Local Health Department Research

NACCHO regularly collects data to gain a better understanding of the local public health infrastructure and practice. Our research and evaluation studies provide the most up-to-date information on local health departments in the United States. 

Profile report cover

Research

National Profile of Local Health Departments

The Profile study represents the largest, most reliable data source on local health departments.

Research

National Profile of Local Health Departments

Research

Forces of Change

The Forces of Change assesses the impact of a variety of public health trends affecting change in local health departments.

Research

Forces of Change

Peer Reviewed

  • Not only how much but how: The importance of diversifying funding streams in a reimagined public health system (Health Aff)
  • Contemporary public health finance: Varied definitions, patterns, and implications (Annu Rev Public Health)
  • The state of rural public health (AJPH)

Research

2022 National Profile of LHDs Study Report

This chartbook provides a compendium of national results from the 2022 Profile study, which describes LHD infrastructure and practice.

Research

2022 National Profile of LHDs Study Report

Research

The Local Public Health Landscape during COVID-19

This infographic features data from the 2022 Profile study and 2020 Forces of Change survey on LHD capacity throughout the pandemic.

Research

The Local Public Health Landscape during COVID-19

Research

2020 Forces of Change Survey Report

This chartbook has national data on the mid-pandemic capacity of LHDs, including harassment of leaders, response capabilities, and recovery efforts.

Research

2020 Forces of Change Survey Report

Peer Reviewed

  • Local public health under threat: Harassment faced by local health department leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic (Public Health Pract)
  • A qualitative analysis of public health officials' experience in California during COVID-19: Priorities and recommendations (Front Public Health, Kudos)
  • The role of harassment of local public health professionals in mental or emotional well-being and intentions to leave an organization during the COVID-19 pandemic (JPHMP, Kudos)

Invited Papers and Other Publications

  • Highlighting harassment of public health workers: How the system failed them in the face of the pandemic (NACCHO Exchange)

Research

2022 National Profile of LHDs Study Report

This chartbook provides a compendium of national results from the 2022 Profile study, which describes LHD infrastructure and practice.

Research

2022 National Profile of LHDs Study Report

Public Health Infrastructure

Getting to the Good Place

This infographic highlights the strengths and gaps the 79 LHD respondents reported in the 2022 Local Public Health Ethics Capacity Assessment survey.

Public Health Infrastructure

Getting to the Good Place

Public Health Infrastructure

New LHO Training Needs Assessment Report

This report shares findings about the content areas and learning formats most effective for new LHOs' skills development.

Public Health Infrastructure

New LHO Training Needs Assessment Report

Public Health Infrastructure

Adaptive Leadership Evaluation Report

This report shares key findings from a five-year retrospective evaluation of NACCHO's Adaptive Leadership program.

Public Health Infrastructure

Adaptive Leadership Evaluation Report

Research

2017 Forces of Change Survey Report

This report shares national data and findings about Zika response activities, multi-sectoral partnerships, and workforce recruitment efforts.

Research

2017 Forces of Change Survey Report

Research

Leadership Characteristics by LHD Size and Rurality

This infographic describes 2016 Profile study data on the demographic characteristics of top executives among small, medium, and large LHDs.

Research

Leadership Characteristics by LHD Size and Rurality

Peer Reviewed

  • Strategic and performance planning in U.S. local health departments: A comparative analysis of strategic, community health improvement, and quality improvement plans (JPHMP)
  • Unleashing leadership potential in unprecedented times: Lessons learned from an evaluation of a virtual cohort-based adaptive leadership program for public health executives (Public Health Pract)
  • Public health readiness for citizen science: Health department experiences (JPHMP)
  • Practices among local public health agencies to support evidence-based decision making: A qualitative study (JPHMP)
  • How to "start small and just keep moving forward": Mixed methods results from a stepped-wedge trial to support evidence-based processes in local health departments (Front Public Health)
  • Application for public health accreditation among US local health departments in 2013 to 2019: Impact of service and activity mix (AJPH)
  • Regional training needs assessment: A first look at high-priority training needs across the United States by region (JPHMP)
  • Perspectives on program mis-implementation among U.S. local public health departments (BMC Health Serv Res)

Invited Papers and Other Publications

  • Lawyer up to level up: Engaging legal counsel to bolster public health (NACCHO Voice)

Public Health Infrastructure

2024 Informatics Profile Study Report

This chartbook provides a compendium of results from a 2024 survey of LHD infrastructure and activities related to informatics.

Public Health Infrastructure

2024 Informatics Profile Study Report

Research

2023 Forces of Change Survey Report

This chartbook has national data about community health workers, social determinants of health, violence prevention, and data modernization.

Research

2023 Forces of Change Survey Report

Research

2022 National Profile of LHDs Study Report

This chartbook provides a compendium of national results from the 2022 Profile study, which describes LHD infrastructure and practice.

Research

2022 National Profile of LHDs Study Report

Invited Papers and Other Publications

  • Modernizing public health: Insights into local health departments' data and informatics efforts (NACCHO Voice)
  • Opportunities to support secondary data access needs among local health departments (JPHMP, JPHMP Direct)
  • Heterogeneity and interoperability in local public health information systems (JPHMP)

Research

National Profile of Local Health Departments

The Profile study represents the largest, most reliable data source on local health departments.

Research

National Profile of Local Health Departments

Public Health Preparedness

Preparedness Profile

This national survey gathers information about preparedness trends and issues at LHDs to inform priorities at the local, state, and national levels.

Public Health Preparedness

Preparedness Profile

Public Health Preparedness

Network Profile of the Medical Reserve Corps

This report presents the newest data on Medical Reserve Corps unit funding, partnerships, composition, activities, and capabilities.

Public Health Preparedness

Network Profile of the Medical Reserve Corps

Invited Papers and Other Publications

  • An overview of local health departments' and Medical Reserve Corps' preparedness and response activities during the COVID-19 pandemic: A two-study summary (JPHMP)
  • Lessons learned from local health departments: Updating preparedness plans to address people experiencing homelessness during WASH-related emergencies (JPHMP)
  • Interruptions in routine blood pressure screening services among local health departments during the COVID-19 pandemic (JPHMP, Kudos)
  • Untapped potential: Local health departments’ involvement in behavioral health preparedness planning and recovery through a population behavioral health framework (JPHMP)
  • Local health department capacity to prepare for and respond to public health threats (NACCHO Research Brief)
  • One local health department’s approach to health equity during COVID-19 response (NACCHO Exchange)
  • Prioritization of public health emergency preparedness funding among local health departments preceding the COVID-19 pandemic (JPHMP, Kudos)

Research

2022 National Profile of LHDs Study Report

This chartbook provides a compendium of national results from the 2022 Profile study, which describes LHD infrastructure and practice.

Research

2022 National Profile of LHDs Study Report

Public Health Infrastructure

Resilience Catalysts in Public Health Infographic

This infographic describes the key findings from the national evaluation of the Resilience Catalysts in Public Health program.

Public Health Infrastructure

Resilience Catalysts in Public Health Infographic

Public Health Preparedness

2022 Preparedness Profile Study Report

This report provides a compendium of results from the 2022 Preparedness Profile study, which describes public health preparedness capacity.

Public Health Preparedness

2022 Preparedness Profile Study Report

Community Health

Health Equity Integration in Overdose Prevention Report

This report summarizes existing barriers and facilitators agencies face advancing health equity in their overdose prevention or response efforts.

Community Health

Health Equity Integration in Overdose Prevention Report

Research

2020 Forces of Change Survey Report

This chartbook has national data on the mid-pandemic capacity of LHDs, including harassment of leaders, response capabilities, and recovery efforts.

Research

2020 Forces of Change Survey Report

Community Health

2018 Health and Disability Assessment Report

This report shares findings from an assessment about the practices, awareness, and inclusion of people with disabilities within LHD programs.

Community Health

2018 Health and Disability Assessment Report

Peer Reviewed

  • A scoping review of health equity interventions in governmental public health (JPHMP)

Invited Papers and Other Publications

  • Faces of local public health: Insights across local health department staff data on race, ethnicity, and gender (JPHMP)
    Opportunities for systemic change: How local health departments are advancing health equity through GIS (PDF)
  • The future of public health data: Prioritizing equity in evaluation (NACCHO Exchange)
    One local health department’s approach to health equity during COVID-19 response (NACCHO Exchange)

Community Health

2023 Immunization Profile Study Report

This chartbook provides a compendium of results from a 2023 survey of LHD infrastructure and activities to address vaccine preventable diseases.

Community Health

2023 Immunization Profile Study Report

Community Health

Boosting Community Immunity

This infographic highlights findings from the 2023 Immunization Profile Study of LHD immunization program activities, challenges, and priorities.

Community Health

Boosting Community Immunity

Research

2023 Forces of Change Survey Report

This chartbook has national data about community health workers, social determinants of health, violence prevention, and data modernization.

Research

2023 Forces of Change Survey Report

Research

2020 Forces of Change Survey Report

This chartbook has national data on the mid-pandemic capacity of LHDs, including harassment of leaders, response capabilities, and recovery efforts.

Research

2020 Forces of Change Survey Report

Community Health

2019 HAI and AR Assessment Findings

This infographic describing the landscape of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) and antibiotic resistance (AR) activities conducted by LHDs.

Community Health

2019 HAI and AR Assessment Findings

Public Health Preparedness

The Role of LHDs in Pandemic Response

This infographic illustrates the capacity of LHDs to respond to a pandemic like COVID-19 using data from the Profile and Preparedness Profile studies.

Public Health Preparedness

The Role of LHDs in Pandemic Response

Peer Reviewed

  • Routine pharyngeal gonorrhea test-of-cure: Is it an effective gonorrhea control strategy? (Sex Transm Dis)
  • An emergent network for the diffusion of innovations among local health departments at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (Prev Chronic Dis)

Invited Papers and Other Publications

  • State of the field: Local health department engagement in health care-associated infection and antibiotic resistance work (JPHMP)
  • Lessons in infection control: The role of local health departments in prevention, preparedness, and response (JPHMP)

Community Health

Addressing the Intersection of Suicide, Overdose, and ACEs

This interactive visualization describes LHD capacities to address suicide, overdose, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Community Health

Addressing the Intersection of Suicide, Overdose, and ACEs

Community Health

2021 Overdose Prevention and Response Survey Report

This report summarizes data from a 2021 assessment about LHDs' capacity and activities to prevent and respond to the overdose epidemic.

Community Health

2021 Overdose Prevention and Response Survey Report

Research

2018 Forces of Change Survey Report

This chartbook has national data on overdose prevention, population health, flu preparedness, informatics, and environmental health activities.

Research

2018 Forces of Change Survey Report

Peer Reviewed

  • Persistence of stigma and the cessation of substance use: Comparing stigma domains between those who currently use and those no longer using substances (Front Psychiatry)
  • Disruptions to U.S. local public health’s role in population-based substance use prevention and response during COVID-19 (Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy, Kudos)

Invited Papers and Other Publications

  • New pathways to prevention: Expanding harm reduction's reach through smoking supplies (JPHMP Direct)
  • The power of local health departments in addressing the overdose crisis (NACCHO Voice)

Environmental Health

2023 Are We Ready Survey Report

This report highlights findings from a 2023 survey about LHD capacity and activities to address climate change.

Environmental Health

2023 Are We Ready Survey Report

Environmental Health

RPS Mentorship Retrospective Evaluation

This fact sheet describes a 10-year retrospective evaluation of our Retail Food Program Standards (RPS) Mentorship program.

Environmental Health

RPS Mentorship Retrospective Evaluation

Environmental Health

All the Buzz about Local Vector Control Programs

This infographic highlights data from the 2020 assessment about vector surveillance and control capacity at the local level.

Environmental Health

All the Buzz about Local Vector Control Programs

Peer Reviewed

  • Evaluating the impact of Food and Drug Administration-funded cooperative agreement programs on conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (JEH)

Research

2023 Forces of Change Survey Report

This chartbook has national data about community health workers, social determinants of health, violence prevention, and data modernization.

Research

2023 Forces of Change Survey Report

Community Health

The State of Local Family Healthy Weight Programs

This infographic summarizes a 2023 assessment of LHD capacity to implement lifestyle management services, such as family healthy weight programs.

Community Health

The State of Local Family Healthy Weight Programs

Community Health

Physical Activity Programs and Policies Survey Report

This report describes the facilitators, challenges, lessons learned and resource needs of LHDs that are engaged in promoting physical activity.

Community Health

Physical Activity Programs and Policies Survey Report

Community Health

COVID-19 Impact on Pregnant and Postpartum Consumers Report

This report describes the impacts of COVID-19 on reproductive health decision-making and mental health during pregnancy.

Community Health

COVID-19 Impact on Pregnant and Postpartum Consumers Report

Community Health

Tobacco Control Efforts in Rural America Report

This report highlights findings from a 2019 environmental scan of tobacco prevention and control activities among LHDs in rural communities.

Community Health

Tobacco Control Efforts in Rural America Report

Research

2017 Forces of Change Survey Report

This report shares national data and findings about Zika response activities, multi-sectoral partnerships, and workforce recruitment efforts.

Research

2017 Forces of Change Survey Report

Invited Papers and Other Publications

  • NACCHO survey reveals key role of local health departments in violence prevention efforts (NACCHO Exchange)
  • Collaborating for community care: Insights from NACCHO research on how community health workers and local health departments can work together (NACCHO Voice)

For more information about our various research projects, please reach out to our Research and Evaluation team at [email protected].

Public Health Programs

Aaron Alford

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Public Health Programs

Timothy McCall

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Public Health Programs

Debra Dekker

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Public Health Programs

Kellie Hall

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Public Health Programs

Krishna Patel

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Public Health Programs

Daniel Pagan

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Public Health Programs

Margaret Cunningham

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Public Health Programs

Janet Brown

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Public Health Programs

Lisseth Guerra

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Public Health Programs

Gwen Davis

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Public Health Programs

Chloe Garofalini

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