Process Mapping for Public Health
Every health department runs on institutional knowledge — the kind that lives in one person's head, accumulated over years. What happens when that person retires, gets promoted, or is out for a month? Process mapping is how you get that knowledge out of people's heads and into something your whole team can see, follow, and improve.
The Full Session
Approximately 45 minutes. Free to watch, no signup required.
Click to watch · Juliana McMillan-Wilhoit & Nebu Kolenchery
Why Process Mapping Matters for Public Health
Health departments are under pressure to do more with less — fewer staff, more reporting requirements, and a wave of new technology to evaluate. Process mapping is the foundation that makes all of it manageable. Before you can improve a workflow, automate a task, or onboard a new hire, you need to be able to see how work actually gets done today.
This training — led by Juliana McMillan-Wilhoit (COO/CPO) and Nebu Kolenchery (CRO) from F&T Labs — walks you through how to build your first process map, why it matters across five core areas, and how to run a mapping session with your team.
Five reasons health departments are mapping their processes:
Process mapping is also the first step toward AI readiness. You can't automate what you haven't documented. When a health department maps a workflow — step by step, decision by decision — they're building exactly the kind of structured understanding that AI tools need to be useful. No process map, no meaningful automation.
You'll build a process map from scratch in the training (yes, starting with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich), and walk away with three things written down: a process, a person, and a date to get started.
Workload reduction achieved in Sauk County, Wisconsin — after mapping a workflow and leveraging the PH360 AI assistant to address the challenges they identified.
Download the Resources
Process Mapping Guide
A comprehensive reference covering everything in the training: vocabulary, notation, facilitation tips, and a step-by-step walkthrough for mapping your first process.
Download PDFProcess Mapping Template
A ready-to-use PowerPoint template with pre-built shapes and swim lanes. Bring it to your next team meeting and start mapping right away.
Download PowerPointPresentation Slides
The presentation slides from the process mapping training session. Download for reference or to share with your team.
Download Presentation Slides
Funding Acknowledgment
This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant. 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.
