The Influence of the 1988 and 2003 IOM Future of Public Health Reports on the CDC.

This article examines the impact of the 1988 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report *The Future of Public Health* and its 2003 follow-up on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the broader U.S. public health system. The 1988 report identified public health as being in "disarray" and defined three core functions—assessment, policy development, and assurance—leading to efforts to standardize services through the development of the 10 Essential Public Health Services and the establishment of national performance standards and accreditation via the Public Health Accreditation Board. The CDC responded by strengthening public health infrastructure, workforce development, and information systems, including initiatives like the Health Alert Network and the Data Modernization Initiative. Despite progress, challenges remain, such as overcoming programmatic silos and expanding accreditation, to fully realize the reports' vision for a robust, integrated public health system.