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View more news, opportunities and resources on the LPHA Info Hub.
HUB UPDATES
► Core invoicing process will change July 1. Review this instructional video or this PowerPoint presentation for a walkthrough of the new, simple process.
► Hantavirus: On May 8 the CDC issued a Health Advisory about the hantavirus disease outbreak caused by the Andes virus in connection with the cruise ship in the South Atlantic Ocean. DHSS has received several inquiries and wants to let our LPHA partners know that there are no persons being monitored for Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in Missouri at this time.
While clusters of HPS are not uncommon in the United States, those cases are typically related to hantaviruses that are not spread person-to-person. The Andes virus is the only type of hantavirus known to spread person-to-person, with such transmission limited to symptomatic close contact. In addition, the animal host (reservoir) of Andes virus is a rat not found in the U.S. Therefore, the risk to the general public in the U.S. continues to be extremely low.
DHSS is maintaining heightened awareness of hantavirus and other communicable diseases due to international travel and large events such as the World Cup and Rt-66 festivals. Any changes in the status of national cases or state surveillance efforts affecting Missouri will be relayed as appropriate.
► LinkedIn Learning: After June 30, 2026, the PHIG funded LinkedIn Learning licenses provided to LPHAs will no longer be available. When the contract with LinkedIn was initiated, they offered a maximum term of three years; that original agreement expires the end of June 2026, and the grant will not support renewal of the contract.
If you have any certificates or records saved directly within the LinkedIn Learning platform, please download or save them to another location to ensure they are retained after access ends. We will continue to explore alternative resources and training opportunities, including trainings that could be made available on the LPHA Hub for LPHA use, and will share these resources as they become available.
► FIFA World Cup™ Public Health Toolkit (MARC): As the Kansas City region prepares to welcome visitors from around the world, access to clear and reliable public health information is essential. These resources are designed to help residents, visitors, vendors and event organizers stay healthy and safe before and during tournament events. From heat safety and emergency preparedness to local services and trusted guidance, the information below supports a safe, enjoyable experience for everyone.
►Summer Food Program: Approved Sites Weekly Report updated
UPCOMING DUE DATES
► May 16: Deadline to submit a request for a Pathways Intern
► May 29: Registration deadline for Aug. 4-5 New Administrator Orientation and Aug. 5-6 Seasoned Administrator / All-In Meeting.
► Jun 30: deadline to register for Overdose Fatality Review Summit on July 29
► Jun 30: PHEP FY26 year end report, Inventory Report, Tangible Personal Property Report, final invoice, and Sub-Recipient Annual Financial Report due to preparedness@health.mo.gov.
► Oct 1: Deadline to complete PHAB Readiness Assessment (at no cost)
DHSS UPDATES
► Lori Brenneke’s Retirement: You are invited to attend Lori Brenneke’s Retirement Reception on June 26 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm at 930 Wildwood Drive, Jefferson City (Maple and Birch Conference Rooms).
► World Cup Health Advisory, May 1, 2026 (link)
► Core invoicing: The process for invoicing for the Core contract will change with the new state fiscal year July 1. Review this presentation for a walkthrough of the new, simple invoicing process.
► Perinatal Hep B: Effective August 28, 2025, Missouri law was updated to require prenatal testing for certain infectious diseases at multiple points during pregnancy and after delivery. (RSMo § 210.030). Health care providers should ensure testing for syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV occurs at:
- every pregnancy
- first prenatal visit
- around 28 weeks of pregnancy
- delivery
These requirements support early identification and treatment to help prevent transmission to infants and improve health outcomes for families.
► Public Health Conference call for proposals. MPHA, MODHSS, MPHI and MICH invite you to submit a proposal to present at the Joint Public Health Conference September 15-17, at The Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Missouri. The conference will have approximately 300 attendees, with both exhibitors and sponsors. View the criteria and submit your proposal by Friday, May 29, 2026.
► Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction courses hosted by Brown University are offered for free to LPHAs through CDC's Public Health Infrastructure Grant. There is also a MBSR Blood Pressure Reduction course available. All classes are held virtually through Zoom. To enroll, email mindfulness@brown.edu with the subject line Mindful-Missouri to apply the LPHA discount. View the class schedule
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.
► 5/6/2026: A new KFF Health Tracking Poll found broad bipartisan concern about food safety and corporate influence in health policy, extending beyond supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. (link)
► 5/13/2026: RFK Jr.’s chief HHS spokesperson resigns over flavored vapes (link)
► 5/13/2026: Kansas health officials monitoring 3 people with 'high risk exposure' to hantavirus (link)
► 5/12/2026: All passengers evacuated from hantavirus-hit cruise ship (link)
MISSOURI NEWS
► 5/13/2026: At a defining moment for public health in the United States, Washington University in St. Louis has received a $200 million commitment to fortify its newly established School of Public Health. (link)
► 5/12/2026: Thompson Center expansion to be 'stepping stone' for advancing autism care in Missouri (link)
► 5/8/2026: Judge denies Missouri AG’s bid to immediately halt 7-OH kratom sales by American Shaman (link)
► 5/7/2026: Aetna Better Health of Missouri collaborates with local organizations to address food insecurity and enhance safety and wellness supports (link)
RESOURCES
► FIFA World Cup™ Public Health Toolkit: As the Kansas City region prepares to welcome visitors from around the world, access to clear and reliable public health information is essential. These resources are designed to help residents, visitors, vendors and event organizers stay healthy and safe before and during tournament events. From heat safety and emergency preparedness to local services and trusted guidance, the information below supports a safe, enjoyable experience for everyone.
► Dietary Guidelines: Developed by the Public Health Communication Collaborative (PHCC) in partnership with Healthy Eating Research, this new resource, “A Snapshot of Dietary Guidelines for Americans” provides a concise overview of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), including differences between the 2025 and 2020 editions.
OPPORTUNITIES
► Pathways Interns: LPHA requests for Pathways interns for fall 2026 are due by May 16. Internships are open to students and recent graduates in nursing, environmental health, undergraduate or graduate public health programs, and other disciplines interested in pursuing a public health career. 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. There is no cost to LPHAs to participate. Submit your request for an intern.
► Moral Injury in Public Health Focus Groups: Moral injury is defined as “psychological harm incurred from committing, witnessing, or being subject to actions that violate one’s moral code” (VanderWeele & Wortham, 2025). The effects of moral injury can include feeling misunderstood, depression, a loss of purpose, withdrawing from others, cynicism, reduced physical activity, physical pain, and a loss of trust in yourself or your co-workers or community members. For her DrPH dissertation, Jaci McReynolds is exploring moral injury among public health workers in Missouri in order to identify individual and organizational strategies to help PHWs move beyond moral injury to rebuild trust and reclaim their lives.
Jaci will be hosting 1-hour focus group sessions in June to learn about strategies Missouri's local public health workers and LPHAs have applied to move beyond moral injury. To register to participate, please submit your name and email address. You will receive a follow up email with the date and time for the Zoom focus group and ways to participate anonymously, if that is important to you. Your contributions will help inform recommendations for strategies that could be adopted across Missouri to help thousands of public health workers. If you have questions, please email Jaci at jmcreynolds@missouristate.edu or call 417-839-3579.
WEBINARS/TRAINING/CONFERENCES/EVENTS
► May 21 - 22, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Rapid HIV Tester Training, hosted by DHSS at 930 Wildwood in Jefferson City, Conference Room Pine A/B. Register
► May 21, 1:00 - 2:00 pm, Public Health Communications for Impact: Approaches to Strengthening Infrastructure, hosted by ASTHO and the Public Health Communications Collaborative. Learn about a new guide designed to help agencies strengthen their internal infrastructure and coordination for maximum impact. Health department panelists will share real-world strategies for building the foundational systems and processes necessary to effectively communicate the value of public health investments. Register
► May 28, SDOH and Chronic Disease Prevention and Management. This session will introduce the portion of the CY26 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that includes services to address health related social needs: Community Health Integration (CHI), Principal Illness Navigation (PIN) and Principal Illness NavigationPeer Support (PIN-PS) services. Participants will understand how each service is defined, provider and patient eligibility requirements and billing and documentation specifications. This session will emphasize the clinical and financial benefits of pursuing this reimbursement pathway, highlight sample workflows and provide best practices for submitting services for reimbursement. Register
► May 28, 12:00 - 1:00 pm, A Systems Approach to Preparing the Health Workforce for Social Determinants of Health, hosted by University of Missouri. This seminar offers a forward-thinking exploration of how the health workforce can be better prepared to address social determinants of health (SDOH) through coordinated, multisector action. Register
► Jun 23, 1:00 pm, PHAB Refreshed Standards and Measures Launch. Guided by extensive feedback from the field and years of data, these updates help users navigate the refined Standards & Measures, pursue continuous quality improvement, and reduce documentation burden. Capacity for this event is limited. Register
► Jun 24, STI Quarterly Meeting. A registration link will be sent out to program sites at a later date.
► Jul 29, Overdose Fatality Review Summit, hosted by DHSS Overdose Data to Action in States team and Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) partners. On site training in Jefferson City for up to 100 Missouri LPHA staff and local partners (coroners/medical examiners, public safety, EMS, hospital ER, behavioral health) to increase the number of local overdose fatality review (OFR) boards in Missouri. Learn what an OFR is and how it can be used to guide overdose prevention and response within a community. Identify local partnerships to establish and conduct OFRs, understand overdose data systems and how to use the data to effectively guide the OFR process, understand how to prioritize and select cases for review, and see how an OFR operates. Register by June 30.
►Aug. 4-5: New Administrator Orientation
►Aug. 5-6: Seasoned Administrator / All-In Meeting: Register here for these meetings by May 29 and be sure to read the lodging question (Q6) carefully to be sure we get the correct number of rooms/dates for the room block.
► Sep 1 – 2, 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.
► Sep 9 - 10, Missouri Rural Health Conference, hosted by Missouri Rural Health Association. Details to come.
► Sep 29, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Perinatal Hepatitis B Case Management Using ShowMe WorldCare, hosted by the Bureau of Genetics and Healthy Childhood. Register. Learn to:
- Navigate PHB case management workflows in SMWC
Interpret Hepatitis B laboratory results
Track required tasks and timelines for pregnant women and infants
Apply updated LPHA responsibilities related to pregnancy screening and follow-up
Support timely vaccination and post-vaccine serology testing
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