Podcast From Washington: NACCHO Talks Alarming Rise in Syphilis Cases and Local Health Departments Work to Improve Public Health Infrastructure
Release Date: 11/17/2023
The NACCHO Podcast Series
This month’s podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) provides an update on the deal to end the government shutdown and what’s next for federal public health funding, including the need to approve full-year funding for federal health agencies that assist local health departments through the Labor-HHS appropriations bill. They also discuss NACCHO’s recent Congressional briefing that featured a panel of local health officials from cities hosting World Cup matches next year, highlighting the work underway to prepare for a safe and secure...
info_outlineThe NACCHO Podcast Series
This month’s podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes discussion on the ongoing federal government shutdown, mass layoffs of federal workers, and potential impacts on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs, which could impact local health department services. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington newsletter: . Later in the program (8:15), NACCHO experts discuss how various research studies...
info_outlineThe NACCHO Podcast Series
This month’s podcast episode from the (NACCHO), includes discussion on leadership changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the upcoming federal funding deadline, and the House of Representatives’ Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill. This legislation was approved by the full House Appropriations Committee on September 9. Additional details are available in of the bill. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington newsletter: . Later in the program...
info_outlineThe NACCHO Podcast Series
Washington, DC, August 19, 2025 —This month’s from the (NACCHO), includes discussion of the tragic shooting that happened at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s main campus in Atlanta, Georgia. Speakers also provide an update on the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill, which made it out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 31 with bipartisan support. A comprehensive analysis of the bill was posted on published by the NACCHO Government Affairs team. In addition,...
info_outlineThe NACCHO Podcast Series
On this month’s podcast episode, the (NACCHO) speakers talk about the recent budget reconciliation bill, which was signed into law this month, and what it means for local health departments. They also discuss the unique features of a budget reconciliation bill and how that differs from the annual appropriations process in Congress. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington newsletter: . Later in the program (7:23), Commissioner Damōn Chaplin, NACCHO’s new Board President and Health Commissioner for the , discusses how he plans to work with the board to...
info_outlineThe NACCHO Podcast Series
Washington, DC, June 16, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the (NACCHO) speakers discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) President’s Budget Request to Congress, including the Administration’s vision for a new department entitled the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). For more details and updates on the impact of the President’s budget request on local public health, please visit our . For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington newsletter: . Later in the program (8:44), Dr. Michael Kilkenny, NACCHO Board President and Chief Executive Officer...
info_outlineThe NACCHO Podcast Series
Washington, DC, May 16, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the (NACCHO) speakers discuss the "skinny” version of the President’s Budget Request to Congress for FY26, which provides limited details on the Administrations priorities, and the Congressional hearings that followed its release. They also report out on multiple Congressional hearings over the past month related to biomedical research and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reorganization. For more frequent updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: . Later in the...
info_outlineThe NACCHO Podcast Series
Washington, DC, April 25, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the (NACCHO) speakers discuss the recent reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including significant layoffs of staff working on public health programs, as well as the recently leaked funding “passback” document and what this means for public health. They also share an update on a lawsuit filed by some states against HHS on the clawback of billions of dollars of COVID-era supplemental funding. For more frequent updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter:...
info_outlineThe NACCHO Podcast Series
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: How Lubbock Public Health is Responding to the Measles Outbreak in Texas Washington, DC, March 21, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the (NACCHO) discuss last week’s Continuing Resolution that provides funds for the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2025, updates on the budget reconciliation process—including how it could —and updates on the confirmation hearings for HHS agency nominees. Subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: . Later in the program (9:15), Katherine Wells, DrPH,...
info_outlineThe NACCHO Podcast Series
Washington, DC, February 14, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the (NACCHO) discusses the current administration’s executive actions related to public health, shares updates on Fiscal Year 2025 federal funding and the budget reconciliation process, and provides an update on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To get more public health policy updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: . Later in the program (9:06), NACCHO announces the release of the new . The...
info_outlineOn this week's podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials' Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affiars, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provided an update on the new "laddered" Continuing Resolution, which created two funding deadlines in early 2024 and avoided an end-of-year government shutdown. They gave an analysis on the House Labor-HHS bill. Also, Mastroberardino and Van de Vate discussed NACCHO's recent response to an RFI from Senator Bill Cassidy on modernizing the CDC as well as a letter that NACCHO sent to the White House Drug Shortage Task Force urging them to prioritize the Bicillin L-A shortage, which is the only treatement available to pregnant individuals with syphilis.
Later in the program (6:08), NACCHO Senior Program Analyst Bianca Lawrence spoke with Susan Tilgner, Executive Director at Ohio Public Health Partnership, and Belinda Leslie, an Administrator with the Portsmouth City Health Department in Portsmouth, Ohio, who are using performance improvement to build the ability of local health departments to improve the quality of their operations and programming and make sure that they meet national public health standards. Ohio Public Health Partnership has participated in the Statewide Association Performance Improvement Training and Technical Assistance Support Initiative to provide tailored accreditation support to local health departments in Ohio, such as Portsmouth City, through their Accreditation Learning Community. Accreditation, like many performance improvement programs, assist local governmental public health in improving their organizational infrastructure so that they can better support all people in their community to live their healthiest lives. Tilgner and Leslie discuss the unique opportunity provided by the Accreditation Learning Community to develop meaningful performance metrics and network with local health department peers in Ohio to learn best practices for accreditation and performance improvement.