The NACCHO Podcast Series

On this month's podcast, Lauren Soule, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, and Molly Curington, Government Affairs Associate, discuss tips for meeting with federal elected officials during August recess. Lauren and Molly provide step-by-step guidance on how to request an in-district meeting, what to expect on the day of, and how to prepare effective talking points, including NACCHO's ask to co-sponsor the bipartisan Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment reauthorization bills (H.R. 4445 and S. 4283). Resources mentioned are available through NACCHO's Public Health is Local toolkit, and recordings of past Public Health is Local webinars can be found on NACCHO University. Let us know how your meetings went so we can track your great work and follow up with offices if necessary. The Public Health is Local one-pager is also available for you to bring to your meetings. In addition, Amanda Kwong, the Director of Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) at the de Beaumont Foundation, and Robin Mowson, NACCHO Director of Immunization, discuss the practical tools available for public health communicators' use.    

Washington, DC, June 11, 2026 —This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes a brief overview of key public health funding included in the House of Representatives' the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill, which was voted out of the subcommittee, has since passed the full committee on a party line vote, setting it up for a vote on the House floor. The Senate version has yet to be released. Speakers also shared resources related to the ongoing Andes virus and Ebola outbreaks, in addition to a New World screwworm detection.   On June 24, NACCHO will host a webinar, "Engaging Your Members of Congress", where participants will learn how they can educate policymakers on the critical role local health departments play in communities and how recent changes at the federal level have impacted public health across the country.    Later in the program (7:56), Tim Wiedrich, Director of the Health Response and Licensure Section at North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services and guest speaker at the 2026 Preparedness Summit, joined the podcast to discuss the state's model for building and deploying a medical cache, which is available to public health agencies and health care entities across the state during and outside of emergencies. Wiedrich explained that this statewide model ensures that, when a need arises, operations such as logistics, transportation, and supply distribution are already aligned across sectors, aiding in a timely and effective response. He also explained that having uniform protocols across jurisdictions, having access to trained staff, and involving stakeholders in the planning process, including local health department and emergency management, are all necessary steps in building a strong system for stockpile management and distribution.   Read more about North Dakota's approach to strengthening response efforts across the state in a special feature by Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).   ###   About NACCHO The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.

Washington, DC, May 21, 2026 —This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes an update on a series of Congressional hearings where Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testified on the administration's Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) President's Budget Request. The President's budget request outlines the administration's funding priorities and proposed policy changes for the coming fiscal year. While the President's budget is not binding on Congress, it provides an important signal of proposed investments, program eliminations, and structural shifts that could significantly affect public health infrastructure. A full analysis of the administration's FY27 budget request can be reviewed on NACCHO Voice. NACCHO submitted testimony in support of federal public health to the House and Senate, to help inform their work in developing a final FY27 funding law. Updates are also provided on the FY27 Agriculture-FDA spending bill's status, which advanced through the House Appropriations Committee, and would impact key nutrition, tobacco, and regulatory programs.   Later in the program (7:50), Tommy George, Public Health Epidemiology Supervisor at Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) in Nebraska and guest speaker at the 2026 Preparedness Summit, joins the podcast to discuss the department's wastewater monitoring program. Lancaster County has two wastewater treatment facilities, and both sites recover up to 25 million gallons of water per day. Through LLCHD's WastewaterSCAN system, the team can track several potential public health threats including measles, mpox, and a wide range of respiratory viruses. George shared that the department stays actively engaged with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services by making sure collected data is regularly shared and discussed. As a member of NACCHO's Wastewater Monitoring Mentorship Program, George highlighted innovations and challenges in wastewater monitoring shared by mentees and provided recommendations for starting a new program.   ###   About NACCHO The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.

Washington, DC, April 30, 2026 —This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes an update on the Fiscal Year 2027 President's Budget Request to Congress, and what that proposal would mean for public health funding. While the President's Budget Request is a set of non-binding recommendations that Congress may consider, the releasee of the Request initiates the congressional budget process. Visit NACCHO Voice to read a full analysis. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (12:38), Sara Barra, Director of the Office of Preparedness and Response at the Maryland Department of Health (MDOH) and guest speaker at the 2026 Preparedness Summit, joins the podcast to discuss how the agency prioritizes preparedness efforts across Maryland, emphasizing why sustaining strong multi-sector partnerships is critical to help communities prepare for, withstand, and recover from public health emergencies. MDOH currently has 35 team members in the preparedness office, and each of the state's 24 local health departments operate with preparedness programs. Barra explains that Maryland's preparedness and response systems relies on strategic coordination and regular meetings with several local partners including public health agencies, emergency medical services, hospitals, community providers, specialty care, and law enforcement. She also describes advances and barriers with data sharing, key lessons learned in preparedness planning, and the importance of the Governor's Declaration of Preparedness. ###   About NACCHO The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.

On this week's NACCHO Podcast Series episode, Ian Goldstein talks with NACCHO Chief of Programs and Services Dr. Oscar Alleyne about his time in the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Emergency Operations Center. They also discuss the vital role of local health departments in the COVID-19 response. Later in the program, Ian chats with the Commissioner for Public Health for the Commonwealth of Kentucky Dr. Steven J. Stack and Public Health Director for WEDCO District Health Department, KY Dr. Crystal Miller. They discuss the Kentucky response to COVID-19 at the State and local levels, including how local health departments are working with State partners to track the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In this week's episode of Podcast from Washington, Government Affairs team members Ian Goldstein and Eli Briggs discuss the recent outbreak of Novel Coronavirus from China. They also cover this year's NACCHO 360 conference in Denver, July 7–9, and the CDC's rollout of the Active People, Health Nation Initiative, designed to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. Later in the program, Emily Yox, NACCHO's program analyst for global health, sits down with America Bracho, MD, MPH, of Latino Health Access, and Ginger Lee of Long Beach Department of Health & Human Services. America discusses how she formed Latino Health Access in 1993 as one of the first place-based interventions in the United States. This program uses Promotores or community health workers, to help improve health outcomes among Latinos in Santa Ana. As the program began to grow, America partnered with Ginger and the local health department on a number of initiatives, and they continue to see improvements in areas such as diabetes, mental health, and nutrition.