1. I-TIPP Strategies for Successful Applications
Jessica Pittman, MPH, CHES
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists

2. 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.

3. 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.
SHINE is a collaboration between ASTHO, CDC, CSTE, NACCHO and PHII to provide training programs that strengthen health systems through interprofessional education
Strengthening Health Systems through Interprofessional Education (Project SHINE) seeks local and state public health department leaders who wish to join a growing community dedicated to improving population health. Project SHINE's vision, curriculum, and structure revolve around three concepts: inter-professional education; health systems integration; and community engagement. Through exposure to, training in, and application of these three concepts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's applied informatics Fellows and host sites will be jointly positioned to translate their knowledge of data systems into meaningful change to improve community health.

4. Interprofessional Education
IPE training centers around four domains:
Values/Ethics
Roles/Responsibilities
Interprofessional Communication
Teams and Teamwork
The SHINE fellowship programs have an emphasis on interprofessional education or IPE. The IPE training includes skills that are essential to building and sustaining teams, including the ability to identify a health team’s shared goal and define who is on the team; affirm roles and responsibilities; and recognize how the members will accomplish the desired goal, collectively.
IPE training is rooted in four domains:
Values/Ethics: working with individuals of other professions to maintain a climate of mutual respect and shared values;
Roles/Responsibilities: using the knowledge of one’s own role and those of other professions to appropriately assess and address the health needs of the patients and populations served;
Interprofessional Communication: communicating with patients, families, communities, and other health professionals in a responsive and responsible manner that supports a team approach to the maintenance of health; and
Teams and Teamwork: applying relationship-building values and the principles of team dynamics to perform effectively in different team roles to plan and deliver patient-/population-centered care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and equitable.

5. SHINE Fellowships
SHINE encompasses three fellowship programs: Applied Public Health Informatics Program, Health Systems Integration Program and the Informatics-Training in Place Program. Today we will be discussing the I-TIPP program specifically.

6. 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
There are several benefits to hosting an I-TIPP fellow including:
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

7. I-TIPP Fellowship Fellow eligibility Host site eligibility
Host site mentorship
Appropriate projects
Training
Interprofessional education
Application
Application review & fellow selection
Today we will highlight aspects of fellow eligibility, host site eligibility, host site mentorship, appropriate fellow projects, training, interprofessional education, fellowship application, application review, and fellow selection.

8. 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.
To begin, let me provide a frame for the fellowship.
The fellowship will focus on these key concepts:
Provide an accelerated training experience
Improve informatics support to state and local health departments as it relates to meaningful use and surveillance system improvements
Train a core group of public health workers
Provide Interprofessional education in public health

9. 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
The I-TIPP fellows
Are existing entry to mid-level health department employees that have some experience in informatics and a desire for additional training
Applicants must have been employed with the host agency for at least one year at the time of application
Possess at least a bachelor’s degree

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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
Mentorship is an important part of our programs.
New this year those with a bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience can apply to be an I-TIPP mentor.
The mentors oversee the training, research and field activities of the fellow, ensure that the fellow is familiar with relevant techniques in a given specialty, and encourage the overall professional development of the Fellow. Mentors provide the public health informatics subject matter expertise and facilitate the learning and networking of the fellow in the community.
The four hours per month should be spent between mentors and fellows and may include team meetings and one on one time.

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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
Fellows participate in a variety of projects surrounding meaningful use and surveillance system improvement. Fellows work on least one dedicated fellowship project in addition to managing their regular workload.
The amount of time spent on their projects will vary by fellow.

16. 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 Self-Assessment 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
These are a few examples of current I-TIPP fellow projects.

17. Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
Training
Topics
Work with experts in the field
Competency-based training
In-person and online
National network of peers
Professional development funding
Systems Thinking
Project Management
Collaboration Tools
Interprofessional Education
Navigating People & Politics
While the fellowship does not provide a stipend or salary, there are several benefits gained by participating in the fellowship including.
Fellows will participate in at least 4 hours of training each month.

18. 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
Participation in the fellowship program provides funding for training and conferences.

19. 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
Fellows are expected to complete the program requirements within the one year fellowship. Integrate and participate in daily activities of importance by providing service to the host health agency via training, consultation and other informatics capacity building activities.
Lead at least one major project and play a role in projects or activities that address the I-TIPP core competencies of the Fellowship program and are in support of agency priorities related to public health informatics in host health agency.
Participate in discussion forums of national Health IT policy or standards bodies such as the ONC advisory committees and their workgroups, HL7, LOINC, and SNOMED.
Attend and participate in all I-TIPP continuing training opportunities such as calls, lectures, webinars and additional courses offered during the Fellowship year.
Write, submit, and present an abstract for an oral presentation or poster session at the Public Health Informatics Conference or other scientific conference.
Develop and write a document that addresses a public health informatics priority in host health agency.

20. 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
Interprofessional education may be a new word for you, but public health has been rooted in IPE for years by building partnerships to promote community health. In your application, identify the community partners that fellows can work with to advance interagency projects. Community partners who offer access to additional training, subject matter experts, and project resources are appropriate to indicate in the application.

21. Strategies for Successful I-TIPP Applications
Closes on Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Information required from mentors and fellow candidate
Requirements
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
The I-TIPP application will close on Tuesday, March 31, 2015.
The application requires information about the mentors, types of projects the fellow would work on, and supporting documentation including letters of support.

22. After the Application is submitted…

23. 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
After you submit your application, all applications will be reviewed against the eligibility criteria and will be formally evaluated by a review committee consisting of representatives from SHINE partner organizations.

24. 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
Following application review, the highest scoring applications will be invited to interview. The interview will take place virtually with the fellow candidate and the SHINE partners. The highest scoring interviews will be invited to participate the third class of the I-TIPP program. We expect to accept at least 10 fellows.
The fellows will officially commence their training in the summer of 2015.

25. 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
Fellows will begin to receive training in the summer of 2015.
Both fellows and mentors will receive an orientation to the program during the summer of 2015.

26. Questions?
Jessica Pittman, MPH, CHES Associate Research Analyst Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists To learn more about Project SHINE, check out our website: 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-OT S2.