Washington, DC, May 16, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) speakers discuss the "skinny” version of the President’s Budget Request to Congress for FY26, which provides limited details on the Administrations priorities, and the Congressional hearings that followed its release. They also report out on multiple Congressional hearings over the past month related to biomedical research and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reorganization. For more frequent updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.

Later in the program (8:39), NACCHO’s Molly Curington, Government Affairs Associate, and Angie McPherson, Senior Website Specialist, discuss the new NACCHO Resource Hub. The platform offers local health departments an easy way to identify tools and resources they can use to strengthen their work. The Hub also provides an opportunity for local health departments to share updates on their programs and initiatives to foster new partnerships.

To learn more about the NACCHO Resource Hub, visit: www.naccho.org/resource-hub.

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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 25, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) speakers discuss the recent reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including significant layoffs of staff working on public health programs, as well as the recently leaked funding “passback” document and what this means for public health. They also share an update on a lawsuit filed by some states against HHS on the clawback of billions of dollars of COVID-era supplemental funding. For more frequent updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.

Later in the program (7:15), Philip “Phil” Huang, MD, MPH, Director and Health Authority at Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS), and Miranda Grant, a DCHHS Program Manager for the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, join NACCHO to discuss DCHHS’ efforts to prevent, detect, treat, and respond to HIV in Dallas County and the critical role local public health plays in improving health outcomes. 

During the episode, they share the current state of the epidemic in Dallas County, the disproportionate impact on Black and Hispanic communities, the importance of community partnerships in reaching more diverse populations, the promising outlook for a reduction in new cases by 2030, and how fostering community engagement and data-driven planning will help address the epidemic. They highlight their trauma-informed learning collaborative, a county-wide initiative to help reduce workforce burnout and address stigma surrounding HIV. Dallas County has also seen a significant increase in PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) usage with up to 8,000 residents on PrEP in 2023 versus 300 people in 2014. However, without sustainable investments in HIV prevention, Dallas County faces a growing crisis in its communities and an economic strain – each HIV case prevented saves an estimated $420,000 in lifetime costs. Sign up for NACCHO’s HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis, and Harm Reduction Digest.

NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: How Lubbock Public Health is Responding to the Measles Outbreak in Texas

Washington, DC, March 21, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) discuss last week’s Continuing Resolution that provides funds for the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2025, updates on the budget reconciliation process—including how it could potentially impact Medicaid—and updates on the confirmation hearings for HHS agency nominees. Subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.

Later in the program (9:15), Katherine Wells, DrPH, Director of Lubbock Public Health in Texas, joins NACCHO to discuss the recent measles outbreak in the United States and initiatives they have implemented to slow the spread in Texas. As of March 20, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a total of 378 measles cases in 18 different jurisdictions, surpassing the total number of measles cases in the  United States in 2024. As of March 21, 2025, Texas reported a total of 309 confirmed measles cases, with 40 hospitalizations. For recent updates on the measles outbreak and to view helpful resources, visit: NACCHO’s Blog: 2025 Measles Outbreaks.

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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, February 14, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) discusses the current administration’s executive actions related to public health, shares updates on Fiscal Year 2025 federal funding and the budget reconciliation process, and provides an update on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To get more public health policy updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news. 

Later in the program (9:06), NACCHO announces the release of the new Profile Study Dashboard. The interactive dashboard offers nationwide data about the country’s local health departments’ infrastructure and activities. The data presented is collected from NACCHO’s national profile study, the largest and most comprehensive data source on local health department funding, staffing, and partnerships. Users can explore key features like data stories and shareable content to enhance communication efforts and promote public health action.

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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, January 30, 2025 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, and Government Affairs Senior Specialist, Lauren Soule discuss updates on the 119th Congress and committee leadership, FY25 funding, Senate confirmation hearings, and new Presidential executive orders related to public health activities. To get more public health policy updates and to subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news. Contact us at [email protected]. 

Later in the program (8:35), Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst for Environmental Health at NACCHO, concludes the five-part Food Safety series by reviewing the resources and programs shared by previous guests and highlighting NACCHO projects that support local food safety. Nicholas discusses how initiatives like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards, the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model, Retail Program Standards Networks, Oral Learner Train the Trainer Program, and the Council to Improve Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response provide local health departments with the tools to create a safer food system and have a voice in national food safety conversations. 

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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, December 12, 2024 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, welcomes Kevin Sumner, Health Officer and Director at Middle-Brook Regional Health Commission in New Jersey to discuss his experience with advocacy on behalf of local public health. He is a former President of NACCHO’s Board of Directors and has worked for over 35 years in varying capacities including as an environmental health specialist, health educator, and health officer. He is also a former President of the New Jersey Health Officers Association and created the Public Health Associations Collaborative Effort. To get more public health policy updates and to subscribe to NACCHO’s weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.

Later in the program (21:35), Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst for Environmental Health at NACCHO, is joined by Traci Stevens, Environmental Health Specialist at Richmond County Health Department in North Carolina. In this fourth installment of NACCHO’s five-part Food Safety podcast series, they discuss how Richmond County Health Department ensures their retail food safety programs are sustainable. The programs were recently awarded the 2024 Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award for their excellence in food safety practices at the local level.

Washington, DC, November 21, 2024 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, and Lauren Soule, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, discuss the results of the 2024 presidential election, share NACCHO’s recommendations for the next administration and 119th Congress, and provide an update on the ongoing federal FY25 budget negotiations. To get more updates and to subscribe to NACCHO’s weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.

Later in the program (7:23), Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst on NACCHO’s Food Safety Team, is joined by Melissa Ham, who served as a senior consultant with Wake County Environmental Services in North Carolina. In this third installment of NACCHO’s five-part Food Safety podcast series, they discuss efforts to address foodborne illnesses through retail food programs and how the work from the Retail Program Standards Network in North Carolina, a network of local health departments in partnership with the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has impacted retail food safety work on the local level.

Note: Since the time of the interview, Melissa Ham has moved to a new role as Registered Environmental Health Specialist for Hoke County Environmental Health.

Washington, DC, October 17, 2024 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, and Lauren Soule, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provide insights into federal funding now that Congress is out of session until after the election. They also discuss a recent Coalition to Stop Flu congressional briefing featuring NACCHO member Dr. Dianna Abney, Health Officer at the Charles County Health Department in Maryland, a 30th anniversary of the Vaccines for Children Program event featuring NACCHO’s Board President Dr. Michael Kilkenny, and an open letter from NACCHO CEO Lori Tremmel Freeman to local health departments impacted by the recent hurricanes. For more updates and to subscribe to NACCHO’s weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.

Later in the program (5:03), in this second installment of a five-part Food Safety series, Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst on NACCHO’s Food Safety Team, is joined by Lane Drager, Consumer Protection Program Coordinator at Boulder County Public Health in Boulder County, Colorado. Boulder County has served for several years as a mentor for NACCHO’s Food Safety Mentorship Program under the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model, NACCHO’s Food Safety Workgroup, and with the Council to Improve Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response.  In their conversation, Drager discusses Boulder County Environmental Health Division’s oral learner train the trainer program that provides essential food safety training to retail food service staff, regardless of their spoken language. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, retail food establishments experienced a significant labor shortage that led to burnout and high turnover. The labor shortage forced establishments to hire staff inexperienced in food handling and in recent years, it has been critical for local health departments to update their education and training programs to teach proper food handling practices and information on food safety to a wider audience. Drager also shared the improvements in Boulder County’s food safety management systems that can help inform other local health departments in their food safety work.

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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, September 19, 2024 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provide an outlook for federal funding this fall, as the deadline approaches. They also discuss the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing titled, “Investing in a Healthier America: Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment. For more updates and to subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.

Later in the program (7:08), Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst on NACCHO’s Food Safety Team, is joined by Amanda Anderson, Consumer Health and Food Safety Manager at the Pima County Health Department in Arizona — and a member of the 2024 Cohort of NACCHO’s Food Safety Mentorship Program under the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model Grant Program. In this pilot episode of a five-part Food Safety series, Anderson shares how Pima County’s processes for monitoring and responding to foodborne illness outbreaks has significantly improved due to their work on Standard 5 of the FDA’s Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards and with the Council to Improve Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response. The discussion is focused around improving and utilizing a data-driven foodborne illness tracking program that has made major impacts in Pima County’s efforts to respond to outbreaks.

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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, September 12, 2024 — On this special podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, welcomes special guest Eric McNulty, Associate Director of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University, for a bonus episode on best practices to implement for effective preparedness work on the local level. September is National Preparedness Month, and every year NACCHO reinforces the importance of preparing for emergencies and disasters in order to keep families and communities safe.

During this episode, McNulty shares key approaches that public health officials can apply to build trust in their communities, which is essential in any crisis. As McNulty describes, public health officials can position themselves as a trusted voice by engaging in day-to-day conversations with their communities, lead through complexities by identifying the disconnect in a crisis, and make it a daily practice to strengthen communications outreach plans that are relatable and easy to grasp. It is also important to prioritize a crisis recovery plan when preparing for the next public health emergency. Early next year, NACCHO will convene at the 2025 Preparedness Summit, which aims to explore this topic further through the theme of “Pathways to Recovery in the Aftermath of Disasters.” For more information on how to obtain a media pass for the 2025 Preparedness Summit please contact [email protected] – limited passes are available.

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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.