Online Public Health Hub for Credentialing and Workforce Development
Designing MyPH Path to demystify credentialing, reduce barriers, and strengthen the public health workforce through accessible pathways to CPS, CHES, and CPH certification.
Client Overview
A new national initiative designed to strengthen and sustain the public health workforce by supporting professionals and emerging practitioners in obtaining and maintaining nationally recognized credentials.
The initiative focuses on building clear, accessible pathways to certification for individuals across diverse roles, career stages, and communities.
Challenge
Public health credentialing is essential for workforce development, professional credibility, and systems capacity, yet many individuals face barriers to pursuing and maintaining certification.
Key challenges included:
Complex Credentialing Pathways
Certification processes for CPS, CHES, and CPH are often perceived as confusing, time-intensive, and difficult to navigate without guidance.
Access and Equity Barriers
Cost, limited institutional support, and lack of mentorship disproportionately affect early-career professionals and those from underrepresented communities.
Maintenance Burden
Even after earning credentials, professionals struggle to track continuing education requirements, deadlines, and renewal processes.
Workforce Pipeline Gaps
Students and career-changers often lack clear information on how credentials align with career pathways and workforce opportunities in public health.
These barriers contribute to credential attrition, underutilization of certification opportunities, and workforce instability at a time of growing public health demand.
Our Approach
Nine Alpha designed and created MyPH Path, a centralized platform and support model that simplifies credentialing and strengthens the public health workforce.
1. Credential Navigation & Guidance
9α developed clear, user-centered pathways to support individuals pursuing:
- Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS)
- Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES)
- Certified in Public Health (CPH)
The platform provides step-by-step guidance on eligibility, application requirements, exam preparation, and renewal processes.
2. Credential Maintenance & Continuing Education Support
MyPH Path helps credentialed professionals sustain their certifications by:
- Curating relevant continuing education opportunities aligned with CPS, CHES, and CPH requirements
- Supporting tracking of CE credits, renewal cycles, and documentation needs
- Reducing administrative burden through clear organization and reminders
3. Workforce Development & Career Pathways
9α aligned credentialing pathways with real-world public health roles by:
- Connecting certifications to career trajectories across prevention, health education, epidemiology, and systems change
- Supporting students, early-career professionals, and career-shifters in identifying appropriate credentials
- Framing credentialing as part of long-term professional growth rather than a one-time milestone
4. Equity-Centered Design
MyPH Path was intentionally designed to:
- Reduce information gaps and reliance on informal networks
- Support individuals without access to institutional mentorship
- Promote inclusive, accessible workforce development across communities
Results
The creation of MyPH Path produced meaningful improvements in workforce engagement and credential sustainability:
Increased Credential Access
Users reported improved understanding of certification options, eligibility requirements, and next steps across CPS, CHES, and CPH pathways.
Improved Retention & Maintenance
Credentialed professionals benefited from clearer guidance and support for continuing education and renewal, reducing lapse risk.
Strengthened Workforce Pipeline
Students and early-career professionals gained clearer visibility into how credentials connect to public health careers and advancement opportunities.
Scalable Infrastructure
MyPH Path established a repeatable, adaptable model that can expand to additional credentials and workforce initiatives over time.
Impact
MyPH Path strengthens the public health workforce by:
Demystifying credentialing and reducing barriers to entry and maintenance.
Supporting professional credibility, competency, and career mobility across the public health workforce.
Advancing equity in workforce development and access to certification.
Creating a sustainable, scalable system for public health credential support.
By investing in people, not just programs, MyPH Path helps ensure a prepared, resilient public health workforce equipped to meet current and future challenges.