2018 NACCHO Annual Conference

The 2018 NACCHO Annual Conference is the only conference that speaks directly to the daily challenges and opportunities that local health officials and their staff face. The annual conference will be held July 10-12 at the New Orleans Marriott. The conference offers an opportunity for local health department staff, partners, funders, and individuals invested in local public health to share the latest research, ideas, strategies and innovations. Participants will build and network around the issues and topics that concern local public health. The 2018 conference theme is Unleashing the Power of Local Public Health.

Public health has witnessed several benefits from bridging clinical medicine with population health. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, enacted by the US Congress in 2010, marked the greatest revolution in US health policy since the 1960s. The law established the first National Prevention Strategy, added new funding for prevention, public health programs, and promoted the use of clinical preventive services and other measures. The ACA provides impetus for greater collaboration between the health-care and public health systems, which have traditionally operated separately with little interaction.

Building strong, functional, and effective operational infrastructures, local health departments have adapted in order to be more nimble and viable while embracing comprehensive strategies for delivering care to their communities. LHDs are exploring new ways to collaborate with clinical care providers, and other key partner sectors.  They are also serving as conveners to develop, renew, and strengthen critical local relationships to improve the health of the populations that they serve.

Revolutionizing the way health and well-being are defined requires a strong alliance between public health practice with clinical care.  Findings from the NACCHO 2015 Forces of Change survey show that more than half of agencies (61%) encourage primary care providers to use evidence-based public health services, such as interventions to reduce asthma triggers in children’s home environments. This conference provides the tools for a call to action as fewer LHDs are engaged in new systems of care intended to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs: less than 10% are actively engaged in State Innovation Model activities, Patient-Centered Medical Homes, or Accountable Care Organizations.

NACCHO is the only national organization that hosts annual conferences that specifically address the needs and concerns of local health officials. Come and connect with good-natured colleagues from near and far to share your challenges and opportunities and learn about best practices and success stories. Engage with federal and local partners and gain insights from public health experts. With an average of 1,300 attendees, NACCHO Annual is big enough to be powerful and small enough to be personal.