Charter
Overview of Public Health Practice Council (PHPC):
Public health practice and science are the principal
tools for achieving the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention’s (CDC) Health Protection Goals. In order to
achieve these goals, all areas of CDC will be expected to
build and maintain excellence in public health science and
practice. The Public Health Practice Council can provide a
mechanism to allow Coordinating Centers, Coordinating
Offices, and National Centers (CC/CO/NCs) the opportunity to
seek a common understanding of, and potential solutions for,
important practice-related issues.
Public Health Practice Defined:
The strategic, organized, and interdisciplinary
application of knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary
to perform essential public health services and other
activities to improve the population's health. Source:
Demonstrating Excellence in Academic Public Health Practice.
Association of Schools of Public Health (June 1999).
Purpose of the PHPC:
- To provide a forum for a coordinated, enterprise-wide
approach to addressing public health practice issues at CDC;
- To foster and support an environment for shared leadership
of public health practice throughout CDC with the ultimate
goal of improving public health;
- To develop a communications network across all CC/CO/NCs
that would facilitate exchanging issues, concerns,
successes, and best practices about shared practice matters;
- To contribute to a joint strategy for improving public
health practice; and
- To advance achievement of CDC’s Health Protection Goals.
Functions of the PHPC:
Include, but are not limited to:
- Fostering the development of methods for assessing and
prioritizing public health practice issues and concerns with
the intent of building and maintaining the capacity for
public health impact;
- Providing a forum for discussion, decision-making, and
developing recommendations to the CDC Director, Executive
Leadership Board, and CC/CO/NCs;
- Serving as a consulting body for practice-related issues
and making recommendations to the CDC Director, Executive
Leadership Board, and CC/CO/NCs Leaders when appropriate.
- Promoting and building the capacity of the public health
practice infrastructure and support system throughout CDC;
- Communicating practice-related information to CDC program
areas.
- Identifying and disseminating new information on emerging
public health practice issues or new endeavors in building
the public health infrastructure.
- Recognizing and rewarding quality work in improving public
health practice and key collaborative opportunities with
state and local public health systems; and
- Serving as an advocate for practice-related issues.
Leadership:
Leadership of the Council on Public Health Practice will
consist of:
- Chair - The Chief of Public Health Practice, CDC, will
serve as Chair;
- Vice-Chair - Elected by Council members, the Vice-Chair
will assist the Chair in conducting meetings and will serve
as Chair in his or her absence.
Membership:
The Public Health Practice Council will consist of
designated representatives from Coordinating Centers,
Coordinating Offices, National Centers, and the Office of
the Director Staff Offices, where appropriate. Additional
representatives from relevant entities at CDC can be
identified and invited to serve as liaison members, such as
representatives from the Excellence in Science Committee,
CDC Information Council, and the Excellence in Learning
Council.
Relationship with External Partners:
Representatives from the Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), National Association
of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), and National
Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH) will
participate on a limited basis to offer insights and
comments related to public health practice issues. On a
topic-specific basis, representatives from other partner
organizations (e.g. CSTE, NEHA, APHL, etc) may be invited to
participate at the request of the Council.
Internal Coordination:
The PHPC will join together with the Excellence in Science
Committee on a quarterly basis, or as needed, to discuss and
integrate science and practice issues at CDC and develop
strategies and recommendations.
Meetings and Communication:
Meetings, scheduled by the Chair, will be held monthly.
Agenda items may be submitted by any member in writing to
the Chair, Vice-Chair or OCPHP staff. Agenda items will be
distributed at least one week before the next scheduled
meeting. When necessary, decisions will be made by members
(defined as one representative for each Coordinating
Centers, Coordinating Offices, and National Centers).
Decision Making and Voting Process:
Decisions will be reached by consensus whenever possible,
and votes will be taken when consensus is lacking. Minutes
and summary notes will document any debate and the level of
consensus achieved. When appropriate, decisions and
recommendations will be taken by the Chief of Public Health
Practice to the CDC Director, Executive Leadership Board,
and/or Center Leadership Council for action and follow-up.
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