As we enter uncharted territory in global health and our daily lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic unfolding around the world, the health and safety of our Program Staff and Fellows remains our first priority. The Public Health Institute (PHI) has taken several steps to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which you can read more about here. Obtaining the most up to date, accurate information on guidance and protocols is critically important at this time, which is why we utilize research provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), and our funder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Effective Monday, March 16, the PHI/CDC Fellowship Program Implemented the Following Responses:
Transitioned all Program Staff to working remotely. PHI’s offices in Oakland, California are closed, and staff in Atlanta and D.C. are teleworking as well. Staff are checking in regularly with each other while teleworking, and practicing social distancing to prioritize their health and safety.
Supported Fellows as they transitioned to teleworking and/or relocating to the U.S. from overseas locations. Our Fellows continue to fulfill their fellowship assignments, while practicing social distancing and teleworking. For Fellows based overseas, Program Staff supported their relocation process back to the U.S. if recommended by their CDC office. We remain in close contact with our Fellows as we navigate this pandemic together.
Continued to recruit our incoming Fellow Cohort for 2020-2021. Growing the global health workforce remains more important than ever before. As of now, our recruitment timeline has not changed. We received a record number of applicants this year, and we are working with CDC in the coming months to select our next cohort. Should you have questions, please contact us at info@phi-cdcfellows.org.
We want to acknowledge that this is a time filled with uncertainty and many unknowns. We are dedicated to supporting our program team and our Fellows, while advancing the global health workforce at this important time. We will continue to reassess the situation and execute best practices to ensure the health and safety of our Program Staff and Fellows. We wish you all good health.
