Data Analyst

Empowering veterans through connection and community. By Tanha Patel, MPH | July 27, 2026 In June 2026, the Veteran Suicide Prevention Evaluation Capacity Building (VSPE) Program hosted a partner convening in Atlanta, GA. The meeting provided a rare opportunity to bring together funders, subject matter experts and Veteran Serving Organizations (VSOs) at all stages of experience with the project to discuss building the evidence base for upstream veteran suicide prevention. After serving its country through active duty, its nation's veterans can face complex challenges as they transition from military to civilian life. VSOs play a critical role in helping veterans make that transition, providing essential programs and services and offering support with employment, housing, education, life skills, mental health and community connection. Such support can help build protective factors against suicide risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Suicide Prevention Resource for Action. Since 2018, the VSPE program has helped over 24 VSOs build internal skills, systems and confidence to evaluate their suicide prevention programs. At the June convening, VSOs shared their stories: from building their first data collection systems, to better communicating how their programs are contributing to reduced veteran suicides, to building evidence for the field and securing additional funding to sustain suicide prevention programs. "The Veteran Suicide Prevention Evaluation Program has really helped us refine how we serve veterans, improving and saving their lives, and helped us increase our capacity to serve them," said Kaitlin Cashwell, director of development for America's Warrior Partnership, a VSPE partner since 2018. Participants shared that while building evidence for this work is important, so too is effectively communicating how these programs reduce veteran suicide risk and build protective factors like cultivating human connection and reducing loneliness. "The VSPE program has given us the tools, the framework and the language to really prove that that is the experience [service members and veterans] are having," said Dr. Trina Clayeux, CEO of Give an Hour, a VSPE partner since 2024. None of CDC Foundation can do this work alone. The future of upstream suicide prevention depends on strong partnerships, a common commitment to strategic action and the investments VSOs need to prevent veteran suicide. The CDC Foundation is thrilled to support that work through the VSPE program in partnership with CDC and Safe States Alliance. This program is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) via multiple financial assistance awards totaling $2,940,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government. Tanha Patel, MPH, is a senior technical advisor for the programs and innovation office at the CDC Foundation. Panel discussion at the VSPE partner meeting featuring (L-R) Lesley Krien, advancement officer at the CDC Foundation; Kaitlin Cashwell, director of development at America's Warrior Partnership; and Dr. Trina Clayeux, CEO at Give an Hour. This visual by ImageThink illustrates how the VSPE program advances community-based suicide prevention through partnership, learning and action.

Racing against the clock: three steps to improving outbreak response. By Lawrence Hinkle and Kathleen Jacobson | May 4, 2026 When a disease outbreak occurs, every minute matters. The faster health officials can detect a potential threat, notify the right authorities and launch a coordinated, effective response, the better the chances of containing it before it spreads. To help countries respond more rapidly to emerging health threats, the CDC Foundation has been working with Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on an approach known as the 7-1-7 framework. Developed by RTSL, the 7-1-7 framework is designed to improve outbreak response through three clear performance targets: detecting the threat within seven days, notifying the appropriate health authority within one day and completing a set of early response steps within seven days. More than simply a set of targets, the 7-1-7 framework gives response teams a structured way to look at their own outbreak data, identify where delays are happening and develop concrete plans to address them. Currently adopted by more than 30 countries around the world and with over 50 countries in the planning stages of adoption, the 7-1-7 framework drew the attention of Mozambique's Ministry of Health and National Institute of Health after recent outbreaks of cholera, Mpox and measles highlighted the urgency of this type of approach. "The longer it takes to detect and respond to an outbreak, the faster it spreads," said Lawrence Hinkle, a CDC Foundation consultant helping to train health professionals in Mozambique on the 7-1-7 framework. "In Mozambique, and in so many other countries adopting and implementing 7-1-7 to improve timeliness in detection, notification and response, we will hopefully be better equipped to stop outbreaks as they emerge." Since January 2026, national, provincial and district level staff in Mozambique have been training on how to use the 7-1-7 framework to improve outbreak detection, notification and response. Each session combines instruction with hands-on exercises, providing teams the chance to perform a 7-1-7 analysis using real outbreak data, followed by facilitated discussions to help participants identify bottlenecks and prioritize immediate and longer-term actions. "I'm learning a lot, and the exercises are helping to improve my training," said John João Anselmo, head of epidemiological surveillance for a district in the country's Tete Province. "This has been one of the best trainings I've had." As Mozambique continues to face a range of public health challenges, embedding the 7-1-7 framework is a key step in improving the country's capacity to prevent outbreaks from spreading. Extending to every level of the country's public health network, the framework will help Mozambique's public health workers more quickly detect the next outbreak, notify authorities and launch a response - ultimately saving lives. Lawrence Hinkle is a consultant with the CDC Foundation working on the 7-1-7 framework in Mozambique. Kathleen Jacobson is associate director for programs at the CDC Foundation. These steps demonstrate how the 7-1-7 target can be used for a single outbreak to how 7-1-7 findings across multiple outbreaks can be used for planning and financing.

A healthy start: The NEST Initiative. By David Snyder | May 1, 2026 The first weeks at home are some of the most important for a child's development, and among the most challenging for parents. To support families in the first weeks after birth, the CDC Foundation has partnered with the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) NEST Initiative. Through this initiative, launched as a pilot in 2023, families receive a carefully assembled kit that includes childbirth recovery and infant supplies such as postpartum pads, diapers and wipes, ensuring parents receive the necessary supplies to help them care for their newborn with confidence. The NEST Initiative prioritizes support for communities with the greatest need. Distributed to new families, NEST Kits are designed to help reduce emotional and financial stress during these first weeks of a new family's life. The initiative has already supported thousands of families during their earliest weeks at home. Early evaluations show meaningful impact, reducing financial and emotional stress for parents and strengthening trust in the systems working to support them. In 2026, the CDC Foundation is partnering with HHS to leverage the momentum created by the NEST Act, amplifying ongoing national efforts to improve access to essential newborn and postpartum supplies. With support from donors and partners, the CDC Foundation is working to expand efforts to help reach even more families. Through tiered gift levels, supporters can provide a range of essentials to provide care items for moms and their new babies. * $25 - Helps provide postpartum care essentials. * $50 - Helps provide essential care supplies for a newborn. * $100 - Helps provide essential care supplies for both a newborn and a mom. * $200 - Helps expand the reach of the NEST Initiative. If you are interested in discussing partnership opportunities related to this initiative, please reach out to CDC Foundation at [email protected]. This work aligns with broader efforts led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to expand access to kits through the Newborn Essentials Support Toolkits (NEST) Initiative. No funds are exchanged between the CDC Foundation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support these activities and any funds raised by the CDC Foundation are managed independently and do not constitute endorsement by HHS. David Snyder is the content director for the CDC Foundation.