Organizational Mission/Goals
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) works to support efforts that protect and improve the health of all people and all communities by promoting national policy, developing resources and programs, seeking health equity and supporting effective local public health practice and systems.
About NACCHO
The NACCHO is the national non-profit organization representing local public health agencies (including city, county, metro, district, and Tribal agencies).
The history of NACCHO dates back to the 1960s, with the formation of the National Association of County Health Officials (NACHO), an independent affiliate of the National Association of Counties. As the U.S. federal, state and local public health systems continued to expand, NACHO combined with the U.S. Conference of Local Health Officers, an organization affiliated with the United States Conference of Mayors, to form NACCHO in 1994. This unified organization more closely represents all local governmental public health agencies, including counties, cities, city/counties, districts, and townships. In 2001, NACCHO expanded its scope to include Tribal public health agencies serving Tribal communities on reservation lands. Today, active membership in NACCHO continues to grow with 1,100 local public health agencies, serving 75 percent of the U.S. population.
NACCHO provides education, information, research, and technical assistance to local health departments and facilitates partnerships among local, state, and federal agencies in order to promote and strengthen public health.
Partnership Activities with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
In June 2003, NACCHO entered into a new collaboration with CDC in relation to the National Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Network. NACCHO’s goal is to ensure that the local public health perspectives and needs are addressed in the creation of a national tracking network. NACCHO will also communicate tracking lessons learned and model practices to the local public health officials. The purpose of this project is to support the national EPHT program by providing a local public health perspective and communicating how EPHT can reinforce the work of local public health.
The main objectives for NACCHO in this project are:
- To promote and increase the knowledge base of local health and environmental professionals of the nationwide initiative on the tracking of environmental public health data; and
- To enhance the collaboration between public health agencies, environmental agencies, partner agencies, and other organizations in order to improve the efficacy of the EPHT program.
In assisting the development and implementation of the EPHT program, NACCHO collaborates with the following partner agencies:
- Association for State and Territorial Health Officials
- Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
- Environmental Council of the States
- Johns Hopkins Centers for Excellence
- National Center for Environmental Health, CDC
- National Environmental Health Association
- Physicians for Social Responsibility
Project Activities include:
- Project promotion through NACCHO’s web site and publications
- Publication and dissemination of EPHT educational materials outlining the goals and objectives; potential network features, values, and barriers; and practical next steps for local health officials.
- Participation in coordination activities
- Conduct of focus groups to discuss barriers and needs (from local health official standpoint) for implementing the National EPHT Network.
For more information on NACCHO’s tracking program and other NACCHO resources, visit:
- Environmental Public Health Tracking Project [external link]
-
Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health
(PACE EH)
[Note: First copy is free to all local public health agencies]
[external link]
Contact Information
Michelle G. Chuk, MPH
Senior Advisor, Environmental Health
National Association of County and City Health Officials
1100 17th Street, Second Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 783-5550
Fax: (202) 783-1583
mchuk@naccho.org
http://www.naccho.org/
[external link]
Jennifer Li, MHS
Program Manager, Environmental Health
National Association of County and City Health Officials
1100 17th Street, Second Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 783-5550 ext.234
Fax: (202) 783-1583
jli@naccho.org
http://www.naccho.org/
[external link]
