Day three of the 2025 NACCHO360 conference opened with remarks from Dr. Mandy Cohen, former director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Cohen began by acknowledging the times we are in now and reminding those attending that “we are built for crisis. We didn’t go into this work because it’s easy.”

She shared three takeaways and focus areas with attendees:

1. Working and acting as one team. She encouraged attendees to “step forward and support each other in your work across areas.”
2. Prioritization for strategic action and impact. She called on attendees to really think about the things that only public health can do.
3. Continue to make the invisible parts of public health’s work visible. She noted that this includes making sure people know what you are prioritizing and helping to make the connection between the funding and the work.

The discussion then moved to the plenary’s main topic, “Shining Spotlight: The Superpowers of AI and Automation.”

Terence McKittrick, Senior Vice President and Division Leader of Public Health at ICF, set the stage for the conversation. He shared examples of AI in use in public health while acknowledging some of its challenges and the concerns of those in the field. He encouraged attendees to start simple. 

“It’s not a miracle or magic, it’s a tool,” said McKittrick. “It needs human judgement and wise implementation.”

AAron Davis, Director at Wichita State University Community Engagement Institute, echoed that sentiment, encouraging attendees to see AI as a tool to create a more proactive public health. He called out some of the challenges to the use of AI in public health and also the opportunities to begin incorporating it into daily practice.

Eddie Kirkland, Data Scientist at ICF, acknowledged the skepticism some may feel toward AI. He explored the different stages of AI solutions and the opportunity for the technology to create meaningful impact now.

Jonathan Giuffrida, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Metopio, noted that the time is now to talk about how to deploy AI safely, quickly, and effectively. He shared use cases for AI in Community Health Assessments and the CHIP reporting process, sharing that, when properly constructed, an AI model can overcome traditional challenges to its usage. 

Kristin Thorne, Managing Director - Public Sector Health Industry Lead, North America at Accenture, spoke of a tipping point or “binary big bang” of adopting an automated AI-fueled capacity, realizing its benefits, and adopting those capabilities in other ways to make work easier/better. She also noted a need for consistency in the way we deploy and use models.

Additional Highlights from Day Three of NACCHO360

In addition to the keynote session, day three of NACCHO360 included a variety of learning sessions. Conference attendees also took advantage of the opportunity to learn from and interact with posters and their presenters. 

Over an extended lunch hour in the final day of the Exhibit Hall, participants had the opportunity to network with colleagues and connect with over 100 exhibitors showcasing services and products for public health organizations and professionals.

Click here to see photos from the day.