The Collaborative

Without a strong legal basis, governmental public health systems cannot be effective. The Alaska Public Health Improvement Partnership identified public health law reform as an important tool for strengthening our public health system, and included as one of the goals in the Alaska Public Health Improvement Plan to "assure a strong legal framework for the public health system." In order to facilitate attainment of this goal, the APHIP is participating as the lead state in the Turning Point National Collaborative on Public Health Statute Modernization.

The primary purpose of the Collaborative is to "transform and strengthen the legal framework for the public health system through a collaborative process to develop a model public health law." The model state public health infrastructure law will define governments’ duties and authorities for protecting and promoting the public’s health, and will be made available for state legislatures’ consideration.

The Collaborative is a partnership between the Turning Point states of Alaska, Oregon, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Colorado; and a number of federal agencies and national organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the American Public Health Association, the National Governors' Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Indian Health Board, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

Timeline:
Phase I: Public Health Law Assessment June 1, 2000 – May 31, 2001

Phase II: Model Law Development June 1, 2001 – August 31, 2003

Phase III: Education & Marketing September 1, 2003 – March 31, 2004

For more information, please see the attached Collaborative Workplan, Charter, and minutes from meetings and teleconferences held to-date.

For more information on the Turning Point Project, contact Pat Nault.