University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

What University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute does

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI) is a non-profit academic research unit within the University of Wisconsin-Madison, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Madison, WI. It operates three core programs: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R), a national data platform covering all U.S. counties with evidence-informed strategies; Evaluation & Engaged Research, which provides professional evaluation and community-engaged research services to partners across sectors; and Workforce Development Pathways, which includes the Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship (a two-year placement program that has placed 123 early-career professionals across 50+ Wisconsin public health agencies since 2004), the Wisconsin Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) training infrastructure, and the Envision Community Health Worker Training and Technical Assistance Center. Supporting resources include the What Works for Health database (400+ evidence-informed strategies), Wisconsin Health Atlas, and Improving Wisconsin's Health database aggregating community health needs assessments statewide.

UWPHI does not sell products or charge fees; all programs, training, and resources are provided free of charge to public health agencies and community partners. The institute operates on grants and contracts from foundations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (primary CHR&R funder since 2005), the Wisconsin Partnership Program (fellowship funder since 2004), and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (HPOP supporter since 2023), as well as federal and state agencies. Its primary customer segments are Wisconsin's 92 local and 12 tribal public health departments, state government agencies, healthcare systems conducting community health needs assessments, early-career public health professionals, and community organizations focused on health equity. The institute also has national reach through the CHR&R program, which received the 2022 APHA Epidemiology Section Public Health Practice Award.

UWPHI recently expanded its scope through launching the Health and Power Organizing Project (HPOP) in 2023, the Narratives for Health initiative in partnership with NACCHO and Health in Partnership, and ongoing tribal health partnerships statewide. Distribution is direct-to-government through training delivery, with the institute's website, email newsletters, and virtual events serving as primary engagement channels. The full-time staff of 56 is supported by faculty appointments within UW-Madison's School of Medicine and Public Health.

Name

University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Legal name

University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Website

https://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute is a non-profit research unit within UW-Madison that provides evidence-informed population health data, databases, training, and workforce development programs, serving Wisconsin's public health agencies, tribal health departments, and community organizations free of charge through foundation-funded initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Research and Training Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (92312), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health Institutes & Programs (EDAHAGAM), County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB), State/Provincial Health Department & Public Health Administration (BPAIABAH)

Keywords

• Population health research
• Public health training
• Health equity programs
• Community health data
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Contracts: Funded through grants, contracts, and partnerships with government agencies, foundations, and healthcare systems to conduct population health research, evaluation, and workforce development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute is a research, training, and technical assistance organization that translates population health research into tools and programs used by public health agencies and communities. It delivers annual county health rankings, evidence-informed strategy databases, workforce fellowship and training programs, and evaluation services aimed at advancing health equity. All programs and resources are offered primarily to Wisconsin governmental public health agencies and community partners at no cost, supported by foundation and government grants.

Product overview

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute operates as a research and training organization offering multiple interconnected programs and resources rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program (CHR&R) for community health data and evidence, Evaluation & Engaged Research services, and Workforce Development Pathways comprising programs like the Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship and Wisconsin's Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG). Supporting resources include databases such as What Works for Health, Wisconsin Health Atlas, and Improving Wisconsin's Health. Training offerings include Health Equity Training Modules, Narratives in Public Health, and Public Health Communications Planning. Learning formats include Wisconsin Discusses sessions, UWPHI Immersions, and PHIG Spotlights. The HPOP initiative focuses on health justice organizing. Together, these programs provide data, evidence-informed strategies, training, and technical assistance to improve population health and advance health equity across Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (CHR&R): Program that translates and communicates complex data and evidence-informed policy into accessible models, reports, and products for understanding community health
• Evaluation and Engaged Research
• Workforce Development Pathways
• Health and Power Organizing Project (HPOP)
• Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship
• Wisconsin's Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG)
• What Works for Health
• Wisconsin Health Atlas
• Improving Wisconsin's Health

Products and services

• County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R) National program that translates and communicates complex population health data and evidence-informed policy into accessible models, reports, and products, providing annual county health rankings covering housing, education, jobs, and access to quality health care for all U.S. counties.
• Evaluation & Engaged Research Professional evaluation and community-engaged research services delivered to multi-sector partners to plan and build more equitable systems, programs, policies, and community conditions.
• Workforce Development Pathways

Quantifiable outcome

• County Health Rankings & Roadmaps provides annual rankings comparing counties on health factors impacting millions of Americans
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wisconsin Department of Health Services (Division of Public Health)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021DPH received grant funding to address gaps in Wisconsin public health infrastructure. UWPHI supports PHIG through training, technical assistance, and workforce development for state and local public health workers.
• Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHAB partners with UWPHI on Foundational Capabilities training, providing guest presenters for educational sessions on FPHS frameworks and accreditation requirements for Wisconsin health departments.
• Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) at UW-MadisonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUWPHI partners with ICEP to offer Nursing and General CEUs for Wisconsin Discusses sessions and other training programs, enabling participants to earn continuing education credits.
• County Health Rankings & RoadmapscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational program administered by UWPHI in collaboration with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, providing annual county health rankings and evidence-based strategies for communities nationwide.
• Narratives for HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, Health in Partnership, and NACCHO to produce narrative resources and training for health equity work.
• Health in PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on narrative-based approaches to public health and health equity transformation.
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization partnering with UWPHI on the Narratives for Health initiative to develop resources for health equity and narrative change.
• Wisconsin Center for Public Health Education Training (WiCPHET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with MATCH to develop three health equity 101 training modules for public health professionals and students seeking an MPH degree.
• Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHAB presenters Reena Chudgar and Naomi Rich provide Foundational Capabilities training through UWPHI Immersions, helping Wisconsin health departments understand FPHS frameworks.
• Wisconsin Commercial Tobacco Prevention and Treatment Program (CTPTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide partner program collaborating on shared leadership communications strategies, narrative-based approaches, and inclusive planning for tobacco prevention across Wisconsin.
• Jump at the Sun ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in addressing tobacco disparities through innovative partnerships and communications, focusing on menthol-flavored commercial tobacco products and community engagement.
• Nicotine Prevention Alliance of Central WisconsinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner collaborating on Unfiltered: Youth Voices Impacted by Nicotine project, producing resources and youth education materials.
• Marathon County Health DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal health department partner in tobacco prevention work and host of Population Health Service Fellows.
• Ho-Chunk Nation Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal health department partner featured in PHIG Spotlights, collaborating on culturally grounded public health approaches and community health initiatives.
• Wisconsin Local Health DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of Wisconsin's local and tribal health departments partnering on workforce development, training, and community health improvement initiatives through PHIG programs.
• Envision Community Health Worker (CHW) Training and Technical Assistance CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide initiative housed under Workforce Development Pathways, providing CHW training and technical assistance to advance health equity in Wisconsin.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• de Beaumont Foundation: Philanthropy focused on strengthening governmental public health workforce and infrastructure — directly comparable mission to UWPHI's Workforce Development Pathways team. Funds tools, training, and partnerships that mirror UWPHI's PHIG and fellowship offerings.
• Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB): Core strategic partner delivering Foundational Capabilities training through UWPHI Immersions. PHAB sets accreditation standards that UWPHI's training programs support, making them tightly coupled complements in the governmental public health workforce ecosystem.
• ASTHO (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials): National membership organization representing state health agencies, including Wisconsin DHS with which UWPHI partners on PHIG. Comparable in serving governmental public health workforce and convening state-level public health capacity-building.
• University of Minnesota School of Public Health: Midwest-based peer academic public health school with state-anchored workforce development programs (e.g., Midwest Center for Life-Long-Learning in Public Health). Closely comparable on regional training/fellowship delivery and state health department partnerships.
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO): National membership organization representing local health departments — UWPHI's primary customer segment. NACCHO and UWPHI co-develop narrative and training resources for local public health practice (e.g., Narratives for Health), making them operationally comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Primary funder of UWPHI's flagship CHR&R program since 2005. Operates broadly as the largest U.S. philanthropy dedicated to health, making it both a strategic partner and a comparable anchor institution shaping population health priorities nationally.
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Top-tier U.S. academic public health school with population health research, training, and evidence synthesis outputs. Comparable mission and operating model (academic unit providing training, research, and tools for public health practice) but at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Center for Population Health: Academic public health research and training center at Harvard. Comparable as a university-based institute conducting population health research and training, though broader in scope (global, clinical, and policy) than UWPHI's Wisconsin-anchored focus.

Regional players

• Wisconsin Partnership Program: Wisconsin-based funder (University of Wisconsin Medical School) that has funded UWPHI's Fellowship Program since 2004. Operates regionally as a comparable state-anchored health philanthropy with overlapping grantees in Wisconsin population health.

Emerging players

• County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (program): UWPHI's own sub-brand that operates as a quasi-independent national platform. Treated as a peer for benchmarking purposes — it shares CHR&R's evidence-informed strategy mission with sister programs at academic public health institutes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-wisconsin-population-health-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute