More than 2,500 local public health professionals and other stakeholders recently attended the 2023 NACCHO360 Conference either in Denver, Colorado or virtually.
This year’s theme, Elevating Public Health Practice for Today and Tomorrow, explored how the local public health workforce and its stakeholders can move forward amid an ongoing crisis while implementing traditional and innovative approaches to protect the health of communities nationwide.
Attendees had the opportunity to participate in sharing sessions, learn from expert-led panels, and discover solutions to public health concerns, all while reconnecting with their peers and enjoying mental health and self-care through special wellness opportunities, like Pet Therapy, Morning Yoga, and Chair Massages.
Click here to view photos from NACCHO360 2023.
NACCHO360 Daily Breakdown
Tuesday - The Future of Public Health: Elevating Successful Local and State Health Department Partnerships
“We must address systemic racism that has contributed to historic inequities. As a nation, we can and must do better and with your help we will do better. Thank you for all you are doing to support a healthy nation for all.” ~ Admiral Rachel L. Levine
“Individuals in Public Health are silent protectors of our communities. Often, this makes it hard to thank you all in person. Your efforts were heroic, your dedication was unquestioned, and I thank you.” ~ Nirav Shah
The conference kicked off with two keynote addresses from, Admiral Rachel L. Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Nirav D. Shah, Principal Deputy Director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Next, Dr. Claude A. Jacob, Public Health Director, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, Texas, led a plenary session highlighting the need for state and local health departments to work together and share effective partnerships and find ways to bring them to scale across the country. Featured speakers included Dr. Steven Stack, Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health; Sara Jo Best, Public Health Director, Lincoln Trail District Health Director, Kentucky; Chelsie Huntley, Community Health Division Director, Minnesota Department of Health; Sarah Reese, Administrator, Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Board/Director, Polk County Public Health, Minnesota
Wednesday - Putting Your Mask on First: Taking Care of Our Workforce Wellbeing
“Today is about our call for service for the public’s health, and why our work is also about taking care of ourselves. Self-care is not a selfish act – It is the way we take care of ourselves in ways that other people cannot. This is our role.” ~ Tyler Norris
Following remarks from NACCHO’s 2023-2024 President, Pramod Dwivedi, Tyler Norris, Co-Chair, CEO Alliance for Mental Health, Visiting Scholar, Federal Reserve Bank of NY, led a plenary session exploring the impact COVID-19 has had on the public health workforce mental wellbeing and discussed strategies for coping, recovering, and building strength within the workforce as we move forward collectively. Featured speakers included Dr. Faisal Khan, Director of Public Health, Seattle and King County, Washington; Dr. Gregory Branch, Health Officer and Director, Baltimore County Department of Health; Chris Paquet, Assistant Commissioner, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Healthcare and Community Readiness; Kali Patterson, Senior Researcher, California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.
Thursday - Unstoppable Momentum: Advancing the Data Revolution Through Challenges
“Data modernization impacts large, medium, and small local health departments, and partnerships are a part of the key for our success. We have to keep making the point that data modernization must be top down, but also bottom up.” ~ Phillip Huang
Phillip Huang, Director, Dallas County Health and Human Services, led the final plenary session of the conference, focused on insights from industry leaders who explored a future where data becomes a transformative force in public health. Rachel Abbey, Deputy Director, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC); Charlie Bryan, Business Systems Analyst, Lawrence-Douglass County Health Department, Kansas; Golareh Agha, Chief of Informatics, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District; Jim Kucik, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology; Douglas Glenn, Informatics Project Manager, Adams County Health Department, Colorado.
Congratulations to Our Award Winners
NACCHO announced multiple award winners at Wednesday’s Public Health Appreciation Reception during NACCHO360. Congratulations to all the honorees!
Dr. Jody Hershey, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., received NACCHO’s highest honor, the 2023 Maurice “Mo” Mullet Lifetime of Service Award.
Jonathan Hanft, Ryan White Program Manager for the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department, was named the 2023 Advocate of the Year.
Congressman Jason Crow was named the inaugural recipient of NACCHO’s National Champion of Local Governmental Public Health Award.
This year, 23 outstanding local health department programs have been recognized as Model Practices, and 30 programs have been recognized as Promising Practices.
Access Conference Content on Demand and Your Certificate of Attendance
Registered conference attendees have full access to plenary and town hall recordings, sharing sessions, workshops, the exhibit hall, and other conference offerings for up to 90 days through our virtual conference platform.
Certificates of attendance will be distributed via email within two weeks following the end of the conference.
Weren’t able to attend this year? You can still purchase a Virtual Registration to access content for up to 90 days after the conference!
Save the date for next year’s NACCHO360, being held July 23-26 in Detroit, Michigan.
