN utilizes a variety of instructional media to
ensure that learners have the greatest access to
needed programming and that PHTN has the greatest
audience saturation.
The options for delivery include satellite, web,
CD-ROM, videotape/DVD, audio bridge, on-site
courses and conferences, and print. Using this
strategy, investment in any one product results
in the ongoing availability of a collection of
quality programming addressing critical public
health issues.
PHTN is also highly effective in its use
of partners for distribution of programs.
PHTN has established relationships with several
external distance learning networks such as Primedia,
Government Education and Training Network,
and GE Tip TV. These networks distribute PHTN programs at no charge to
the government because they recognize their
educational value. This results in great
efficiency and cost effectiveness.
Perhaps the greatest evidence of effectiveness
of PHTN is illustrated by the numbers of participants
reached. A large portion of the 853 products produced
by PHTN have focused on terrorism and emergency
response programming. Training products pertaining
to anthrax, smallpox, bioterrorism preparedness,
and SARS have been produced for delivery, with as
little as 48 hours lead time, to global audiences.
To date, these programs have reached an estimated
audience of 4,806,680.
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This page last reviewed: August 24,2004
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