About FIHI

The Florida Institute for Health Innovation (FIHI) believes that today’s health challenges require a new way of working based on shared leadership; aligning root causes and strategy and measurable results. We believe that innovative collaborations produce innovative solutions for healthier communities. A nonprofit public health institute, FIHI facilitates data-driven, results-based collaborative action; conducts community-focused research and evaluation, and provides impartial analysis of policy health impacts.

The Florida Institute for Health Innovation (FIHI), formerly known as the Florida Public Health Institute, is one of several sister public health institutes throughout the United States. FIHI is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that improves community health through innovation and collaborative change.

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About Public Health Institutes

Public Health Institutes (PHIs) are non-profit organizations that build healthy communities by promoting and facilitating innovation, collaboration and resource-sharing. PHIs work with a broad-base of stakeholders including health care, government, academia, business and communities. As a PHI, FIHI provides expertise in the following areas:

  • Data-driven, results-based strategic planning
  • Collaboration for collective impact
  • Policy analysis of health impacts
  • Rapid-cycle research and evaluation
  • Training and technical assistance
  • Conferences and summits
  • Community-based health initiatives
  • Health effects of climate change

FIHI’s History

Founded in 2001 as the Miami Dade County Public Health Institute, the Florida Institute for Health Innovation (FIHI) originated with the operational support of the Miami Dade County Health Department (MDCHD). From 2006 – 2007, FIHI reincorporated as the Florida Public Health Institute, moved to Lake Worth, Florida, and was awarded a total of $1.25 million in core funding from the Quantum Foundation and the National Network of Public Health Institutes/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for infrastructure and program development.

Early work included strengthening the health care safety net, community mitigation and preparedness, community health needs assessments, county health rankings, oral health, workforce quantification and from 2010 – 2012, providing information about “health reform.”

Since then, FIHI has evolved from its mostly local focus on Palm Beach County to addressing the needs of the state of Florida and the southeastern region of the United States. The FIHI team has grown from a staff of three to an internal team of six plus an additional group of consultants.

In 2014, we completed a year-long, in-depth rebranding process that included an analysis of staff and stakeholder interviews and group sessions. This process resulted in a new name, mission, logo and three new centers of excellence: Collective Impact for Healthy Communities; Health in All Policies; and Research, Evaluation and Training.

Moving forward, we are working according to our new mission: To create healthy and sustainable communities, the Florida Institute for Health Innovation champions innovative public health policy and cross-sector collaboration.