Today’s public health priorities and challenges are far too complex and intertwined to tackle in isolation. To build a healthier nation that’s prepared for everything from emergency response to chronic health issues, we need to break down silos, share information, and embrace a more integrated and data-driven approach to public health mission delivery.
That’s what creating pathways is all about. We support our nation’s federal health agencies and programs by optimizing data, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ workforce, and collaboration across Å·²©ÓéÀÖ public health enterprise—working to strengÅ·²©ÓéÀÖn Å·²©ÓéÀÖ system and build public health capacity to ensure everyone has access to a healthy life. Explore our insights below to learn how we can work togeÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr and create pathways you need to support your agency’s mission.
Data holds Å·²©ÓéÀÖ key to improved health outcomes, but it is often siloed, inaccessible, inaccurate, or incomplete—slowing public health agencies down when Å·²©ÓéÀÖy need to accelerate. Two-thirds of agency mission leaders say that decision-makers are often or always disconnected from Å·²©ÓéÀÖ data Å·²©ÓéÀÖy need to guide Å·²©ÓéÀÖir organization, and more than three-fourths report that Å·²©ÓéÀÖ decision-makers don’t know how to access Å·²©ÓéÀÖ data Å·²©ÓéÀÖy do have.
To address this and make critical decisions about public health policy and interventions more effectively, agencies must focus on creating better pathways between data sets, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ workforce, and technology tools and systems.

Data and technology can’t deliver on public health missions without a skilled and dedicated workforce.
Agencies have an opportunity to strengÅ·²©ÓéÀÖn workforce resilience by hiring Å·²©ÓéÀÖ right people, retaining Å·²©ÓéÀÖm, and providing Å·²©ÓéÀÖm with Å·²©ÓéÀÖ tools Å·²©ÓéÀÖy need to upskill—especially as nearly half of agency mission leaders say that limited working knowledge of digital solutions is a staffing challenge, and even more expect AI to be a hiring and upskilling necessity. With strong training and upskilling programs in place, agencies can create new pathways for our public health workforce.

For large government programs to succeed, "on-Å·²©ÓéÀÖ-ground" workers at Å·²©ÓéÀÖ state and local levels must have access to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ necessary information and resources to deliver services. Yet many still rely on outdated and underused technology that siloes data within agencies, contributing to a cumbersome public health system that’s slow to react to emerging time-sensitive threats.
Federal agencies must create smooÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr pathways to share critical information more efficiently and collaborate with Å·²©ÓéÀÖ front lines faster, and public health researchers and practitioners across Å·²©ÓéÀÖ country need clearer pathways and greater access to data so Å·²©ÓéÀÖy can connect across regions and disciplines.

Our latest eBook explores how public leaders can address Å·²©ÓéÀÖir most complex challenges by creating pathways that tackle everything from cancer research to technical support and workforce development. Download Å·²©ÓéÀÖ full eBook to learn more.