Local Health IT Is No Longer “Behind the Scenes” — It’s Mission Critical

For years, local health IT teams were often viewed as the people quietly keeping systems running in the background.

That’s no longer the reality.

Today, technology sits at the center of nearly every major function inside a local health department — from disease surveillance and emergency response to communications, reporting, cybersecurity, workforce coordination, and public trust.

And as expectations around modernization, interoperability, cybersecurity, accessibility, and AI continue to grow, many local health departments are being asked to move faster than ever with limited staff, tight budgets, and rapidly changing guidance.

That’s exactly why conversations happening inside the Local Health IT (LHIT) Community of Practice feel especially important right now.

Across the country, local health departments are navigating major questions at the same time:

• How do we responsibly use AI without creating unnecessary risk?
• How do we modernize systems while maintaining daily operations?
• How do we improve accessibility and public trust in digital services?
• How do we prepare for growing cybersecurity threats targeting public health?
• And perhaps most importantly — how do we do all of this sustainably?

These aren’t abstract technology conversations anymore. They are operational leadership conversations.

1. AI Governance Is Quickly Moving From “Interesting” to “Urgent”

One of the biggest themes emerging across local public health right now is AI governance.

A recent article from Government Technology highlighted the newly released national AI framework and what it could mean for state and local agencies. The framework encourages innovation and workforce development while leaving many implementation decisions to local organizations.

In practice, that means many local health departments are now trying to build the plane while flying it.

Some agencies are experimenting with AI tools for drafting communications, summarizing reports, translation support, meeting notes, or research assistance. Others are still evaluating whether they should allow AI use at all. Most are somewhere in between — cautiously exploring while trying to establish reasonable guardrails.

What we’re seeing across LHIT conversations is encouraging:

• Departments beginning to create practical AI governance frameworks
• Growing emphasis on transparency, documentation, and human review
• More collaboration between IT, communications, legal, leadership, and program teams
• Recognition that “doing nothing” may eventually create its own operational risks

For local health directors, this matters because AI governance is rapidly becoming both a technology issue and a leadership issue.

The organizations that start small, create flexible guidance, and build internal literacy now will likely be far better positioned than those forced to react later under pressure.

2. The PHIN Systems Transition Is a Reminder of How Interconnected Public Health Infrastructure Has Become

Another important discussion happening right now involves CDC’s planned transition away from several PHIN systems, including PHIN MS.

For many local health departments, these systems have quietly supported critical workflows for years. As transitions move forward, departments are beginning to ask important operational questions:

• What systems will replace current workflows?
• What support will departments receive?
• How much migration work will fall on local teams?
• And how can departments prepare early before timelines accelerate?

These transitions are also a reminder that public health infrastructure decisions are no longer isolated technical projects. Changes to reporting systems, data exchange processes, or communications platforms can directly impact staffing, emergency response, reporting timelines, and community services.

That’s one reason why peer collaboration spaces like LHIT have become increasingly valuable. Many departments are trying to solve similar problems simultaneously — often with limited internal capacity to evaluate every change alone.

3. Accessibility Is About More Than Compliance

The expected one-year delay to updated ADA digital accessibility requirements may provide some breathing room for organizations working through compliance timelines.

But accessibility remains one of the most important — and often overlooked — public trust issues facing local health departments today.

When websites, forms, PDFs, or public communications are difficult to navigate, community members can struggle to access critical health information and services. During emergencies, those barriers become even more significant.

For local health leaders, accessibility work is ultimately about equal access to public health itself.

The additional time creates an opportunity for departments to move thoughtfully instead of reactively:

• Audit websites and PDFs now
• Build accessibility into modernization projects early
• Improve digital services before compliance deadlines force rushed changes
• Treat accessibility as part of community engagement and trust-building efforts

Departments that prioritize usability and accessibility today are also strengthening long-term resilience for the future.

Local Health IT Teams Are Carrying More Than Ever

One thing that continues to stand out in LHIT conversations is just how much responsibility local health IT teams are now carrying.

And increasingly, the success of public health modernization efforts depends on whether local health departments are given the time, collaboration, leadership support, and resources needed to do it well.

That’s why spaces like the LHIT Community of Practice continue to matter — not just as networking groups, but as places where local public health professionals can share lessons learned, compare approaches, and support each other through a rapidly evolving landscape.

The next LHIT Community of Practice meeting will take place Monday, June 15, at 1:00 PM ET and will focus on AI use cases in public health, governance strategies, federal policy developments, and cybersecurity considerations impacting local health departments.

To learn more about the LHIT Community of Practice and to sign up for the meeting, visit the NACCHO LHIT webpage.