Environmental Health

NACCHO’s Environmental Public Health Workgroup engages partners from the local to the federal level to address the environmental health issues facing the world today. The workgroup, which is supported by the Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services branch of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes members from local health departments across the United States. The group works to grow and elevate NACCHO’s environmental health program; focus on continuous quality improvement; and provide effective strategies and tools to address existing and emerging environmental public health issues.

Learn more about NACCHO's Workgroups.

The Greener Side of Local Public Health is NACCHO’s monthly environmental health e-newsletter, featuring news and resources, events and opportunities, funding announcements, and original NACCHO commentary related to environmental health, climate change, and food safety.

Food Safety Leaders' List is NACCHO's monthly food safety e-newsletter, featuring news, policy updates, events, and resources. Subscribers also have the opportunity to provide input to shape policy at local health departments across the nation

Follow the instructions below to subscribe to these and other NACCHO e-newsletters:

1. Log in to MyNACCHO (or create a free account).
2. Go to “My Subscriptions.”
3. Check the box next to any other e-newsletters you wish you receive.
4. Click “Save” at the bottom of the page.

The Essential Elements of Local Public Health provides updates and information from NACCHO’s environmental health and infectious disease portfolios, which include a range of projects that influence policy with federal decision makers and develop practice solutions that help local health departments build safe, sustainable communities. NACCHO supports local health departments in fostering a safe and healthful environment that promotes human health and well-being, in ensuring capacity to respond to and control infectious diseases, and in development of innovative tools and resources. Through advocacy and communications efforts, NACCHO works to ensure that the values and concerns of local health departments are represented within state, local, and federal agencies.

Read the blog.

Throughout NACCHO's outreach to environmental health leaders around the country, we’ve heard that there is a strong desire for a streamlined method to connect, collaborate, and share with peers in their region and similarly organized jurisdictions. This is especially true, given the reality of increasing environmental health related issues, decreasing funding, and a changing public health workforce. Previously, there has been no formal way to make such a connection.

NACCHO is addressing this with our Local Environmental Health Directors & Managers Collaborative. Hosted on NACCHO’s Virtual Communities platform, the Collaborative is designed to foster a dynamic community and serve as a simple forum for sharing and discussing best practices, available resources, and innovative ideas.

You may access the platform at any time using this link: http://virtualcommunities.naccho.org/home

Individuals that already have accounts with naccho.org will not need to register to access the platform. After logging in:

• Click “Communities” tab at the top of the page
• On the drop down, click “My Communities”
• Look for the community “Local Environmental Health Directors/Managers”
• Click on the “How-to-Guide” at the top of the site to get oriented with the platform

NACCHO's guidance for local health departments on environmental health assessments.