The NACCHO Podcast Series

NACCHO
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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.

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Update on the Government Shutdown and How NACCHO Research Helps Advance the Work of Local Health Departments

    10/24/2025

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Update on the Government Shutdown and How NACCHO Research Helps Advance the Work of Local Health Departments

    This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes discussion on the ongoing federal government shutdown, mass layoffs of federal workers, and potential impacts on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs, which could impact local health department services. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (8:15), NACCHO experts discuss how various research studies throughout the year serve as the backbone of what is known about local health departments across the United States. This research is then used in peer-reviewed papers that local health departments can use as resources to strengthen their own planning processes. NACCHO releases seven major national studies, including its two flagship studies, the National Profile of Local Health Departments Study (Profile) and the Forces of Change Survey. Both studies have been conducted for decades, so together they provide a stable, long-term picture and a real-time snapshot of what's changing in local public health. This research is instrumental to contributing to the understanding of local health departments and their needs and is valuable in helping local health departments assess the effectiveness of their health strategies and services.   ###   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

  5. 09/26/2025

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Federal Funding Updates and a Call for Abstracts for the 2026 Preparedness Summit

    This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), includes discussion on leadership changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the upcoming federal funding deadline, and the House of Representatives' Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill. This legislation was approved by the full House Appropriations Committee on September 9. Additional details are available in NACCHO's comprehensive analysis of the bill. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (9:06), NACCHO highlights National Preparedness Month and previews the 2026 Preparedness Summit. The Preparedness Summit, the country's first and longest-running national conference on public health preparedness, is now accepting abstracts. The theme for next year's Summit is "Protecting Our Communities: State and Local Preparedness in Action," focusing on the need for increased self-reliance on state and local partnerships amid a changing federal policy and budget landscape. The Summit will be held April 13-16, 2026, in Baltimore, MD, and registration options are available for in-person or virtual attendance. Abstracts are being accepted for both formats. Learn more at www.preparednesssummit.org.    ###    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.

    11 min
  6. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: The CDC Foundation Launches a New Resource to Prevent Overdoses

    08/19/2025

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: The CDC Foundation Launches a New Resource to Prevent Overdoses

    Washington, DC, August 19, 2025 —This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), includes discussion of the tragic shooting that happened at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's main campus in Atlanta, Georgia. Speakers also provide an update on the Senate's Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill, which made it out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 31 with bipartisan support. A comprehensive analysis of the bill was posted on NACCHO's blog published by the NACCHO Government Affairs team. In addition, they describe a recent action alert sent to NACCHO's Congressional Action Network urging Congress to ask the Office of Management and Budget to remove restrictions on using certain FY25 public health funds to support health departments. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (8:51), Sarisa Roe, Research and Evaluation Analyst at the CDC Foundation, discusses the launch of their new resource called Overdose Measures Matter. Operating under the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative, the Overdose Measures Matter project helps local public health and community leaders understand which interventions are the most effective and helps them focus their efforts to reach populations with the highest need. The project aims to reduce overdoses by identifying what's working, assessing programs and outcomes over time, and examining progress across communities.   ###   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.

    17 min
  7. NACCHO's Podcast From Washington: A Discussion with NACCHO's New Board President, Damōn Chaplin

    07/31/2025

    NACCHO's Podcast From Washington: A Discussion with NACCHO's New Board President, Damōn Chaplin

    On this month's podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) speakers talk about the recent budget reconciliation bill, which was signed into law this month, and what it means for local health departments. They also discuss the unique features of a budget reconciliation bill and how that differs from the annual appropriations process in Congress. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (7:23), Commissioner Damōn Chaplin, NACCHO's new Board President and Health Commissioner for the City of Minneapolis Health Department, discusses how he plans to work with the board to better position NACCHO and local health departments as essential partners in improving the health of people living in American communities. He describes his focus on NACCHO becoming a stronger strategic partner for local health departments by aligning its priorities with long-term challenges facing public health including environmental threats, chronic disease, achieving equitable health outcomes, and emergency preparedness. He explains that the board is made up of leaders with direct, first-hand experience in public health, uniquely positioning them to support local health departments as they navigate pressing challenges from recent funding cuts to a shifting political landscape. Finally, he encourages public health officials to continue moving the field forward by building stronger partnerships and amplifying more community stories.

    18 min
  8. NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Outgoing NACCHO Board President Dr. Michael Kilkenny Reflects on Leadership and Importance of Unity and Empathy in Public Health

    06/16/2025

    NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Outgoing NACCHO Board President Dr. Michael Kilkenny Reflects on Leadership and Importance of Unity and Empathy in Public Health

    Washington, DC, June 16, 2025 — On this month's podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) speakers discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) President's Budget Request to Congress, including the Administration's vision for a new department entitled the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). For more details and updates on the impact of the President's budget request on local public health, please visit our blog. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.   Later in the program (8:44), Dr. Michael Kilkenny, NACCHO Board President and Chief Executive Officer and Health Officer for Cabell-Huntington Health Department, reflects on his tenure as Board President and offers guidance on shaping the future of public health as he prepares to transition to the Immediate Past President role at the end of this month.   Dr. Kilkenny credits the dedication of the board of directors and staff for contributing to key successes during his tenure, including the largest attendance at NACCHO360 and the Preparedness Summit, strong participation within NACCHO workgroups, and the board staying committed and even more united during challenging times. Dr. Kilkenny calls for local health departments to maintain their unity of purpose and continue leading with empathy and love.     ###   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
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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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