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View more news, opportunities and resources on the LPHA Info Hub.
HUB UPDATES
► Rural Health Transformation Program page added
► Recording and resources from Dec 16 LPHA Update call added to Archives page
UPCOMING DUE DATES
► Jan 6, 2026: Complete survey regarding local Boards of Health (for LPHAs governed by a local Board of Health only)
► Jan 15, 2026: PHIG Monitoring Assessment report for RP6
► 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
► Save the Date: The DHSS Overdose Data to Action in States (OD2A-S) team will host a free virtual panel discussion for LPHAs on February 4 from 1:30 - 3:00 pm. The session will focus on overdose prevention among people who have experienced incarceration. Registration details and an agenda will be provided closer to the date.
► Smoking Cessation Resource: Missourians can enroll in Tobacco Quit Services and find support to quit tobacco through a new state-specific cessation information website, YouCanQuit.org. The website includes stories, information, FAQs, cessation materials, and quit resources.
► Board of Health Survey: The Missouri Public Health Institute, with support from DHSS, is conducting a feasibility study on the potential creation of a Missouri Association of Local Boards of Health (MALBOH). This effort comes in direct response to interest and requests from LPHA administrators and board members across the state. For those LPHAs governed by a local Board of Health, links to two short surveys are below. Each should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Responses are requested by January 6, 2026. Questions can be directed to Larry Jones at MOPHI.
- Local public health administrators or directors (survey)
Local Board of Health members (survey)
► Annual Reports: DHSS will make the following reports available on its website as they are completed in December/January. Links will be added to the Hub under the Reports section of the Communications page.
- Antimicrobial Resistant Infections in Missouri, published by the Healthcare-Associated Infections & Antimicrobial Resistance program
- Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (annual report)
- Master Plan on Aging
► Sexual Violence Resources: DHSS’s Office on Women’s Health and Ozarks Public Health Institute are creating a statewide Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Resource Map. The map will be housed on the OPHI website as a tool for the general public to locate resources and by providers to locate resources for client referrals. Fill out this short form to submit resources available in your community that could be added to the map.
► FPHS Training: Join Office Hours in January to provide your suggestions for Foundational Public Health Services model training being developed by Ozarks Public Health Institute in partnership with DHSS. See the Hub Calendar for Zoom connection information.
- Wed, Jan 7, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
- Tues, Jan 13, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
- Thurs, Jan 22, 9:00 – 10:00 am
► Communication Lunch and Learn sessions: January 14, 2026 at 12:00 pm, learn about social media as a key communication tool. Presented by Sami Jo Freeman and Spenser Bartholomew from the DHSS' Office of Public Information. Register
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.
► 12/17/2025: The House of Representatives passed a Republican-led package that seeks to address the affordability of healthcare without an extension of the soon-to-expire ACA subsidies. (link)
► 12/17/2025: More drugmakers are set to sign pricing deals with President Trump on December 18, according to inside sources. (link)
► 12/17/2025: The House passes a bill introduced by Marjorie Taylor Greene, to criminalize parents and providers for providing gender-affirming care to children under the age of 18. (link)
► 12/17/2025: Teen use of alcohol, nicotine and marijuana remains at record lows, according to national survey results released this week. (link)
► 12/17/2025: The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota and NEJM Evidence launch a new Public Health Alerts initiative with reports on mpox transmission and influenza viruses circulation. (link)
MISSOURI NEWS
► 12/17/2025: Governor Kehoe names longtime state pharmacy director Josh Moore as director of MO HealthNet Division as Missouri prepares to implement Medicaid eligibility changes passed by Congress in July as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill. (link)
► 12/17/2025: Health officials in Columbia, Missouri encourage flu vaccination now, before holiday travel. ABC/FOX (link)
► 12/16/2025: The Behavioral Health Group opens a new outpatient treatment option for opioid addiction in Joplin offering different levels of care. Joplin Globe. (link)
RESOURCES
► Information provided at Missouri's Governmental Public Health Summit, hosted by the Missouri Public Health Institute in December 2025, is now available online. (link)
► Financial Planning: Learn how to build sustainability beyond a single funding stream and plan for long-term stability with the Diversifying Resources self-paced online module, developed by Emory University in partnership with the Emory COMPASS Coordinating Center. Learn practical strategies for expanding both financial and non-financial resources, reducing vulnerability, and strengthening organizational resilience. The module is available through the Gilead COMPASS Initiative®’s online learning management system. Create an account to access the free course. (link)
► The Futures We Create: Democratizing the Imagination of the Future, a new report from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report explores why futuring matters, what it makes possible, and how futurists are bringing these approaches to communities too often left out of conversations about what a better tomorrow might look like. (link)
► The recent Strong Roots, Strategic Moves Scenario Planning Workshop, hosted by Emory University shared actionable strategies to help rural health nonprofits stay ahead. Review the recap to learn about a helpful framework and five quick wins for your organization. (link)
► Policy Trends Shaping Healthy Food and Chronic Disease in 2026, ASTHO (link)
► The Aging US Population: Managing Health and Costs Through Medicare Advantage Strategies, NIHCM (recording and slides)
► The Jobs Public Health Needs Now: Rethinking Workforce for the Data Age, ASTHO (podcast)
► Creating an Informatics Job Classification Series for Health Departments, ASTHO (link)
OPPORTUNITIES
Leadership Cohort: Applications for the Great Plains Leadership Institute's Year 20 cohort have been reopened through January 30, 2026. Year 20 has been redesigned as a focused 8-month program that preserves the core value and impact of GPLI while adapting to current realities. Learn to navigate through systems change, build psychologically safe environments for diverse teams, apply power effectively and ethically to create lasting change, and strengthen your organizations' ability to respond to what comes next. : Leadership for Now—Developing Resilient Public Health Teams and Systems. Professionals with at least 3-4 years of experience in governmental public health, healthcare organizations, community health centers, nonprofits, and civic roles are encouraged to apply. Questions can be directed to Brandon Drozd at bdrozd@unmc.edu or 402-559-3564. (link)
WEBINARS/TRAINING/CONFERENCES
► Jan 20, 2026, 2:00 pm, Immigration Policy and Health, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. In honor of the 2026 National Day of Racial Healing, the session will examine how laws, policies, culture, and norms shape the health of immigrants, migrants and communities as a whole. Learn about current immigration policies, legal uncertainty, and lived experiences to better understand how people can work together to promote health equity and policy change. Register
► Jan 21, 2026, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, Grant Management and Compliance Training, Part 1, hosted by Missouri Public Health Institute. This is a repeat of the training that was offered during the Governmental Public Health Summit in December 2025. Register
► Feb 11, 3:00 - 4:00 pm, Steady Hands, Steady Teams: Leading with Confidence and Composure, hosted by ASTHO. In an era of immense pressure, explore how intentional leadership is the key to fortifying organizational stability, confidence, and credibility. Gain practical strategies to maintain composure and focus in chaotic circumstances and reframe personal steadiness as a fundamental leadership function that builds trust and drives performance. Register
► Mar 18, 2026, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, Grant Management and Compliance Training, Part 2, hosted by Missouri Public Health Institute. Alternative date is April 15, 2026 (virtual). Register
► Mar 24 - 25, Leading Change Workshop, hosted by ASTHO. Equip participants with strategies and skills to navigate change and uncertainty as individuals, team members, and organization-wide leaders. Emphasizes actionable instruction and resources, enabling leaders to create and implement real-world, targeted initiatives and foster tangible organizational change. Onsite in Arlington, Virginia. Details
► Apr 15, 2026, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, Grant Management and Compliance Training, Part 2, hosted by Missouri Public Health Institute. Register
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
There will not be a Communications Bulletin on Thursday, December 25 or Thursday, January 1 due to the holidays. We hope you enjoy your time with those you love most!
The next Bulletin will be delivered to your email inbox on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
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