03/05/2026

Open Letter to Local Health Official Members from the NACCHO Board of Directors

Dear Colleagues in Local Public Health,

As we close out a year marked by unprecedented challenges and rapid change, the NACCHO Board of Directors wishes to address every local health department with a message of unity, clarity, and action.

At the NACCHO Board Strategic Retreat on December 4–5, 2025, in Atlanta, we came together to focus on a single, urgent priority: how local governmental public health can sustain essential services and pursue opportunities to thrive amid extraordinary threats and rapid change. Our purpose was to build shared understanding and shape practical guidance that supports you, the frontline stewards of community health, in the months ahead.

Our recent strategic retreat, on the heels of a new set of overall NACCHO strategic priorities defined this past year, combined with ongoing dialogues with the CDC, HHS, state and local health departments, national, regional, and community partners have reinforced the urgent need for local public health to adapt, lead, and thrive in the face of uncertainty.

Our Commitment: Clarity, partnership, and action in the face of the reality we are navigating—together

We recognize that the landscape of public health is shifting. Federal funding is less predictable, the authority of traditional institutions is being questioned, and communities are looking to us for guidance and stability. Yet the Board’s stance is unequivocally positive: we will approach this moment with clarity, cohesion, and practical support designed to help you lead with confidence. In response, the NACCHO Board is committed to supporting ALL 3,300 local health departments across diverse sizes, authorities and capacities across the country in the following ways in the coming year:

Delivering Clear, Actionable Information
Our goal is to position NACCHO as a trusted, reliable, practical source of information on or about local governmental public health.

Strengthening Partnerships and Representation
We will accelerate engagement with key partners, including with elected officials and
with health care organizations,to ensure local public health voices are present in national and state-level decision spaces.

Supporting Workforce and Talent Pipelines
Recognizing the critical importance of workforce development, we will
collaborate with partners to expand the pipeline for public health professionals.

Elevating Local Realities and Stories
We will work to ensure that the lived experiences, innovations,
and challenges of local health departments are visible at the national level.

Providing Ongoing Support and Feedback Channels
We are committed to creating spaces for feedback, peer exchange, and collaborative problem-solving.
Your insights will shape our advocacy, resource development, and strategic direction.

What Your LHD Can Do Now
Below is a concise, action-oriented menu you can adapt to local context.
It reflects ideas you and your peers have surfaced and that the Board is elevating for immediate use.

Communicate your unique value—plainly.

• Use precise, jargon-free language; pair stories with local data and ROI; articulate “what happens if we go away.”
• Identify and cultivate outside champions—your “fan club”—who can speak credibly for public health in civic, business, and media spaces.

Convene partners on common ground.

• Start with CHA/CHIP priorities; invite hospitals, CBOs, chambers, elected/appointed officials, EMS/law enforcement, and school districts.
• Map partners systematically (local–regional–state–national) and build alliances—including with non-traditional messengers—to counter negative narratives.

Diversify and stabilize funding.

• Explore billing for eligible services, philanthropic partnerships, special contracts, and FQHC/“look-alike” opportunities (including understanding 340B).
• Use business planning and performance metrics to demonstrate impact and value to payors and policymakers.
   

Strengthen business intelligence and QI.

• Evaluate service portfolios; focus resources where impact will be greatest; reduce waste while maintaining equity.
• Document outcomes, social return, and taxpayer value to inform local decision-making.
   

Invest in workforce and resilience.

• Recruit and develop the 21st-century public health workforce; build capacity for diplomacy, adaptive leadership, and change management.

Looking Ahead

The coming year will require resilience, adaptability, and collective action, whether that means stabilizing core services, sustaining workforce capacity or pursuing new opportunities. The NACCHO Board stands ready to support you as we navigate these changes together. By focusing on clarity, partnership, and the elevation of local realities, we believe we can not only survive but thrive—and advance the mission of public health for every community.