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View more news, opportunities and resources on the LPHA Info Hub.
HUB UPDATES
► Incentives Progress Report added to Contracts page under Incentive Funding section; find your LPHA and view the activities you have completed and incentives you have earned
► Public Health and HIPAA informational brochure added to Quick Links section on home page
UPCOMING DUE DATES
► Mar 14: Deadline to request a summer intern through the Pathways program (link)
► Mar 15: RHTP Rural Input on Hubs survey due (optional) (link)
► Mar 19: PHEP FY25 contract monitoring documentation due to DHSS (only LPHAs who received notification via email)
► Mar 23: Register for Regional LPHA meetings (link)
► Mar 30: RHTP Digital Readiness Survey due (optional) (link)
► Mar 31: MCH FFY2026 contract work plan amendments due to DNC
► May 1: Deadline to submit documentation for Incentives program through CLPHS
► May 1: FPHS Gap Analysis, Module 1: Current Financials date due
DHSS UPDATES
► LPHA Update call: The next call will be March 17th at 3pm, back on the original schedule.
► Regional LPHA meetings: Please register each person who will attend by COB March 23 so CLPHS will have accurate numbers for catering.
- April 22 – A.T. Still University Dental School (Rooms 151 and 153), 500 W. Jefferson St, Kirksville, MO 63501
- April 23 – Platte County Health Department, 7925 NW 110th St, Kansas City, MO 64153
- April 28 – DHSS, 930 Wildwood, Jefferson City, MO 65109
- April 29 – Madison County Health Department, 105 Armory St, Fredericktown, MO 63645
- April 30 – The Depot – 420 S. Marshall St, Marshfield, MO 65706
► NPHW: National Public Health Week, April 6 – 12, is around the corner and DHSS Office of Public Information is creating Missouri-specific content you can personalize and use locally. Stay tuned!
► RHTP Input on Hubs: DSS seeks input on the Rural Health Transformation Program. A foundational element of the program is a statewide network of healthcare "Hubs" designed to bring care closer to home, make clinical and non-clinical services more seamless, and ensure that no rural resident is left behind. The Hubs act as an organizing structure to drive ToRCH Care across ~3-5 counties and a variety of partners, including local hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, EMS, community-based organizations, and more. Within a Hub, partners understand and track local needs, coordinate care needs like referrals, and implement community-specific programs. To better design Hubs, DSS is sharing a survey to better understand Missouri community members' perspectives on how counties naturally work together to provide healthcare across county lines. Provide your input by completing the survey by March 15, 2026.
► RHTP Digital Readiness Survey: The State is distributing a survey to gather information on digital tools, data exchange capabilities, security practices, reporting and governance, workforce capacity, financial sustainability, and infrastructure in order to identify gaps and prioritize targeted investments and support through the Rural Health Transformation Project. The survey may be completed by LPHAs, hospitals, clinics, EMS, and Behavioral Health Facilities by March 30, 2026. One survey per organization, please. Additional details will be shared during the March 17 LPHA Update call.
► Pathways Interns: LPHAs who would like to have a summer intern paid for through the Pathways program need to submit a request by March 14. Interns are randomly selected and matched to DHSS or LPHA hosts. Hybrid models are acceptable, but fully remote internships are not supported. Students receive a stipend of $20 per hour up to $6,400 for completing an internship of up to 320 hours depending on academic program requirements and agency projects. Reach out to Rebecca Damron with questions. (link)
► GovDelivery: DHSS has been working diligently to build out the GovDelivery platform to streamline communication and allow LPHAs the opportunity to subscribe to the email lists you want to receive information from. We will soon be adding a GovDelivery subscription list to the Hub and will notify you in the Bulletin when that is live. Hear more details during the March 17th LPHA Update call.
► Opioid awareness: DHSS continues its work with other state agencies to bring awareness of highly potent and illicitly manufactured opioids called nitazenes that are showing up in Missouri. Mark James from DHSS will be briefly sharing information with school administrators at the Missouri Association of School Administrators meeting next week, so you may get some questions from your local partners. DHSS is creating data and communication resources you can use in your local communities. The goal is to have these ready to share with you next week.
► FPHS Gap Analysis: Data under Module 1: Current Financials (FY25) is due May 1, 2026. Visit Panopto Video to watch recordings of Gap Analysis trainings. Additional resources are available on the FPHS Canvas site here. The Gap Analysis team is also available to answer any questions.
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.
► 3/11/2026: The FDA’s Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meets March 12 to discuss which strains of influenza virus to include in flu vaccines this fall. (link)
► 3/11/2026: FDA launches a new adverse event reporting system that consolidates several systems into a single Adverse Event Monitoring System (AEMS). (link)
MISSOURI NEWS
► 3/11/2026: Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo) introduces legislation to remove FDA approval for the use of mifepristone to end pregnancies. (link)
► 3/10/2026: The pilot Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) program with six Missouri hospitals shows promise as a statewide model. (link)
RESOURCES
► Missouri Foundation for Health releases findings from its 2025 Speak Up MO survey. More than 2,000 Missourians completed the survey, sharing their thoughts on healthcare, crime, cost of living, and their communities. Results and stories
► Understanding Herbal Supplements: communication resources from Public Health Communications Collaborative (link)
WEBINARS/TRAINING/CONFERENCES
► Mar 16 – 18, Columbia, MO. Disaster Behavioral Health Conference, hosted by DHSS. Explore the unique behavioral health needs that arise after natural disasters, human-caused incidents, and acts of terrorism—and learn from real experiences to strengthen support for individuals and communities on their path to recovery. $50 to attend, due at registration with credit card. Register
► Mar 18, 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
► Mar 25, 12:00 pm, Protecting the Core: Prioritizing Foundational Public Health Services Under Fiscal Constraint, hosted by the University of Minnesota Center for Public Health Systems. Introduce frameworks for preserving essential capabilities (assessment, preparedness, communications) when discretionary funds shrink. This webinar is part of a series highlighting practical strategies for protecting communities when budgets tighten. Register
► Mar 26, 12:00 – 1:30 pm, The Public Health Impacts of the 2025 Executive Orders, hosted by the Network for Public Health Law. Information on the federal executive orders issued throughout 2025 was often scattered, making it difficult to appreciate the overall impact of these federal actions and related policies on public health. Learn more about the Network’s new resource, Executive Order Watch: Public Health Impact of the 2025 Federal Executive Orders, and the ongoing public health impacts of the 2025 executive orders and related actions in areas including equity, reproductive health, the Federal MAHA initiative, immigration, and voting. Register
► Apr 2, 1:00 pm, Identification of Potential Public Health Workforce Datasets and Their Utility for Future Research, Consequences of State Remote Work Policies on Rural Public Health, hosted by the Consortium for Workforce Research in Public Health as part of a series highlighting recent workforce topics. Register
► Apr 15, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, Grant Management and Compliance Training, Part 2, hosted by Missouri Public Health Institute. Register
► Sep 9 – 10, Fall Preparedness Summit, in Jefferson City, hosted by DHSS’ Office of Emergency Coordination with the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Program and the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP). This will replace the traditional Fall Planners Meeting. Location, detailed agenda, and session times are being finalized, but attendees can expect engaging sessions on emergency preparedness and networking opportunities with partners across the state. Additional details, including a registration link, will be shared closer to the date.
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