Governor Cuomo Announces Launch of Free Citizen Public Health Training Program to Educate and Empower New Yorkers as Public Health Leaders

In Partnership with Cornell University, Free Online Training in Public Health Preparedness for New Yorkers to Build a Network of Public Health Leaders Across the State

Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the launch of a free, online Citizen Public Health Training Course for New Yorkers to learn about preparedness for and prevention of public health emergencies from top public health experts. This innovative course, delivered by the New York State Department of Health in partnership with Cornell University and supported by the State University of New York, will prepare and equip New Yorkers to become NYS Citizen Public Health Leaders and build an informed network of community health leaders across the state. Participants will learn about COVID-19, public health emergency preparedness and response, and other public health issues, while gaining insight into information and resources that will benefit their communities. More information on the Citizen Public Health Training Program, including how to register to become a NYS Citizen Public Health Leader, is available here.

The following video is of the Governor speaking of this subject during today’s press conference.

Governor Cuomo:

We are launching a first of its kind in the nation. New York State Citizen Public Health Training Program. What this is, is a state of the art public health training program for citizens so they are informed, they are educated, and they are trained for the next one -for the end of COVID and for the next one, whatever that may be. And the time to get that education and training is now.

Cornell University has developed a curriculum for citizens to be trained about public health emergencies. It is an eight-session, 16-hour curriculum – eight hours of what they call self-paced content. You can go online and do it at your leisure, your pace, eight hours of interactive sessions where you hear Cornell professors, SUNY professors, national experts, giving you the most recent up to date best information to educate yourself. The curriculum, and Cornell has done a fantastic job, talks about COVID-19, preventing COVID-19, but remember COVID-19 is the third coronavirus we face. SARS, MERS, COVID, all coronaviruses, all believed to come from bats, all believed to come from wet markets in China, and all similar. So COVID, but not just COVID, COVID and being prepared for the next one, health literacy, health priorities, public health for community resilience, public health preparedness, health impacts of emergency events. It will educate you so that you can protect yourself, your family, your community.

Part of the course there will be exams, they have a nice award for exams, I forget what it is, assessments, if you pass the assessment you will get a certified training program completion from Cornell and from the Department of Health that says you have been trained as a citizen public health leader.

In the event of another health care emergency this would be a body of people who could volunteer to help in their community. I believe we will ultimately attract thousands of people to do this because first, why wouldn’t you want to inform yourself after the hell we just went through, and they would then be across the state and available as a possible volunteer army.