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Summary of FY26 LHHS Bill: January 2026 Summary of FY26 LHHS Bill: January 2026 Learn about the recently released FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies appropriations bill and its impact on public health funding. On Jan. 20, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives released the text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which includes the FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. This bill represents a bipartisan negotiation between Congress and provides funding for the remainder of FY26. Overall, the bipartisan bill provides $116.6 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, the bill extends funding for several public health programs. Importantly, this bipartisan bill rejects the Administration’s proposal to significantly cut public health funding and restructure departments within public health agencies. The legislative text did not include concrete funding charts comparing FY25 to FY26. ASTHO based our preliminary analysis on FY24 operating budgets for federal public agencies. The legislation includes report language on grants administration, summarized below: Grant Management — Grant terminations can significantly and negatively impact the implementation of programs funded in this Act, as they are intended to be implemented by this agreement. HHS is directed to consult with the Committees prior to terminating grants. The agreement includes a provision requiring notification to the Committees no less than three days prior to announcing or providing notice of a grant termination. Payment Management System (PMS) — The agreement directs HHS to provide advance notification to the Committees prior to implementing any restrictions that would delay the disbursement of funds to grantees through PMS. The agreement further directs HHS to ensure that disbursements are processed within five business days, except under extraordinary circumstances. For any delays more than five business days, HHS is directed to brief the Committee on the circumstances justifying such delays. Additionally, as it relates to staffing and restructuring, this provision is included in legislative text: The Department of Health and Human Services shall support staffing levels necessary to fulfill its statutory responsibilities including carrying out programs, projects, and activities funded in this title of this Act in a timely manner: Provided, that the Secretary shall submit a detailed plan and justification to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and make publicly available to allow for an independent review not less than 60 days prior to initiating the execution of any reorganization moving functions, pursuant to any authorities otherwise provided, carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to another component of the Department of Health and Human Services, relative to how such functions are funded in this Act. Outlook Given bipartisan negotiations, ASTHO’s Government Affairs team is optimistic that this bill will be approved by Congress and subsequently signed into law by President Trump shortly thereafter, avoiding a partial government shutdown. Resources Bill Text Legislative Summaries (Majority and Minority) Joint Explanatory Statement Key Public Health Funding Proposal Highlights ASTHO member priorities saw level funding or increases in the bill: $360 million, an increase of $10 million, for public health infrastructure and capacity nationwide. $185 million, an increase of $10 million, for public health data modernization. $735 million, or level funding, for the CDC Public Health Preparedness Cooperative Agreements. $307.1 million for the ASPR Hospital Preparedness Program. This includes $240 million, or level funding, for formula grants. $160 million, or level funding, for the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant. The bill eliminates funding for CDC's social determinants of health programs. CDC The bill includes $9.2 billion for CDC, which is relatively level funding. This funding includes: $360 million, a $10 million increase, for public health infrastructure and capacity. $185 million, a $10 million increase, to modernize public health data surveillance and analytics at CDC and state and local health departments. $681.9 million for the Section 317 Immunization Program. Potential elimination of the acute flaccid myelitis program. $1.4 billion, a decrease of $7 million, for HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis prevention. Viral hepatitis received $46 million, a $3 million increase over FY25. Sexually transmitted infections received $164 million, a $10 million decrease from FY25. $781 million, a $21 million increase, for emerging and zoonotic infectious diseases. $1.4 billion, a $1 million decrease, for chronic disease prevention and health promotion. This includes $246.5 million, or level funding, for tobacco prevention and control. $205.1 million, a $1 million decrease, for birth defects and developmental disabilities. $767.5 million, a $13 million increase, for Public Health Scientific Services. $242.9 million, level funding, for environmental health programs. $761.4 million, level funding, for injury prevention and control. $692.8 million, or level funding, for global health. $913.2 million, a $25 million decrease for public health preparedness and response. $735 million, level funding, for public health emergency preparedness cooperative agreement. $30 million, or $25 million decrease, for Ready Response Enterprise Data Integration Platform/Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics. It is unclear from the bill text what exactly is decreased. ASTHO will inquire with CDC to find out additional information. $25 million for the Infectious Disease Rapid Response Reserve Fund. In addition to funding, the bill includes the following report language for CDC: Public Health Data Modernization — The agreement includes funding to advance progress on the initial five key pillars of public health data modernization and the implementation of enterprise-level public health data systems at CDC and State, territorial, local, and Tribal health departments. Within 90 days of enactment of this Act, the agreement directs CDC to provide a briefing on the program's progress and plans. Opioid Overdose Prevention — The agreement directs CDC to fund awards to State, local, and Tribal health departments at no less than the percentage of overall funding provided for this program in fiscal year 2024. Suicide — The agreement encourages CDC to prioritize funding to public health departments for comprehensive suicide prevention programs. Public Health Infrastructure (PHI) — The agreement includes a new requirement that three percent of total PHI funding be designated specifically for Tribes and Tribal organizations. The agreement further directs that no less than 70 percent of total PHI funding be awarded to State, local, and Territorial public health departments. SAMHSA This bill includes $7.4 billion for SAMHSA, which is relatively level funding. This funding includes: $2.8 billion, or a $15 million increase, for SAMHSA’s mental health activities. $4.2 billion for substance abuse treatment. This includes $1.6 billion for State Opioid Response Grants. $2 billion for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant. $38.9 million for pregnant and postpartum women. $240.9 million, or level funding, for substance abuse prevention. $203 million for health surveillance and program support. In addition to the funding, the bill includes the following report language for SAMHSA: Grant Opportunities — SAMHSA is directed to consult with the Committees not less than three weeks prior to issuing a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for any competitive grant program and provide a draft FOA to the Committees not less than five days prior to publicly issuing it. Harm Reduction — The agreement recognizes the Administration's efforts to prioritize prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery in relation to substance use disorder, including the availability and provision of opioid overdose reversal medications such as naloxone to reduce overdose deaths. HRSA The bill includes $8.95 billion for HRSA. This funding includes: $1.9 billion for health centers. $1.4 billion for the Bureau of Health Workforce. $1.2 billion for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. This includes: $818.7 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant and Special Projects of National Significance. $145 million for Healthy Start. $15 million for maternal produce prescriptions. $130 million for the National Health Service Corps. $417.9 million for rural health. $127 million for health systems. $2.6 billion, or level funding, for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. This includes $165 million, or level funding, for the Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic initiative. $286.5 million, or level funding, for the Title X family planning. In addition to the funding, the bill includes the following report language for HRSA: Maternal Produce Prescriptions — The agreement includes $15,000,000 for grants to community-based organizations to develop produce prescription interventions for maternal populations at risk of poor health outcomes due to 10 nutrition insecurity and other health-related factors. These produce prescription interventions should serve maternal populations in low-income and underserved urban and rural areas and demonstrate improvements in fruit and vegetable intake; household food security; and health outcomes, such as gestational weight gain, overall physical and mental health, and well-being for a cohort of pregnant women, as well as positive birth outcomes. ASPR The bill includes $3.69 billion for ASPR. This funding includes: $1.1 billion for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Developmental Authority. $850 million for Project BioShield. $1 billion for the

In January 2024, ASTHO sent a letter to President Biden asking for the administration's support in adopting and implementing a federal rule to prohibit the sale of menthol flavored combustible cigarettes.

ASTHO and NAMD Letter Urging Congress to Fully Fund Medicaid and CHIP in U.S. Territories Dear Chair Wyden, Chair Rodgers, Ranking Member Crapo, and Ranking Member Pallone: Strong, sustainably funded Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) are crucial to addressing health care challenges in the U.S. territories. On behalf of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD), we urge Congress to ensure the fiscal stability of the territories’ Medicaid programs by lifting the annual Section 1108(g) allotment cap for all territories and authorizing a permanent 83% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Puerto Rico. Robust Medicaid and CHIP are critical components of strong and resilient territorial health systems. The five U.S. territories—American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI)—vary dramatically in population, health care system capacity, and Medicaid program structure. Despite these differences, they share common challenges, including significantly higher rates of poverty (ranging from 16.8 percent in Guam to 54.6 percent in American Samoa in 2019, compared to 10.5 percent in the United States), higher rates of chronic health conditions, and a lack of health care infrastructure. Medicaid and CHIP programs are crucial to addressing these challenges. Chronic underfunding has impaired territories’ capacity to serve their residents, who are U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals. Historically, the territories have faced two statutory funding challenges: 1) A low, fixed FMAP rate that is not tied to per capita income (as is the case in the states), and 2) Annual funding caps. Prior to FY 2023, Congress supplemented low annual funding amounts with short-term additional investments. The short-term nature of this funding limited territories’ ability to plan, undertake large investments, and efficiently deliver services. In the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, Congress permanently increased the FMAP for American Samoa, Guam, USVI, and CNMI to 83% and authorized a 76% FMAP for Puerto Rico through 2027. NAMD and ASTHO applaud and fully support this structural means of addressing longstanding needs. Congress should continue to build on this foundation by extending the permanent 83% FMAP to Puerto Rico to ensure all U.S. territories have access to sustainable Medicaid and CHIP funding. Over and above this FMAP adjustment, Congress must also address the constraints caused by the allotment cap on the territories’ Medicaid and CHIP funding, established by Section 1108(g) of the Social Security Act. When a territory reaches this cap, they are responsible for funding their Medicaid agency solely with local dollars. Due to challenges generating sufficient local funds, many territories have been forced to cut services after reaching these allotment caps, drastically limiting their ability to offer services and destabilizing local health care providers. For example, CNMI expects to hit its FY 2024 cap by July, leaving the CNMI government with more than two months of unmatched Medicaid costs. Congress should eliminate the annual Section 1108(g) allotment cap to ensure sustained access to high-quality public health and health care services in the U.S. territories. Sustainable, equitable funding will allow territorial programs to make long-term, cost-effective investments that support high-quality and innovative Medicaid programs. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 directed American Samoa, Guam, CNMI, and USVI to develop four-year strategic plans focused on workforce, program integrity, systems development, and financing. The four territories developed comprehensive plans with ambitious goals, including developing electronic eligibility and enrollment, MMIS, and T-MSIS systems, launching initiatives to expand local provider workforces and territory administrative capacity, and strengthening program integrity processes. These plans are evidence of the momentum and energy that territory leaders bring to their reform agendas. Technical assistance from CMS and other agencies will remain a critical resource for capacity-building efforts in the territories. In addition to lifting the statutory allotment cap and providing Puerto Rico with a permanent 83% FMAP, Congress should also consider providing the territories with targeted, project-specific enhancements to their administrative match rates to facilitate necessary technical assistance and change management. These structural improvements will strengthen the impact of Medicaid dollars allotted to the territories. Thank you for your previous support of the Medicaid programs in the U.S. territories and your ongoing attention to this important issue. If you have any questions or require additional information, please reach out to Jeffrey Ekoma (senior director of government affairs at ASTHO, jekoma@astho.org) and Jack Rollins (director of federal policy at NAMD, Jack.Rollins@MedicaidDirectors.org). Sincerely, Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH Chief Executive Officer, ASTHO Kate McEvoy, Esq. Executive Director, NAMD website yes

On Oct. 20, 2023, ASTHO submitted a response to a Request for Information from the U.S. Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on the modernization of CDC.

On July 10, 2023, ASTHO submitted comments on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions bipartisan discussion draft to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.

On March 29, 2023, ASTHO submitted comments in response to the Senate's request for information during their deliberations to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.

Legislative Alerts ASTHO Legislative Alerts List Block - Latest Leg Alerts 2026 List Block - Latest Leg Alerts 2025 List Block - Latest Leg Alerts 2024 List Block - Latest Leg Alerts 2023 List Block - Latest Leg Alerts 2022 2021 10-19-21 | Senate Releases FY22 Appropriations Bills 9-22-21 | Summary of House-Passed Continuing Resolution for FY22 7-16-21 | Fiscal Year 2022 House Appropriations and E&C Bills Summary 6-3-21 | Analysis of Biden Administration's FY22 Budget Proposal 5-28-21 | President Biden Releases Fiscal Year 2022 Budget 4-9-21 | Biden Administration Releases FY22 Budget Proposal 3-24-21 | Senate Confirms Rachel Levine as Assistant Secretary for Health 3-11-21 | Congress Approves American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 3-1-21 | House Approves American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 2020 12-22-20 | Congress Approves Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 12-11-20 | Extension of Current FY21 Funding 11-12-20 | Summary of Senate FY21 LHHS Bill 10-1-20 | Updated Summary of FY21 Continuing Resolution 9-22-20 | Legislative Summary of FY21 Continuing Resolution 7-7-20 | ASTHO High-Level Summary of House FY21 LHHS Bill 5-14-20 | House Releases Draft of Next COVID-19 Funding Bill 4-22-20 | Senate Passes New Round of COVID-19 Funding 4-3-20 | COVID-19 Supplementary Funding Snapshot 3-26-20 | ASTHO Legislative Summary of the Third COVID-19 Emergency Supplemental Package 3-19-20 | President Signs Second COVID Funding Package 3-12-20 | ASTHO Analysis of Second COVID-19 Supplementary Funding Bill 3-4-20 | ASTHO COVID-19 Emergency Supplemental Legislative Summary 2-11-20 | President’s FY21 Budget Proposal website

2026 Legislative Alerts article

2025 Legislative Alerts article

Navigating Public Health Planning with Precision and Purpose Discover examples and best practices for developing strategic plans that enhance community health outcomes. Embarking on the journey of public health planning demands more than good intentions. It requires a meticulous blueprint that encompasses budgetary considerations and strategic timelines, and effectively leverages external support. Across a landscape in which every decision has the potential to uplift entire communities, there are a world of opportunities and details to explore. Included among them are the critical components of crafting a robust plan, the value of engaging contractors, and strategies for optimizing resources. Mining Existing Plans for Insight and Inspiration Organizational strategic plans, Community Health Assessments (CHAs), and Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIPs) can supply guidance and inspiration for comprehensive public health planning. These documents offer both valuable insights into public health initiatives and tangible examples of effective planning frameworks. There are multiple examples of existing plans within health agencies across jurisdictions; when seeking them out, consider various criteria (e.g., population characteristics, geographic location, and specific health priorities). By examining plans tailored to communities with similar demographics or facing comparable health challenges, planners can apply approaches that resonate in their own context. Additionally, understanding the distinctions between strategic plans, CHAs, and CHIPs is essential, particularly for agencies aspiring towards PHAB Pathways Recognition Program or PHAB Accreditation. These plans are separate entities within the PHAB framework, each playing a vital role in shaping public health strategies and fostering community well-being. Strategic Plans Strategic plans outline organizational goals, plans to achieve them, and how to measure success. They drive resource allocation, decision-making, and other priorities organization wide. Examples U.S. Virgin Islands Hawaii Forest County Potawatomi* El Paso County, CO* San Joaquin County, CA* Community Health Assessments Community health assessments offer a complete view of risks, resources, and factors influencing outcomes. Supported by diverse environmental and socio-economic data, CHAs inform health policy, staff protocols, partnerships, program development, funding, resource allocation, and health improvement planning. Examples U.S. Virgin Islands Oneida Nation* Forest County Potawatomi* El Paso County, CO* San Joaquin County, CA* Pierce County, WA* Community Health Improvement Plans Community Health Improvement Plans are strategic, collaborative roadmaps derived from CHAs. They outline how health agencies, partners, and communities will unite to enhance overall health. They guide priorities, resource allocation, and steer project, program, and policy implementation. Examples U.S. Virgin Islands Hawaii Oneida Nation* Forest County Potawatomi* El Paso County, CO* San Joaquin County, CA* Pierce County, WA* *PHAB Accredited Health Department Plan Components, Timeline, and Budget Agencies considering planning processes and examples from other jurisdictions should recognize the diversity in approaches across different agencies and jurisdictions. There truly isn’t a singular “right” way to undertake public health planning. Instead, it’s about tailoring the process to suit the jurisdiction’s unique needs and circumstances. Examples to Guide Plan Development The Kansas Institute of Health’s Strategic Planning in the Public Health Sector Handbook offers a comprehensive breakdown of planning elements and timeframes based on a six-month plan development calendar. Explore Minnesota Department of Health’s Community Health Assessment and Planning Toolkit, a rich resource for navigating the CHA-CHIP process and timeline. Their template includes a detailed approach that considers capacity to accomplish each step within a desired timeline. Given the variation in the depth and breadth of jurisdiction planning processes, it is challenging to pinpoint a specific dollar amount to cover a planning endeavor. NACCHO’s MAPP Budget Template (part of their downloadable MAPP 2.0 process) can help systematically think through the resources necessary for planning processes. Outsourcing Key Support External support—in the form of facilitators, contractors, or other specialized professionals—can play a pivotal role in enhancing public health planning by offering fresh insights, innovative strategies, and diverse perspectives. Such support also allows for full, active organizational participation in the planning process. Moreover, they can provide valuable technical assistance, helping to navigate complex challenges and identify best practices from other contexts. By harnessing external support, organizations can optimize their decision-making processes, foster collaboration, and enhance the delivery of services to communities, thereby promoting better health outcomes for all. Conducting a SWOT Analysis: Contractors can assist in facilitating a thorough analysis of the organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). This structured assessment helps identify internal factors that impact the organization's ability to achieve its objectives and external factors that may affect its operations. Proposing Strategic Priorities: Based on the SWOT analysis and input from stakeholders, contractors can help planning teams crystallize priorities aligned with the organization's mission and vision. These priorities serve as the foundation for developing the plan. Facilitating Steering Committee Meetings: Steering committee meetings are crucial for decision-making and guiding the strategic planning process. External facilitators can lead these meetings, ensuring productive discussions, consensus-building, and alignment with organizational goals. Developing Components of the Strategic Plan: Contractors can support in drafting or reviewing various components of the plan, including vision and mission statements, goals, objectives, and action plans. They may ensure these components are clear, concise, and aligned with the overarching strategic direction. Developing a Draft Implementation Plan: An implementation plan outlines how to achieve strategic goals, including timelines, responsible parties, and resource allocation. Contractors can support an organization to develop a draft implementation plan that outlines actionable steps to translate the strategic plan into reality. Developing Quality Improvement Metrics: Contractors can assist in guiding the development of metrics to measure the effectiveness of the strategic plan. These metrics should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART), providing a framework for monitoring progress and making data-driven decisions. Conducting Training Among Organization Staff: To ensure buy-in and understanding of the strategic plan and process itself, contractors can help develop and co-facilitate training sessions for staff members. These sessions may cover strategic objectives, action plans, and their roles in achieving organizational goals. Developing a Communication Plan: Effective communication is an essential key for keeping any strategic plan off the shelf. Contractors can support an organization in developing a comprehensive communication plan that outlines key messages, target audiences, communication channels, and timelines to ensure consistent and transparent communication throughout the organization and with partners. Developing Process Logs, Templates, and Meeting Notes: Contractors can create documentation tools such as process logs, templates for strategic planning documents, and detailed meeting notes. These resources streamline the planning process, capture important discussions and decisions, and serve as valuable references when considering sustainability. In summary, external support brings valuable expertise and resources to public health planning processes, enabling organizations to navigate complexities, engage partners effectively, and develop actionable strategic plans that drive positive health outcomes for communities. OE22-2203 PHIG website yes

Formal partnerships between health agencies and private companies can lead to resource sharing, expertise exchange, and improved health services delivery. The strategies outlined in this resource provide a comprehensive approach to enhancing health equity through public-private collaboration.

Healthy People Coordinator Description Template This template was designed to help health agencies craft job descriptions for staff that can effectively incorporate Healthy People 2030 frameworks into public health initiatives. Healthy People is a national framework that fosters a shared vision of public health across the United States. It establishes national priorities every 10 years to guide jurisdiction planning and data collection, which is supported by the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP). The goal of this template is to create a description for the role of Healthy People Coordinator that is adaptable and flexible to meet the needs of health departments and help them identify candidates. This template was designed with the reality in mind that this is an unfunded position, and for many jurisdictions the position itself may be embedded within another position within the department/division or bureau. This description details the knowledge, skills, and abilities for a successful candidate that can be used on their own or added and adapted to fit into an existing and aligned role. The Healthy People Coordinator role has historically had connections to funding for block grants, performance improvement, or other public health infrastructure related projects. How ODPHP Defines HP Coordinators: “The Healthy People State and Territorial Coordinators make Healthy People happen every single day across the United States. Each state or territory has a Healthy People Coordinator who serves as a liaison with the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP). ODPHP works with Coordinators to identify areas of alignment in their work and the Healthy People 2030 goals and objectives. They also collaborate with the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Regional Offices.” Suggested Position Description and Overview This position will ensure adequate oversight, management, and efficient and effective implementation and integration of the Healthy People framework within jurisdiction-wide, programmatic-specific, and organizational planning efforts. It will also provide support to state block grant programming and accreditation efforts. Suggested Position Duties Support both program managers and division heads in vision and strategy to align their work with the Healthy People 2030 framework. Help to assess and align planning efforts (CHA/SHA, CHIP/SHIP, Strategic Planning) and programmatic work with Healthy People 2030 objectives. Promote the adoption of data-driven and evidence-based interventions and strategies while working to adapt them to jurisdictional needs. Foster collaborative approaches through increased communication and engagement across programs, departments, and local jurisdictions. Engage leadership, community-based and non-governmental organizations, trusted leaders, and the community across multiple sectors to initiate action and educate key stakeholders around the current public health evidence base to inform policies in alignment with the Healthy People 2030 framework. Serve as the liaison to local/regional/state health departments to better align local level planning efforts with state/territory/freely associated state planning efforts. Participate in Healthy People opportunities offered by ODPHP. Suggested Qualifications for Employment Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of national frameworks like Healthy People 2030, as well as social determinants of health, health literacy, and health equity. Skills in performance and quality improvement and planning. Familiarity with use of evidence-based interventions and practices. Ability to manage multiple timelines and projects. Insight, general understanding, and knowledge in strategies to advance equitable health outcomes. Suggested Requirements for Education, Experience, and Competencies Master’s Degree or higher in Public Health or a closely allied field, preferred but not required. Qualifying experience (demonstrated by certificate, course work, or practical experience) in performance and quality improvement frameworks, evaluation, and data interpretation. Extensive written and oral communication skills coupled with demonstrated experience communicating complex topics or issues both verbally and in writing to diverse internal and external audiences across a broad spectrum of managerial, administrative, and professional staff, especially executive-level leaders. Demonstrated experience in the following subject areas: Organizational development. Working with diverse groups, interacting with the community or community partners. Strategic planning. Facilitation and decision-making. Coaching preferred but not required. Demonstrated competencies in the following areas: Self-awareness, self-management, and continual growth and learning. Decision making—the ability to identify issues; develop analyses of alternative positions and impacts; make data-driven, defensible recommendations; take calculated risks based on logical ratio decision-making processes; make timely/responsive decisions; assume responsibility for decisions made; and involve others appropriately in decision-making processes. Working openly and transparently with colleagues and partners, fostering trust and serving as a resource in challenging work environments. Utilizing quality improvement tools and processes in accomplishing work activities and in support of the agency’s mission and goals; this includes seeking opportunities to participate in process improvement activities and initiating efficiencies in how work is accomplished. Showing a commitment to inclusivity, encompassing cultural, racial, ethnic, and gender sensitivity and competency. Organizational and political awareness. Ability to inspire. Practicing ethics and integrity. Utilizing tools for effectively collaborating with a multigenerational workforce. Suggested Preferred/Desired Education, Experience, and Competencies Understanding, skill, and experience in data interpretation/visualization. Proficiency in co-creating organizational strategies and building shared commitments with executive-level leaders and partners. Certification(s) in facilitation, leadership development, change management, quality improvement, or other related topics. Experience working in a public health-related or governmental organization. website yes

Sustaining DMI: A State Health Official’s Guide to Enhanced Funding Sustainable financing strategies for state health officials to support data modernization and Medicaid. What is the relationship between a state’s Medicaid program and its public health data system? Although state implementation of the Medicaid program (Title XIX of the Social Security Act) varies, each state’s program has enrollment and claims data on Medicaid participants, including demographic data on race and ethnicity, age, and service utilization, such as vaccines received. At the same time, a state’s public health system needs to collect, analyze, and report diverse data from public health initiatives and related programs to support its goals to protect and improve the health of individuals and communities by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching and encouraging disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing, and responding to infectious diseases. A state’s Medicaid program and public health agency can collaborate to implement a sustained data modernization initiative (DMI) that combines Medicaid and public health data and integrates these data into the state’s health-related data ecosystem. A sustained DMI can yield various improvements to a state’s health-related data ecosystem, such as improved data quality, public health reporting, data storage and resiliency, and analytics to respond to pandemics. It can also set the stage for data sharing with additional data system partners, which can further improve the state’s health-related data ecosystem. Why is sustainable funding necessary to continue DMIs? Sustainable funding to support personnel, processes, and technology is imperative to the continued success of a DMI. Stable funding can increase state Medicaid and public health agencies’ likelihood of recruiting and retaining personnel with advanced degrees, such as biostatisticians and epidemiologists, by enabling the agencies to offer compensation packages that are competitive with job market rates. Stable funding also enables the agencies to maintain and refine new and existing data-sharing processes, and it ensures that technology is maintained and upgraded appropriately to meet evolving needs. Medicaid funding is a potentially large and stable funding stream that can support the personnel, processes, and technology in a DMI that focuses on integrating Medicaid and public health. However, public health funding has historically been an unstable patchwork of federal, state, local, and private funding streams and mechanisms, largely because of changing economic and political priorities and the perceived risk level and severity of major public health threats. What sustainable financing strategies can support the personnel, processes, and technology needed to continue DMIs? State health officials can use the following three strategies when pursuing Medicaid funding to sustain a DMI: Blend and braid funding sources. Optimize existing and potential funding streams by blending or braiding administrative approaches to grow and maintain programs. To blend funding sources, program officials combine funding into a single stream, which results in a loss of award-specific requirements and thus requires statutory authority. In contrast, braiding funds allows program officers to direct funds toward a single strategy or initiative while preserving funding requirements (Box 1). Callout 1 - Resource - Sustaining DMI: A S/THOs Guide to Enhanced Funding Support personnel by using cost allocation through the Advance Planning Document (APD) process or the Administrative Cost Allocation Plan. A DMI team often has people with specialized skills, such as clinical and technical experts, compliance or legal officers, and financial experts. The salary for these people may be cost-allocated via the APD process or the Administrative Cost Allocation Plan described in Social Security Act Section 1903(a)(7) (Box 2). To illustrate, the Administrative Cost Allocation Plan provides 50 percent match for costs that meet a series of requirements to cover personnel costs. In addition to this strategy, state health officials can cover salary costs through blending and braiding approaches. Callout 2 - Resource - Sustaining DMI: A S/THOs Guide to Enhanced Funding Align public health functions with Medicaid business and technical functions. To explore whether a state Medicaid agency could access enhanced federal funding to support public health, a state public health agency must approach the state’s Medicaid program collaboratively and design and implement a DMI that does the following: Meets the Conditions for Enhanced Funding and couples any technical system improvements with measurable outcomes that improve public health and the Medicaid program. Investigates the extent to which the public health technical functions (for example, health care provider enrollment) align with similar Medicaid business functions. Confirms the extent to which the public health functions and Medicaid Enterprise Systems share or could share (that is, reuse) core technical components to support common business functions. Callout 3 - Resource - Sustaining DMI: A S/THOs Guide to Enhanced Funding After this investigation is complete, the state Medicaid agency should explore cost allocation models that apportion costs with the benefits received (Box 3). Box 4 provides examples of public health use cases that successfully acquired enhanced Medicaid funding. Callout 4 - Resource - Sustaining DMI: A S/THOs Guide to Enhanced Funding website yes

This workbook is a practical tool for designing Long COVID programs and policies tailored to each jurisdiction’s needs and built to create lasting impact.

Public Health Data Disclosure or Request Readiness Assessment Chris Alibrandi O’Connor Explore key steps and lessons for effective public health data sharing. Organizations that want to share or request data to support public health work should take several preparatory steps. An organization’s data sharing efforts will develop more quickly and smoothly if certain considerations have been analyzed, or actions taken before negotiations begin on a data sharing agreement. The same is true for organizations trying to obtain data to support their public health efforts. Consider the following prompts and questions before initiating data sharing or a request for data to prepare for a more efficient and effective negotiation for the data’s disclosure. That consideration will identify barriers to data sharing as well as result in greater clarity around organizational data sharing needs and data governance. For those seeking data, what data do you need? What type of public health work is on the table and what data is needed to achieve the related public health goals? Identify which entity has the needed data Identify the required data elements Specify the type of data needed (e.g., line level, identifiable, Limited Data Sets, de-identified, aggregated) Having identified the data elements and type of data needed will help later in the legal analysis of which laws apply to the disclosure of data Pre-Negotiation Considerations Review organization’s existing written data sharing or data governance policy. Determine whether the project is covered by it and whether any related data disclosures or uses would comply with it. If there is no such policy, consider developing one for adoption. That process will clarify and/or resolve many issues, including data governance guidelines, which could become barriers during data sharing agreement negotiation. Having an organizational “champion” in a position of authority to support a data project may help overcome internal obstacles. Identify a champion — or develop one. Identify and get to know the people who play key roles in data sharing agreements (data stewards, leadership, legal counsel) to facilitate project communication. Pre-Negotiations Review of Legal Issues Evaluate the answers to these questions about disclosing the data at issue: Can I? (i.e., does the law permit the data’s disclosure?) Must I? (i.e., does the law require disclosure?) Should I? (i.e., is disclosing the data the right call when considering legal, policy, and equitable factors) When considering the risks of disclosing data, also consider the risks of not disclosing it for public health purposes; consider what public health efforts will not succeed without the data. Author Funding Disclaimer - Resource - Data Sharing Request Disclosure Alaska article yes

Charter Template and Guide Creating a charter is a worthwhile exercise when forming a workgroup, advisory group, or committee or putting together a new project. A charter provides guidance, aligns the project or team goals, and helps make the business case for the effort. This charter is meant to be both a guide and template; it contains many common elements that can be customized. Consider what is important for your successful work together and include those key elements in your team’s charter. Putting together a charter may seem burdensome. In reality, it is an important source of truth for the team to reference throughout the project. That said, charters are working documents. As projects and teams evolve, it is important to revisit the charter and agree to updates together. Assembling the team and developing the charter together is a collaborative way to kick off the work the team will do together. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ (CNMI) Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) recently used this charter guide, and here is what a CHCC DMI team member had to say: "We collaborated to draft a comprehensive team charter for our Data Management and Integration work. Subsequently, we refined this document in conjunction with our partners, ensuring alignment and clarity. As we prepare for our inaugural meeting, this finalized charter symbolizes the committee's steadfast dedication to executing the Advisory group plan with solidarity and purpose." Get the Resource (PDF) To more easily copy and paste, or fill out content, convert the PDF to a Word document using Adobe's PDF-to-Word Converter. OE22-2203 PHIG website yes

Learn about South Carolina Dept. of Health’s experience with ASTHO’s PH-HERO program, addressing wellbeing & mental health in the workforce.

Recent Gallup data shows that having a best friend at work now ties even more strongly to employee engagement and job success.

This brief article discusses ideas for broadening DEI initiatives within recruiting practices in your organization.