NNPHI has a step-by-step process for starting public health institutes in states and territories that do not currently have one. The planning process includes:
- Forming an advisory group or design team knowledgeable about the state’s health and/or public health landscape tasked to help create the public health institute’s foundational structure
- Exploring data reflecting the gaps in the state public health system
- Connecting to other states’ institutes to learn from their experiences and examine various models of structure and operations
- Focusing on the capacity gaps and needs of the state and prioritizing gaps and needs to be addressed by the institute