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View more news, opportunities and resources on the LPHA Info Hub.
We recognize the significant contribution of Missouri's local public health agencies serving more than 2 million rural Missourians. You faithfully provide essential services and link residents with the resources they depend on to thrive. Thank you for your commitment to improving health in our rural communities!
Governor Kehoe's Rural Health Day 2025 proclamation.
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HUB UPDATES
► DHSS Contacts have been updated to reflect staff turnover.
► Vital Records Training Guide for LPHAs and the MOU due each August 31 are now available in the Quick Links section of the home page or from the Vital Records section of DHSS Contacts page.
UPCOMING DUE DATES
► Jan 15, 2026: PHEP semi-annual report due to DHSS
► Feb 27: MCH mid-year progress report due to District Nurse Consultant (DNC)
► Mar 31: MCH FFY2026 contract work plan amendments due to DNC
DHSS UPDATES
► New invoicing tool: TODAY at 3:30 pm via WebEx: New invoice training from CLPHS. Staff will provide a brief overview of the new invoice template that can be utilized in lieu of the new DA-38 along with instructions on how to use it and updates on future invoicing to CLPHS.
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 244 996 398 011 8
Passcode: nE73P7ue
Dial in by phone: +1 469-998-7961,,930801789# United States, Dallas
Phone conference ID: 930 801 789#
► Public Health Thank You Day is next week (Nov 24). Remember to email a group photo of your staff and your agency name to info@health.mo.gov by COB today to be featured on DHSS social media channels next week. Also, resources and social media content from the American Public Health Association (APHA) are available for you to use locally.
► Spring 2026 LPHA Regional Meetings: Save the date! Details and locations will be provided soon.
- April 22nd – Northeast Region
- April 23rd – Northwest Region
- April 28th – Central Region
- April 29th – Southeast Region
- April 30th – Southwest Region
► Measles: Recent news reports of measles in KC may have prompted your residents to ask questions or express an interest in vaccination. On the Communications page of the Hub you will find updated talking points and a template you can adapt for use as a press release, news article, or fact sheet. You will also find a few social media graphics on measles under the April tab on the Resource Library page.
► GovDelivery expands: More DHSS programs are coming on board using GovDelivery as their primary platform for communication with LPHAs. Soon we’ll be adding a page to the Hub that allows you and your staff to subscribe to only those listserves you want to receive information from. This is an ongoing effort to enhance communication between DHSS and LPHAs by responding to your requests for improvements in email frequency, volume, timeliness, clarity and transparency. Please continue to let us know how we are doing and where we can make additional improvements in communication between DHSS and LPHAs.
NATIONAL NEWS
News items are posted for your situational awareness only and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of either DHSS or OPHI. News stories behind pay walls will not be included in order to ensure fair access to all.
► 11/19/2025: Experimental mRNA flu vaccine is more effective than conventional flu shot, but causes more side effects. (link)
► 11/19/2025: If measles continues to spread in the US through Jan. 20, the disease will no longer be considered eliminated and its status in the US will change to endemic, or constantly present. (link)
► 11/19/2025: A new report from WHO shows a concerning increase in drug-resistant gonorrhea. (link)
► 11/19/2025: Lawmakers agree the US healthcare system is broken and Americans face staggering premium hikes, shrinking coverage options, and escalating out-of-pocket costs, but the solutions aren’t clear. (link)
► 11/19/2025: A new study published in Scientific American challenges claims that fluoride in drinking water may carry risks, and suggests it may have benefits, instead. (link)
► 11/18/2025: New polling from the Pew Research Center shows nearly two-thirds of Americans have high confidence in vaccine effectiveness, and about half trust their safety testing and schedule. (link)
► 11/18/2025: Researchers at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center have developed a new molecular test to detect Lyme disease more rapidly and reliably than current methods. (link)
MISSOURI NEWS
► 11/19/2025: Missouri asks for the federal government’s help in pressuring China over a $25 billion federal court ruling that China hoarded personal protective equipment during the early months of the pandemic, harming Missouri and its residents. (link)
► 11/19/2025: November SNAP benefits have been processed, according to DSS, and recipients should have started seeing their full benefits on November 15th. (link)
► 11/19/2025: Two Wash U students submit a letter challenging MO DNR’s statement that poor air quality and ozone violations in the St Louis region in 2023 were entirely related to Canadian wildfires. (link)
RESOURCES
► Generative AI and Health Departments: Legal Considerations and Risks: Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, is being used with increasing frequency at all levels of federal and state government, including by state, tribal, local and territorial health (STLT) departments. Amidst the growth of generative AI, there are also emerging legal risks and considerations that health departments will need to assess. This fact sheet from the Network for Public Health Law highlights some topics of legal risk and considerations that health departments may want to review with their legal counsel. (link)
► Public Health and New Media - Modes of Persuasion: Watch the recording of this Nov 12th webinar from the Boston University School of Public Health. (link)
► Mortality Data: County Health Rankings and Roadmaps has updated several of their mortality data measures. They offer a narrative and social media content you can use to communicate the changes to your local audiences. (link)
► Free Training: Cornell University is offering free access to their 15-week Public Health Essentials (PHE) certificate program. The program is available to teams of 1 - 6 employees of rural health departments. The training is self-paced with feedback and guidance from expert public health facilitators. (link)
WEBINARS/TRAINING/CONFERENCES
► Dec 2, 1:00 pm, Bridging Trust and Care: The Unique Role of Community Health Workers in Dementia Efforts, hosted by ASTHO and the Building Our Largest Dementia Public Health Centers of Excellence. Content will empower community health workers (CHWs) to promote brain health and address dementias. Attendees will learn strategies to integrate CHWs into public health initiatives for risk reduction, early detection, and caregiving. Register
► Dec 4 – 5, Annual Rural Health Research Summit. Hoted by the Rural Health Research Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia. This event at the Drury Inn Conference Center in Columbia assembles administrators, clinicians, nurses, community health specialists, and other professionals dedicated to advancing health care in rural communities. Save the date. Details to come.
► Dec 8 - 10, Governmental Public Health Summit, hosted by Missouri Public Health Institute. Governmental public health leaders from across the state will convene at Old Kinderhook to strengthen service delivery, advance systems change, build lasting connections, and celebrate the hard work LPHAs do every day. Topics were selected by LPHAs, and DHSS Director Sarah Willson will provide the keynote. Early Bird registration saves you $50 through October 17. Registration closes November 7. Learn more and register
► Dec 8, 2:00 - 4:00 pm, Grant Management and Compliance Training, Part 1, hosted by Missouri Public Health Institute at the Governmental Public Health Summit. Register. Alternative date is January 21, 2026 (virtual).
► Jan 21, 2026, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, Grant Management and Compliance Training, Part 1, hosted by Missouri Public Health Institute at the Governmental Public Health Summit. Register
► Mar 18, 2026, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, Grant Management and Compliance Training, Part 2, hosted by Missouri Public Health Institute at the Governmental Public Health Summit. Alternative date is April 15, 2026 (virtual). Register
► Apr 15, 2026, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, Grant Management and Compliance Training, Part 2, hosted by Missouri Public Health Institute at the Governmental Public Health Summit. Register
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There will not be a Bulletin next week, Nov 27, due to the holiday. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.
We are so very thankful for each of you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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