History Timeline

NNPHI 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 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 announces Vincent Lafronza as its new, full-time President and CEO. Under the leadership of Joseph Kimbrell, NNPHI’s founding CEO, the organization grew to include 37 members and an annual budget of over $10 million. The new CEO is charged with further evolving NNPHI into a thriving membership organization and expanding NNPHI’s work in program areas including Accreditation and Performance Improvement; Community Health Improvement; Evidence-Based Public Health; Health Equity; Health in All Policies; Leadership and Workforce Development; and Research and Evaluation.

NNPHI's CEO and leadership divide their time among NNPHI’s Washington, D.C. and New Orleans offices, affording NNPHI the opportunity to build up its D.C. presence during this next phase of NNPHI’s growth and development.