The panel will explore the strategic advancement of public health informatics in Washington State, and how this effort is supported by the Public Health Informatics Institute (PHII). Two users of the Public Health Informatics Institute (PHII) tool “Building an Informatics-Savvy Health Department” at the state and local health department level, and a representative from PHII will present. The Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) and Whatcom County have used the PHII tool collaboratively and individually to assess informatics capabilities and advance public health informatics state-wide and within their agencies. WA DOH used the PHII tool initially at the state level through a partnership with PHII via support and funding from the National Network for Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) and the CDC. Program area teams within the agency, three local health departments, and two tribal representative organizations were engaged in the initiative. Whatcom County Health Department is one of the local participants. Following the lead set by the state, Whatcom County is working to advance public health informatics at the local level. The third panelist, a representative from PHII, will speak to the development of the tool, how it is used, and what their vision is on a national level.