I-TIPP Strategies for
Successful Applications
Jessica Pittman, MPH, CHES
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
Session Objective
• By the end of today’s session, participants will
be able to:
– Describe at least two strategies to improve an
I-TIPP application.
STRENGTHENING HEALTH SYSTEMS
THROUGH INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
A collaboration between the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Council of State and Territorial
Epidemiologists, the National Association of County and City Health Officials,
and the Public Health Informatics Institute.
Vision Statement: Illuminate pathways for professionals, organizations, and
communities to achieve a collective, transformative, and sustainable impact on
population health.
Interprofessional Education
• IPE training centers around four domains:
– Values/Ethics
– Roles/Responsibilities
– Interprofessional Communication
– Teams and Teamwork
SHINE Fellowships
Benefits of Hosting a Fellow
• Work across programmatic siloes on cross
cutting topics
• Jump start stagnant projects
• National network of mentors
• Mentors learn from the fellows
– Methodologies and fresh perspective
• Invigorate agency staff
I-TIPP Fellowship
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Fellow eligibility
Host site eligibility
Host site mentorship
Appropriate projects
Training
Interprofessional education
Application
Application review & fellow selection
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Mission
– I-TIPP as a national fellowship training program
aims to address informatics capacity needs of
state, local, territorial and tribal health
departments through competency-based training
and development of a multi-disciplinary,
collaborative learning environment.
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Fellow Eligibility
– Entry to mid-level existing health department
employees
• Must have been employed with the agency for at least
one year at the time of application
– Possess some experience in public health
informatics with an interest in participating in the
training
– Minimum of a bachelor’s degree
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Who would not be an eligible fellow?
– This program is not appropriate for PHI senior
agency leadership, those with formal academic
training in PHI (masters or doctoral levels), or
academic staff to apply as fellow candidates.
– Contract employees or Federal assignees are not
eligible to participate in I-TIPP.
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Host Site Eligibility
– Applications are limited to one per agency
– Must be a state, tribal, local or territorial health
department
– Demonstrate current projects in meaningful use
or surveillance system improvement
• Opportunities for the fellow candidate to work on these
projects
– Designate a Primary and Secondary mentor
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Host Site Mentorship
– Designate two mentors (Primary and Secondary)
• Mentors can have a doctoral degree OR masters with 8
years of experience OR bachelor’s with 10 or more
years of experience
• One or both mentors must devote four hours per
month to spend with the fellow
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Who is an appropriate mentor?
– Mentors can be the supervisor of record, but
he/she is not required to be a mentor
– Mentorship within the health department and
with community partners is encouraged
– Mentors should provide subject matter expertise
and a network to advance the project work as
appropriate
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• How can I incorporate fellowship activities
into the existing work?
– Add the fellowship as an agenda item for standing
meetings
– Set up calendar appointments for dedicated time
to work on fellowship projects
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• What is an appropriate project?
– Projects should focus on surveillance system
improvement or meaningful use
– Applications should propose at least one project
where the fellow is the lead
– Projects that collaborate with community partners
are encouraged
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Fellow Projects
– Updating message mapping guides
– Implement a query tool to interface with Florida’s Health Information
Exchange (HIE)
– Develop a portal to increase public access to Environmental Public
Health Tracking data
– Develop a data visualization tool for community health assessment
– Pilot the digital version of the Laboratory Efficiencies Initiative SelfAssessment tool
– Standardization of Electronic Laboratory Reporting test messages
– Conduct a review of policy development and legislation policy as it
relates to health information technology policies
– Evaluate the timeliness and completeness of Electronic Laboratory
Reporting
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
Training
• Work with experts in the
field
• Competency-based training
– In-person and online
• National network of peers
• Professional development
funding
Topics
• Systems Thinking
• Project Management
• Collaboration Tools
• Interprofessional Education
• Navigating People & Politics
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Professional Development Sponsorship
– 1 week orientation in Atlanta
– CSTE 2016 Annual Conference
– Professional development funding ($1000) to
pursue additional training or conferences
– National conference funding ($1500) to attend a
subject area specific conference
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Program Requirements
– Lead one major project that addresses the core
competencies & aligns with agency priorities
– Participate in national discussion forums and
workgroups
– Attend and participate in all required fellowship
training opportunities
– Write, submit, and present an abstract for oral
presentation at a national conference
– Develop and write a document that addresses a public
health informatics priority at your agency
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Why is Interprofessional Education part of the
application?
– Collaborate with community partners to develop
interagency projects
– Create sustainable partnerships to advance
population health
Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
• Application
– Closes on Tuesday, March 31, 2015
– Information required from mentors and fellow candidate
– Requirements
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Mentor contact information and professional experience
Description of supervision and support structure
Fellow projects
Organizational Chart
Fellow statement of interest
Two letters of support –
– One must be from the State Health Officer, State Epidemiologist or Local Health
Officer
– One letter of recommendation for the fellow from the proposed fellow’s supervisor
of record
AFTER THE APPLICATION IS
SUBMITTED…
Application Review
Completed host site applications will be evaluated on the
following criteria:
• Experience of mentors in management, informatics,
epidemiology, and mentoring
• Interest, skills, and experience of the fellow candidate
• Public health impact of projects
• Letters of support for the application
• Strength of community partnerships
• Ability to demonstrate value-added by participating in the
fellowship
Selection Process
• After you submit your application
– Wait to see if your candidate is invited to
interview
– Fellow candidates that successfully
interview with SHINE partners will be
invited to participate in I-TIPP Class III
Fellow Placement
After the candidate accepts an offer to become a
Fellow…
– Fellows will start the program during the summer
of 2015
– Fellows will attend orientation in Atlanta, GA
during the summer of 2015
– Mentors receive a virtual orientation during the
summer of 2015
Questions?
Jessica Pittman, MPH, CHES
Associate Research Analyst
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
jpittman@cste.org
To learn more about Project SHINE, check out our website:
http://shinefellows.org
This presentation was supported in part by an appointment to the
Informatics-Training in Place Program fellowship administered by CSTE
and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Cooperative Agreement 3U38-OT000143-01S2.