The NACCHO Podcast Series

NACCHO

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Podcast Series features in-depth interviews with top public health officials.

  1. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Update on FY27 Labor-HHS Bill and North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services' Collaborative Stockpiling System

    Jun 11

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Update on FY27 Labor-HHS Bill and North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services' Collaborative Stockpiling System

    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.

    26 min
  2. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Update on FY27 HHS Budget Hearings and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department's Wastewater Monitoring Program

    May 21

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Update on FY27 HHS Budget Hearings and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department's Wastewater Monitoring Program

    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.

    28 min

  3. Apr 30

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: What's in the President's FY27 Budget Request and How Local Partnerships are Key to Maryland's Strong Emergency Response and Preparedness Efforts

    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.

    30 min
  4. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: NACCHO's Local Public Health on the Hill Update and How Durham County Department of Public Health is Addressing Food Insecurity for Local Families

    Mar 20

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: NACCHO's Local Public Health on the Hill Update and How Durham County Department of Public Health is Addressing Food Insecurity for Local Families

    Washington, DC, March 20, 2026 —This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes an update on NACCHO's Local Public Health on the Hill event, where more than 100 public health professionals from across the country traveled to Washington, DC to meet with their federal elected officials. Participants shared the importance of federal investments in local public health to help communities prepare for emergencies, prevent disease, and improve health outcomes. You can see visuals from the day here. Now that FY 2026 funding is law, NACCHO is focused on securing FY 2027 funding, including through a new action alert for members to engage. New advocacy training modules are now available on NACCHO University and include Engaging with Policy Change, Federal Legislative Process, and Federal Budget and Appropriations. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (6:05), Kelly Warnock, Nutrition Program Manager at Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH) in North Carolina, joins the podcast to discuss how the department works to address food insecurity and the lack of nutritious food options for families with children in Durham County.  For nearly a decade, Durham County has identified food access as a public health priority, with more than 1 in 6 families with children experiencing food insecurity. DCoDPH has focused on forming strategic community partnerships to increase education and access to nutrient-dense foods throughout the county. Some of these partnerships include working with early education and childcare centers to improve nutritional programs for underserved families with children under 5, the Durham Public School System to teach nutrition and cooking lessons to more than 30,000 students, and farmers' markets to increase access to healthier food options by implementing a SNAP benefits incentive program called, "Double Bucks."   ###   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.

    28 min
  5. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Federal Funding Updates and a New Resource on Communicating with Policymakers About Public Health

    Feb 17

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Federal Funding Updates and a New Resource on Communicating with Policymakers About Public Health

    Washington, DC, February 17, 2026 —This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes an update on full year Fiscal Year 2026 funding for public health programs that became law earlier this month, including discussion of funding levels and other provisions that could help provide stability to the public health field.  NACCHO's analysis of the new law, can be found here: NACCHO Voice. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (6:28), Nalini Padmanabhan, Communications Director at de Beaumont Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss the Foundation's new resource titled, "Communicating about Public Health with Policymakers." The toolkit is designed to support public health professionals in their conversations with local elected officials and policymakers to help elevate the work of local health departments, emphasize the impact of community engagement, and raise important issues affecting public health outcomes.

    16 min
  6. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Dr. Michael Kilkenny of Cabell-Huntington Health Department Discusses Local Preparedness Work and Leading Public Health Through Change

    Jan 16

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Dr. Michael Kilkenny of Cabell-Huntington Health Department Discusses Local Preparedness Work and Leading Public Health Through Change

    Washington, DC, January 16, 2026 —This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes discussion of significant changes to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule, announced on January 5 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NACCHO issued a joint statement opposed to the change, and published an analysis about what this means for local public health practice. The episode also includes updates on the Rural Health Transformation Program and the status of FY26 federal funding negotiations. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (6:00), Dr. Michael Kilkenny, NACCHO Immediate Past President and Chief Executive Officer and Health Officer for Cabell-Huntington Health Department, discusses how his department is navigating the many changes occurring in public health and offers advice to public health leaders on how to thrive in 2026. Dr. Kilkenny shared that, despite losing funding for their syringe services program in 2025, Cabell-Huntington Health Department remains committed in providing overdose prevention services.   As the 2026 Preparedness Summit approaches in April, Dr. Kilkenny emphasized that emergency preparedness and response start at the local level. At the Cabell-Huntington Health Department, officials are focusing on recruitment and capacity building within their Medical Reserve Corps and are excited to bring responders and community leaders together to discuss efforts to address key public health concerns.   ###   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.

    16 min
  7. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: New Research Examines Burnout and Workforce Challenges Facing Local Health Professionals

    12/12/2025

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: New Research Examines Burnout and Workforce Challenges Facing Local Health Professionals

    Washington, DC, December 12, 2025 —This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes discussion of NACCHO's positions on recent actions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including  changes to CDC's vaccine and autism webpage and the impact of CDC's vaccine advisory panel vote to change its hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for newborns. It also includes an update of efforts to fully fund the federal government FY26, as the Senate is expected to consider a package of additional spending bills that would support important public health programs. Ask your congressional representative to support funding for federal health agencies in the Senate Labor-HHS bill. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (7:10), experts discuss a new journal article titled, Burnout, Belonging, and Mental Well-Being: Predictors of Turnover Intent Among Local Public Health Professionals, published by NACCHO. The article examines how burnout, belonging, and mental well-being can influence turnover and disrupt program services at local health departments, ultimately having direct implications on community health outcomes. NACCHO researchers also offer recommendations to sustain workforce capacity.   In addition, NACCHO published a separate journal article titled, Local Health Department Governance Classifications: Are They Even Important?

    14 min
  8. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: The Government Reopens and NACCHO CEO Celebrates Local Public Health Professionals, Discusses the Future of the Field

    11/20/2025

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: The Government Reopens and NACCHO CEO Celebrates Local Public Health Professionals, Discusses the Future of the Field

    This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) provides an update on the deal to end the government shutdown and what's next for federal public health funding, including the need to approve full-year funding for federal health agencies that assist local health departments through the Labor-HHS appropriations bill. They also discuss NACCHO's recent Congressional briefing that featured a panel of local health officials from cities hosting World Cup matches next year, highlighting the work underway to prepare for a safe and secure event. NACCHO also encourages members to ask their congressional representatives to support funding for federal health agencies in the Senate Labor-HHS bill.   For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (7:07), Lori Tremmel Freeman, Chief Executive Officer at NACCHO, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of local health departments and how the work of public health professionals improves community health across the country, ahead of Public Health Thank You Day (Monday, November 24). She also discusses her recently co-authored journal article titled, Where Do We Go From Here? The Way Forward for State and Local Public Health, which highlights key strategies to help state and local health departments build stronger public health systems moving forward.

    14 min
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4.9
out of 5
19 Ratings

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The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Podcast Series features in-depth interviews with top public health officials.

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