Podcast From Washington: Update on H5N1 and Local Health Department Pilot Program Addresses Substance Use Disorders in Pregnancy
Release Date: 05/17/2024
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: The Government Reopens and NACCHO CEO Celebrates Local Public Health Professionals, Discusses the Future of the Field
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_outline
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: Update on the Government Shutdown and How NACCHO Research Helps Advance the Work of Local Health Departments
The 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_outline
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: Federal Funding Updates and a Call for Abstracts for the 2026 Preparedness Summit
The 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_outline
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: The CDC Foundation Launches a New Resource to Prevent Overdoses
The 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_outline
NACCHO’s Podcast From Washington: A Discussion with NACCHO’s New Board President, Damōn Chaplin
The 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_outline
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: Outgoing NACCHO Board President Dr. Michael Kilkenny Reflects on Leadership and Importance of Unity and Empathy in Public Health
The 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_outline
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: New Digital Resource Hub Supports Local Health Departments with Resources to Foster Partnerships and Stay Informed
The 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_outline
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: Update on Department of Health and Human Services Recent Reorganization and How Dallas County Health and Human Services is Responding to the HIV Epidemic in Texas
The 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_outline
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: How Lubbock Public Health is Responding to the Measles Outbreak in Texas
The 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_outline
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: New Online Dashboard Offers Interactive Way to Explore Local Health Department Infrastructure and Activities
The 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_outlineWashington, DC, May 17, 2024 — On this month’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Adriane Casalotti, Chief of Government and Public Affairs, and Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs discussed the current status of the H5N1 avian “bird” flu outbreak in dairy cattle and the situation on coordinating a federal-level response, from making personal protective equipment (PPE) readily available to testing livestock and farmworkers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that local health departments connect individuals to testing if they observe an increase in sick animals and farmworkers, utilize CDC communication resources, and ensure that farms and farmworkers have access to PPE.
Later in the program (13:24), Elana Filipos, Program Analyst on the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health team at NACCHO, and Mary “Maret” Wachira, Health Educator Consultant and IBCLC at the Florida Department of Health in Citrus County (DOH-Citrus), discussed how DOH-Citrus initiated a pilot program to provide prenatal care and treatment for pregnant people with substance use disorders (SUDs). Drug overdose deaths in pregnant and postpartum women increased significantly between early 2018 to late 2021, according to a recent study by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health. However, pregnant people seeking support for an SUD during the perinatal period may face stigmatizing barriers to care that prevent them from accessing medical treatment and behavioral interventions. To address this growing public health concern, DOH-Citrus implemented a holistic prenatal care service model that incorporates Medication for Opioid Use Disorder services and mental health counseling during routine prenatal care appointments to improve outcomes for pregnant people and infants in their community.
Learn more about the Citrus County program via a journal article published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal, titled “Addressing Perinatal Opioid Use at a Local Health Department in Florida.”
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.