| **National Center    for     Health Statistics            Division of Data     Services            6525 Belcrest Road     Hyattsville, MD     20782-2003     (301)458-4636      **

 **Initiatives and    Other ActivitiesHome | Search NCHS | Contact us**
Since its inception, the National    Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), has provided leadership and training in the    improvement of health information availability and application. Over the years new public    health initiatives have driven the form of this assistance from the initial focus of vital    statistics improvement to a current emphasis in health services research. Each new public    health need adds new dimensions to the approach NCHS takes to provide assistance. Common    to all of the evolving efforts is the provision of short course training for practicing    public health professionals through the Applied Statistics Training Institute (ASTI).    Begun simultaneously with the beginning of NCHS, ASTI is a collaboration betweeen the    Schools of Public Health, the State and local offices of public health, and NCHS. ASTI    provides basic and advanced training on current statistical topics which are meant to    inform and direct public health practice, primarily for use in State and local settings. 

To be most responsive to its    constituency, ASTI courses are held at sites throughout the country and enables    concentrations of local area practitioners to receive the same training without distant    travel requirements and time away from their regular duties. The ASTI program is a    perennial favorite for this constituency, and requests for instruction are increasing    exponentially as more complex issues occur in public health. 

The ASTI program of the future will    continue to grow to meet the measurement and analytical issues associated with the    changing roles of public health. In the immediate future, new public health roles in    assuring prevention services and care for vulnerable populations are topics for ASTI    focus.

**Information about future ASTI    courses will be released when available. **

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This page last reviewed August 21, 2000

**U.S.    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES****Centers    for Disease Control and Prevention**    National Center for Health Statistics    Division of Data Services     Hyattsville, MD    20782-2003    (301) 458-4636
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