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Introduction to Strategic Planning

This module introduces the fundamentals of strategic planning. Learners will explore key terminology, its purpose and benefits, and practical approaches such as Bryson’s 10-step model and Lynch’s Prescriptive Model. Through the examination of sample strategic plans from public health agencies, participants will identify essential components and develop strategies for creating clear, effective, and actionable plans.

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this training learners will be able to:

  • Define strategic planning.
  • Explain the benefits of strategic planning.
  • Distinguish between simple, complicated, and complex situations in strategic planning.
  • Describe general approaches for strategic planning.

Format: Self-paced training (work at your own pace, use "save and exit" as needed).

Duration:  ~60-90 minutes

Arranged by: Allison Root, DrPH, RDN, MCHES

Subject Matter Expert: Ernest P. Schloss, PhD

Narration: AI voice technology (WellSaid)

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, doctors, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Published: 2015. Updated 2026.

Disclosures:  The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest.


CE Available: 

  • Continuing Education Contact Hours for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES): This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 1.5  total Category I continuing education contact hours (1.5 Advanced Credits and 1.5 Continuing Competency Credits). WRPHTC provider number 99036.

 

The WRPHTC is a Designated Multiple Event Provider of Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH) for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

Hawaii Department of Health Update & Ethical Challenges to the Our Care Our Choice Act

We’re now venturing into our 7th year since the Our Care, Our Choice Act legalized medical aid in dying in Hawaiʻi. There is an ongoing need for education so that every terminally ill patient and their caregivers know that MAID is an option. This session will explore the ethical considerations when providing this service. In addition, we'll discuss what we've learned over the years and what trends we are seeing based on the data.

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this training learners will be able to:

  • Identify at least one Hawaiʻi data trend from the last six years of OCOCA.
  • List common ethical concerns of clinicians providing Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) services.
  • Describe written consent requirements and remote witnessing.
  • Explain how the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act (ASFRA) affects hospice practices.
  • Define the role of the Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine’s ethics consultation services.

Format: Recorded webinar

Duration:  ~1.5 hours

Recorded: 4/23/2026

Speakers: Dr. Thaddeus Pope, JD, PhD, HEC-C; Susan Amina, NP; Dr. Charles Miller, MD, FACP, FASCO; Lorrin Kim, Hawaii Dept. of Health.

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, doctors, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Disclosures:  The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest.

CE Available: 

  • Continuing Education Contact Hours for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES): This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 1.5  total Category I continuing education contact hours (1.5 Continuing Competency Credits). WRPHTC provider number 99036.

Accreditation Statement
 

The WRPHTC is a Designated Multiple Event Provider of Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH) for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

Public Health Ethics

Ethical dilemmas are persistent in public health. Decision making processes can be very complex, often with conflicts and competing values and interests. In this training, examine public health ethics and ethical based approaches to decision making. Learn to use ethical frameworks to make decisions confidently and justify decisions with transparency. Practice addressing ethical challenges respectfully in a way that builds trust with communities and stakeholders through simulated case scenarios. Practice identifying ethical dilemmas and the exploration of solutions.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this training learners will be able to:

  • Describe foundations and theories of moral philosophy and applied ethics.
  • Define public health ethics.
  • Identify key ethical issues in public health.
  • Summarize what is meant by professional ethics (and personal values) for public health professionals.         
  • Utilize guiding principles of good ethical decision making, including ways to integrate ethical considerations into public health decision making.

Format: Self-paced training (work at your own pace, use "save and exit" as needed).

Duration:  ~2 hours

Arranged by: Allison Root, DrPH, RDN, MCHES

Subject Matter Experts: Linda Axtell-Thompson, DBE, MBA; for nursing perspective: Carrie Ann Langley, PhD, DNP, MPH, PMHNP-BC; for dietetic and CHES perspective: Allison Root, DrPH, RDN, MCHES

Narration: This training includes narration generated using AI voice technology (WellSaid)

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Created: 9/2022, updated 4/2026

Disclosures:  The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest.

CE Available: 

  • Continuing Education Contact Hours for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES): This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 2.0 total Category I continuing education contact hours, with 2.0 credits as Advanced (2.0 Continuing Competency Credits). WRPHTC provider number 99036.

  • Continuing Professional Education Units for Dietitians (CPEUs): As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the WRPHTC is approved to offer continuing professional education units by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. The WRPHTC designates this activity for 2.0 contact hour for dietitians. Dietitians should enter activities as type 102 on their Activity Log.
  • 2.0 ANCC credit for Nurses

Accreditation Statements


The WRPHTC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
 

The WRPHTC is a Designated Multiple Event Provider of Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH) for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

Introduction to Communicating Effectively with Patients and Clients

Effective communication is essential to public health practice. This micro-training introduces communication skills for public health professionals working face-to-face with patients, clients, and community members. Participants will learn how to identify common communication barriers and apply plain-language strategies, culturally responsive approaches, and trauma-informed principles to enhance communication effectiveness.

*Please make sure you're logged in if you want to receive a course certificate for this micro-training. 

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this training learners will be able to:

  • Identify communication barriers and develop strategies to overcome them.
  • Apply plain-language principles to improve comprehension.
  • Demonstrate culturally responsive and trauma-informed communication.

Format: Self-paced training

Duration:  ~20 minutes

Arranged by: Dulce Rodriguez, Instructional Specialist

Subject Matter Experts: Phylicia Bediako, PhD

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, doctors, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Published: April 2026

Disclosures:  The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest.

CE Available: None

Recognizing and Challenging Stigma

Stigma is a powerful human experience that causes suffering and worsens health outcomes. This training focuses on helping healthcare and public health professionals recognize and challenge stigma in practice. In the first section, we explain what stigma is, how it feels, and how to recognize it. In the second section, we explore the ways stigma is entangled in the practices and assumptions of healthcare professionals, often unwittingly. In the final section, participants learn practical strategies to recognize and reduce stigma, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and advancing population health.

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this training learners will be able to:

  • Identify different forms of stigma and explain why they emerge and persist.

  • Explore the personal experience of stigma and evaluate your own stigmatizing attitudes. 

  • Recognize the signs and impacts of stigma in health care and public settings.

  • Identify solutions to reducing stigma.

Format: Self-paced training (work at your own pace, use "save and exit" as needed).

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, doctors, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Disclosures:  The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest 

Narration: This training includes narration generated using AI voice technology (WellSaid)

Published: 2020; updated 4/2026

Authors: Alexandra Brewis-Slade, PhD; Amber Wutich, PhD; with input from Carrie Ann Langley, PhD, DNP, MPH, PMHNP-BC, Allison Root, DrPH, RDN, MCHES

Arranged by: Allison Root, DrPH, RDN, MCHES, Instructional Specialist

Alexandra Brewis, Ph.D., is an anthropologist and President’s Professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. She founded the Center for Global Health at Arizona State University in 2006, is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and has served as president of the Human Biology Association. Particularly concerned with how culture, health, and human biology collide, she has conducted field research across the globe, addressing such topics as infertility, depression, malnutrition, obesity, and stigma. 

Amber Wutich, Ph.D., is an anthropologist and President’s Professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University, where she directs the Center for Global Health. Concerned with the cultural institutions that make us sick and keep us well, her research focuses on basic human challenges like water insecurity, food insecurity, and anxiety. Wutich was selected as Carnegie CASE Arizona Professor of the Year in 2014, in recognition of an outstanding career as a university educator. 

Their most recent book together is “Lazy, Crazy, and Disgusting: Stigma and the Undoing of Global Health” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019).

CE Available: 

  • Continuing Education Contact Hours for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES): This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 2.0 total Category I continuing education contact hours (2.0 Continuing Competency Credits). WRPHTC provider number 99036.
  • Continuing Professional Education Units for Dietitians (CPEUs): As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the WRPHTC is approved to offer continuing professional education units by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. The WRPHTC designates this activity for 2.0 contact hours for dietitians. Dietitians should enter activities as type 102 on their Activity Log.
  • 2.0 ANCC credit for Nurses

Accreditation Statements


The WRPHTC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
 

The WRPHTC is a Designated Multiple Event Provider of Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH) for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

AI and Public Health Practice

Artificial Intelligence is transforming public health. Are you ready to engage with it thoughtfully and responsibly? This course builds your AI literacy through foundational concepts, real-world applications, and guided ethical reflection. You’ll examine governance challenges, explore practical tools, and develop strategies for integrating AI in ways that prioritize people, equity, and long-term sustainability.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this training learners will be able to:

  • Recognize the opportunities and limitations of AI use in public health settings.

  • Describe ethical and equity considerations relevant to AI implementation.

  • Identify strategies to promote fairness, accountability, and transparency in AI-supported public health practice.

  • Explain what the “human-in-the-loop” concept means in the context of public health AI.

Format: Self-paced training (work at your own pace, use "save and exit" as needed).

Duration:  ~45-60 minutes

Arranged by: Allison Root, DrPH, RDN, MCHES

Subject Matter Experts: Spencer Willis, DrPH, CHES; for nursing perspective: Carrie Ann Langley, PhD, DNP, MPH, PMHNP-BC; for dietetic and CHES perspective: Allison Root, DrPH, RDN, MCHES

Narration: This training includes narration generated using AI voice technology (WellSaid)

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Published: 4/2026

Disclosures:  The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest.

CE Available: 

  • Continuing Education Contact Hours for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES): This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 1.0 total Category I continuing education contact hours, with 0.5 credit as Advanced (1.0 Continuing Competency Credits). WRPHTC provider number 99036.
  • Continuing Professional Education Units for Dietitians (CPEUs): As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the WRPHTC is approved to offer continuing professional education units by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. The WRPHTC designates this activity for 1.0 contact hour for dietitians. Dietitians should enter activities as type 102 on their Activity Log.
  • 1.0 ANCC credit for Nurses

Accreditation Statements


The WRPHTC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
 

The WRPHTC is a Designated Multiple Event Provider of Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH) for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

Essentials in Leadership: Leadership Styles during Change

Course Description: 

This course explores the distinction between managing change, the adaptive side of guiding people through transitions, and change management, the structured, process‑driven approach to implementing organizational change. Participants will examine foundational principles of transformational, transitional, and situational leadership, and learn how each style supports change in public health environments. Through practical examples, learners will identify different leadership approaches and how to apply them effectively in real-world situations.

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this training, learners will be able to:
  • Define "managing change" and "change management" and differentiate between the two concepts.
  • Identify situations that call for different leadership styles in public health management.
  • Understand the key principles and characteristics of transformational, transitional, and situational leadership.
Format: Self-paced training (work at your own pace, use "save and exit" as needed).
Duration:  25 minutes
Arranged by: Dipa Das, M.Sc., M.A., ID, OD, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Subject Matter Expert: Carolyn Smith Casertano, APR, Fellow PRSA, Associate Professor of Practice

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, doctors, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Published: 3/13/2026

Making Sense of Vaccination Schedules: The Who, What, and Why of Pediatric Vaccines

This presentation will compare the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended vaccination schedule to the one that was released by the current Trump administration. Learners will understand which vaccines were removed, the diseases those vaccines were intended to treat, and the potential public health impact of the change.

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this training learners will be able to:

  • Compare the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Trump Administration's pediatric vaccination schedule. 
  • Review the diseases that the removed vaccines are intended to prevent.
  • Assess the potential public health impact of lower vaccination rates.

Format: Recorded webinar

Duration:  ~1.5 hours

Recorded: 3/19/2026

Speakers: Constance Andrejko, DO, CPE, MSHQS, MPH, FAAP and Thaddeus Pham, MPH 

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Disclosures:  The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest.

CE Available: 

  • Continuing Education Contact Hours for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES): This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 1.5  total Category I continuing education contact hours (1.5 Continuing Competency Credits). WRPHTC provider number 99036.

Accreditation Statement
 

The WRPHTC is a Designated Multiple Event Provider of Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH) for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

Emergency Preparedness Essentials

This micro-training introduces public health professionals to the essential role of public health in emergency preparedness and response. Participants will learn the fundamentals of the All-Hazards Approach, explore how public health professionals contribute during emergencies, and understand how to apply cultural competency in preparedness and response efforts. By the end of the course, learners will be able to recognize core preparedness concepts and apply basic planning principles that address the needs of diverse communities.

*Please make sure you're logged in if you want to receive a course certificate for this micro-training. 

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this training learners will be able to:

  • Identify key concepts related to the All-Hazards Approach in emergency preparedness.
  • Describe the roles and responsibilities of public health professionals during emergency preparedness and response.
  • Identify basic preparedness planning principles to meet the needs of diverse communities.


Format: Self-paced training

Duration:  ~20 minutes

Arranged by: Dulce Rodriguez, Instructional Specialist

Subject Matter Expert: Cayla Grace Sullivan, MPH

Narration: Narration generated with AI voice technology by WellSaid Labs.

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, doctors, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Published: February 2026

Disclosures:  The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest.

CE Available: None

Caring For the Caregiver: Self-care for Public Health Professionals

A significant portion of healthcare professionals experience burnout, with studies showing that about 46% report frequent symptoms, making burnout a widespread and chronic issue (CDC, 2023). This micro-training focuses on building understanding of the mental health challenges (burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and moral distress) individuals may encounter in the workplace, the different types of self-care both at and outside of work, and ways to promote healthy, supportive teams.

*Please make sure you're logged in if you want to receive a course certificate for this micro-training. 

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this training learners will be able to:

  • Identify workplace-related mental health challenges in public health.
  • Describe self-care techniques.
  • Recognize the link between self-care and team wellness.


Format: Self-paced training

Duration:  ~20 minutes

Arranged by: Dulce Rodriguez, Instructional Specialist

Subject Matter Experts: Sharla Phelps, LCSW

Target Audience: Public Health Professionals including community health workers, doctors, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and health educators.

Published: February 2026

Disclosures:  The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest.

CE Available: None

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