LEONARDTOWN, MD (March 4, 2026) – The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) has been selected to participate in the CDC Foundation’s Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI), a national program designed to strengthen public health data and technology systems at the local level.

Through this initiative, SMCHD will receive additional technology and data expertise to improve how the department manages and uses information to solve community health problems. Strong, well-organized data and technology systems help local officials identify emerging health issues quickly, respond effectively, and make sound, evidence-based decisions.

As part of the program, the CDC Foundation will provide to SMCHD during the project period:

• A full-time Data Modernization Senior Advisor
• A full-time Systems Architect
• Access to a Data Engineer as needed to support technical projects

Planned efforts include strengthening data governance and enhancing information security. The Health Department will also build the infrastructure for a data warehouse, allowing information from different topics to be brought together in one place to support timely decision-making for complex issues.

Since launching in 2024, the Workforce Acceleration Initiative has supported jurisdictions nationwide with systems improvement plans, data governance projects, automation upgrades, data warehouse development, and improvements that make data more usable and efficient. Many of these projects, which might otherwise take several years, are being completed in 12–24 months.

“Public health moves at the speed of data,” said Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary’s County Health Officer. “If our data and technology systems are slow or siloed, our public health response is too. This initiative will help us modernize how we work so we can detect issues earlier, respond faster, and serve our community better. It’s about building the infrastructure we need for the future of public health and a thriving community.”

The CDC Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization leveraging private and public funds to support the work of public health agencies nationwide. Through partnerships like WAI, the Foundation helps communities build modern tools to improve health protection and emergency response.

For more information about WAI visit cdcfoundation.org/programs/workforceacceleration.

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