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CHCC launches field epidemiology certificate program
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., in partnership with the Pacific Islands Health Officers Association, launched the Strengthening Health Intervention in the Pacific’s Data for Decision Making program in the CNMI. The program is made available to staff at CHCC and provides participants with a post-graduate Certificate in Field Epidemiology upon completion.
This effort aims to improve data capacity in public health surveillance and data-driven decision making to support rapid response and interventions needed to address health priorities.
The PGCFE program is accredited through Fiji National University and is modeled after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Field Epidemiology Training Program. The training content has been formatted to meet the needs of the Pacific to identify public health challenges in the region and transform factual data into action.
The program began on Jan. 30, at CHCC on Navy Hill, Saipan and will conclude in September 2023. Course instruction is led by Dr. Thane Hancock, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention preparedness epidemiologist; Stephanie Kern-Alley, communicable disease regional epidemiologist; and Dr. Ruth Bessinger of PIHOA. The program includes five courses: Introduction to Health Information Systems, Outbreaks Investigation and Management, Introduction to Epidemiology and Field Epidemiology, Management and Analysis of HIS Data, and Field Epidemiology Final Project. Courses are offered through a combination of classroom-based teaching and online learning sessions followed by structured activities that encourage and support the model of learning “from work, at work, and for work.” (CHCC)
