Commission approves $1.04M contract with University of Memphis for public‑health data and workforce project

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners on second reading approved a contract not to exceed $1,043,560 with the University of Memphis to support a CDC-funded project to strengthen county public-health data systems and workforce capacity. The grant-funded work runs from Dec. 1, 2024, through Nov. 30, 2025, and the Health Department said the contract will fund data analytics, infrastructure work and workforce development including summer cohorts for high‑school students.

Courtney Tipper, the health department’s chief of staff, told the commission the project has three parts: recruiting and training staff, building internal workforce credentials and developing a public-facing data pilot focused on HIV services. "This grant is actually in year 3," Tipper said, explaining that the University of Memphis has led curriculum development and is finalizing a test pilot that will be reviewed by county leadership before public release.

Commissioners asked how the program would reach schools across Shelby County and whether employees at satellite clinics had access to training; Tipper said the county will provide a list of participating schools and names of staff who completed certifications before the end of the week. The item passed on a recorded vote of 12 ayes to 0 noes on second reading and was advanced to the final stages for implementation.

The contract authorizes the county to pilot a platform modeled on a New York program to help residents find HIV‑related services, and county officials said the pilot will be evaluated locally before any public launch.