Counties play a critical role in promoting and protecting the health of people and the communities in which they live, learn, work and play. As administrators and operators of the local health safety net, county agencies employ a wide range of public health services that protect resident health and well-being through the prevention of illness, injury and other adverse health outcomes.

A robust public health system centers equity and actively promotes policies, systems and overall community conditions that drive optimal health.1

Public health is an intersectional field that works to address the underlying causes of health outcomes. This work requires both intergovernmental collaboration between federal, state and local governments, as well as multisectoral partnership across local government agencies.

This brief provides an overview of how counties provide integral public health services for all Americans, describes their public health authority, their role in preparedness and response efforts, and local public health efforts to address social determinants of health (SDOH) in our communities. The brief will also outline key federal policy recommendations for our federal partners to safeguard funding and authority for local public health services and programs.

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Upcoming Events

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Rural Prenatal-to-Three Peer Learning Network: Centering Family Voice in Local Policy

Join this virtual convening to learn more about how and why county governments can engage families in planning and implementation efforts.

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Urban Prenatal-to-Three Peer Learning Network: Centering Family Voice in Local Policy

Join this virtual convening to learn more about how and why county governments can engage families in planning and implementation efforts.

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NACo Opioid Settlement Summit: Opportunities for County, State & Federal Partnership

This event will bring together leaders from all levels of government to discuss effective strategies for investing opioid settlement funds and to explore opportunities to strengthen intergovernmental coordination in our nation’s response to the opioid epidemic. 

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Care Coordination for Improved Population Behavioral Health

We invite you to join this presentation to discover proven solutions and compelling success metrics from other counties.

Contact

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Blaire Bryant

Legislative Director – Health | Large Urban County Caucus