September has flown by - I can't believe October is upon us next week. And the November conference is quickly approaching! Don't miss out - late registration is open until Oct. 10 so we can prepare our food counts and send things like programs and badges to the printer. Help us help you, register by then!
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I'm very sad to share that Pamela Fahey, Cohasset's health director, recently passed away. The town shared a lovely video tribute noting her "kindness, compassion, and unwavering dedication to the community." Our condolences to her loved ones and colleagues during this difficult time.
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For those of you who enjoy podcasts, I'll highlight a new episode of NACCHO's Podcast from Washington. I find NACCHO's resources, especially those from the government affairs team, very helpful in understanding the federal landscape that impacts public health.
On this month’s
podcast episode, Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs and Lauren Soule, Government Affairs Senior Specialist discuss staff changes at 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 committee on September 9, and a comprehensive analysis of the bill can be found in a
blog published by the NACCHO Government Affairs team. They also discuss National Preparedness Month and the Preparedness Summit.
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I'm repeating the next two items from last week because they bear repeating!
Don't forget to sign up to speak at the SAPHE 2.0 hearings. These are a chance for anyone to share your local public health system ideas, experiences, and vision with DPH. Instructions for participating are here. You may find this SAPHE 2.0 guidance from MAHB helpful in preparing your remarks. Stories from your day to day work are also helpful to share.
Separately, OLRH is seeking feedback to reimagine METRIK following the cuts to its ARPA funding. Share your ideas, needs, or whatever springs to mind here.
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Help us figure out if we need to arrange bus transportation or carpools from the Eastern part of the state to Public Health Excellence Day on Oct. 23 at the Massachusetts State House. Sign up and let us know!
And don't worry, we'll be supporting local public health professionals who attend with talking points, and info on what to expect. This may be new to many of you, and we plan to make educational advocacy as easy as possible for you! This special gathering of legislators, local public health leaders, and partners will celebrate SAPHE 2.0, five years of the PHE program, and strengthen our shared commitment to building a stronger, more connected public health system. If you've never been to the state house for an educational (not lobbying!) event like this, this is your chance!
I'm grateful to the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance who is leading this event with support from the Coalition for Local Public Health.
Register here ASAP so we can plan.
Enjoy the weekend!
Teresa Wood Kett, executive director
