About Us
Indiana Mid-America Public Health Training Center (IN MAPTHC) is dedicated to the improvement of public health practices for the health, safety, and welfare of Hoosiers.  As a collaborative, multi-disciplinary organization, MAPHTC promotes, supports, and delivers public health education to improve the skills and abilities of Indiana’s public health professionals

In 1999, IN MAPHTC was created as a collaborative effort of the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Public Health, the Indiana State Department of Health and a cadre of community partners that continue to serve on the Center’s multidisciplinary, multi-agency Advisory Board.   The Training Center’s intent is to improve the quality and effectiveness of public health practice through the linkage of academic research and practice community.

The Advisory Board represents 21 different public health agencies from both academia and practice providing guidance and oversight through access to working public health and health care professionals with broad-based expertise and skills. 

What We Do
IN MAPHTC offers a variety of educational opportunities, including:

·        Online courses
·        On-site sessions
·        Resource connections
·        Multi-media productions

As a result of our unique academic/practice partnerships, IN MAPHTC has twice (1999 & 2003) been the recipient of the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice Award for “successful community-based collaborative activities between public health practice agencies and academic institutions of higher learning.”  IN MAPHTC also fulfills the requirements for workforce education and linkage to the practice community set forth by the Council on Education for Public Health for accredited Public Health academic programs.

IN MAPHTC offers continuing education through various modalities that are competency and research based, practical, and relevant.  Educational opportunities encompass a broad range of public health issues, from basic public health science to emergency preparedness training.  In 2000, the Center became affiliated with the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.  This affiliation provided IN MAPHTC with the distinction of being affiliated with one of 14 HRSA public health training centers located across the country.  To date, IN MAPHTC has served over 4,000 professionals in 91 of 92 Indiana counties. 

Map of Public Health Training Centers



Public Health Training Centers were responsible for training 283,639 public health workers through the fiscal year 2004 and 93,278 in the most recent year. These totals represent public health workers from over 17 different public health disciplines. Of the public health workers trained, 54% were from Public health departments; 43% from other health and related settings; and 3% from Community-based public health organizations.

Public Health
The fundamental obligation of agencies responsible for population-based health is to:

·        Prevent epidemics and the spread of disease
·        Protect against environmental hazards
·        Prevent injuries
·        Promote and encourage healthy behaviors and mental health
·        Response to disasters and assist communities in recovery
·        Ensure the quality and accessibility of health services (Harrell and Baker)