History Timeline

Dedicated to the vision of improving public health through innovation, NNPHI is the national membership network committed to helping public health institutes promote and sustain improved health and wellness for all.

The National Turning Point Program, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, was influential in the formation of NNPHI. Turning Point increased capacity of the public health system to respond to emerging challenges in public health, specifically the system's capacity to work with people from many sectors to improve the health status of all people in a community. Public health institutes are one component of the public health infrastructure that have continued Turning Point's mission. Another driver for the formation of NNPHI was a National Public Health Leadership Institute project paper entitled: "The Potential of America’s Public Health Institutes: Recommendations for Strengthening and Using Their Capacity" (authored by Donna Strugar-Fritsch of the Michigan Public Health Institute, 2000).

The timeline below highlights major developments since NNPHI's formal incorporation in 2001.

With initial support from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NNPHI serves as a forum for 19 public health institutes from across the United States to learn from one another and foster the development of emerging institutes nationwide.

NNPHI begins hosting annual conference and publishing newsletter to highlight multi-sector activities that result in measurable improvements to public health structures, systems and outcomes.

NNPHI expands its programmatic activities to include the National Public Health Performance Standards, Fostering Emerging Institutes Project, and the Public Health Leadership Society.

NNPHI support for emerging and established institutes continues to expand through learning collaboratives and grant programs. NNPHI serves as national program office for a multi-state learning collaborative regarding accreditation of health departments, supports a state health policy interest group, and serves as the Administrative Service Organization for a new Public Health Systems Research initiative.

NNPHI celebrates a decade of serving its 30+ members around the nation. It continues managing projects for a diverse list of partners and increases its voice in national health transformation.