ASPPH and NHIT Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance AI Training and Workforce Development in Public Health  

March 17, 2026

(Washington, DC)— The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and the National Health IT Collaborative for the Underserved (NHIT) have entered into a strategic partnership to expand opportunities for students and strengthen the future public health workforce through emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). 

“This partnership reflects ASPPH’s commitment to preparing the next generation of public health leaders and ensuring that all communities benefit from innovation,” said Dr. Laura Magaña, President and CEO of ASPPH. “By working together, we can expand access to emerging technologies, support students from underserved backgrounds, and advance our mission to improve health and well-being for everyone, everywhere.”

Through this collaboration, ASPPH and NHIT, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing health equity by engaging underserved communities in the development and use of health information technology, will explore initiatives designed to equip students with the skills and training needed to apply AI and emerging technologies in public health practice. 

Potential areas of collaboration include workforce development programming, student engagement opportunities, and applied learning experiences that connect academic public health training with real-world technology applications. The partnership will also explore pathways for public health students to participate in AI-focused internships, research collaborations, and applied projects through NHIT’s INSPIRED AI Academy and related programs. 

“At NHIT, our mission is to ensure no community is left behind in the digital age—and we’ve been actively advancing that mission through our INSPIRED AI Academy and community-driven initiatives,” said Luis Belén, CEO of NHIT. “By aligning with ASPPH’s national academic network, we are expanding our reach to train thousands of students across the country and globally. Leveraging the NHIT Data Fusion Center, this partnership will establish impactful programs that connect data, technology, and real-world application—preparing the next generation of leaders to tackle public health challenges and drive sustainable health equity.”

By bringing together ASPPH’s national network of accredited schools and programs of public health with NHIT’s leadership in health information technology and workforce innovation, the organizations aim to help prepare the next generation of public health professionals to use emerging technologies to improve health outcomes and advance health equity. 

The partnership builds on ASPPH’s AI for Public Health initiative, which supports the responsible and ethical integration of artificial intelligence across public health education, research, and practice. Through a cross-sector task force and collaborative initiatives, along with broader efforts through the ASPPH IDEA Institute and its ARIE chatbot initiative, ASPPH works with schools and programs of public health to teach and prepare students and professionals for a technology-enabled public health workforce while ensuring that innovation aligns with public health values, equity, and accountability.

“Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we understand and respond to public health challenges,” said Eduardo A. Ruiz, Chief Information Officer at ASPPH. “Through this partnership with NHIT, we are creating new opportunities for students, especially those from underserved communities, to gain the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to apply emerging technologies in ways that advance health equity and strengthen the public health workforce.”  

OTHER STATEMENTS:

ASPPH Submits Comments to ED Opposing the Proposed Exclusion of MPH and DrPH Degrees from Definition of a “Professional Degree”

February 13, 2026

ASPPH submitted comments urging the US Department of Education to maintain recognition of MPH and DrPH degrees as professional degree programs under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

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ASPPH Statement on the FY 2026 House Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Bill  

January 29, 2026 

By excluding public health degrees from the “professional degree” category, the Department of Education is limiting access to federal financial aid and higher loan limits for public health students increases financial barriers for students from historically excluded communities, and weakening the pipeline of trained professionals needed to respond to infectious disease outbreaks, climate disasters, maternal mortality, mental health crises, and chronic disease.