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View more news, opportunities and resources on the LPHA Info Hub.
 Congratulations to the Randolph County Health Department in Moberly, Missouri for earning national public health accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Board! Read more
HUB UPDATES
► The Calendar has been updated with new learning opportunities
UPCOMING DUE DATES
► Oct 1: Deadline to complete PHAB Readiness Assessment (at no cost to LPHA)
DHSS UPDATES
► Measles
DHSS is issuing a health alert to bring broader public awareness and provider education as the number of measles cases continue to surge nationally, with case counts already surpassing 2025 totals. We have one Missouri resident who has been diagnosed out of state, and at last report was still physically out of state. There is an outbreak in Southern Iowa near the Missouri border and documented exposures have occurred both within Missouri and with Missouri residents. DHSS is actively pursuing interventions and communicating with health partners to coordinate efforts to limit the spread of measles within Missouri.
► BEHRL Management Updates
Join the BEHRL (previously BEHS) team Sep 10 at 9:30 am for this session in their monthly webinar learning series. See the Hub Calendar for connection information.
► Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP) Resources
Under a contract with the DHSS Office of Women’s Health, Ozarks Public Health Institute is building out an online statewide resource map listing programs, services, and resources that prevent, respond to, and support sexual violence prevention. Over the next few weeks, students from MSU will be calling local public health agencies on behalf of OPHI to request any local resources you may have to be added to the map. They will ask for agency names, addresses, services provided, phone number and website. You may have already included this information in your WIC Resource Guide or other referral or resource lists. Your willingness to share the information will help service providers and individuals across Missouri easily locate resources they need to help. You are also welcome to email your list of resources to SVP program coordinator Selina West at SelinaWest@MissouriState.edu. Thank you for contributing to this statewide resource!
NEWS
► 9/1/2026: The House passes the Senate-amended Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (HR 6500) funding the federal government through 12/11/2026 at mostly current levels. (link)
► 9/1/2026: USDA Rural Development rescinds outdated construction regulation governing certain planning, construction, and development requirements for USDA-financed single-family and multifamily housing in an effort to reduce red tape and support rural housing. (link)
► 8/31/2026: A new study published in the journal npj Mental Health Research finds that adults who spend 2.5 or more hours scrolling social media every day are more likely to develop depression. (link)
► 8/31/2026: Physicians say social media is the biggest contributor to the rise in medical misinformation, not patient use of AI chatbots. (link)
► 8/28/2026: Vaping company Juul Labs receives federal permission to sell an updated version of its e-cigarette, which includes an optional age-verification system designed to prevent underage use. (link)
► 8/25/2026: A new Pew Research Center survey finds more than one in three (34%) U.S. adults now use AI for health reasons, with the primary reasons being speed (28%), self-diagnosis (25%), and low-cost access to information (22%). Usage was highest among Asian Americans (56%) and adults under 30 years old (44%). (link)
MISSOURI NEWS
► 9/2/2026: WashU releases an article that describes what WIC families face on a day-to-day basis, including obstacles to accessing healthy foods and navigating WIC benefits. WashU (link)
► 9/2/2026: Some of the biggest names in healthcare, education and government gathered in Lawrence, Kansas, this week to find new ways to keep rural hospitals open, efficient and equipped to serve the Kansas and Missouri rural communities that depend on them. Fox (link)
► 9/2/2026: Kindergarten vaccination rates continue to erode in Missouri, with only 89.5% of students having received two doses of MMR vaccine. Sullivan Independent News (link)
► 9/1/2026: Missouri DSS announces that starting October 1, 2026, SNAP applicants will be required to provide documented proof for certain expenses and resources rather than relying solely on self-reported statements. The Courier Post (link)
► 9/1/2026: Home State Health and Centene Foundation award $750,000 to nearly two dozen organizations working to address drivers of health to improve health outcomes for individuals and families across Missouri. Morningstar (link)
RHTP
► Funding Opportunity: DSS’ Rural Health Transformation Office has issued a Request for Information (RFI) as it looks to expand virtual care in rural Missouri. This RFI seeks input from vendors to help shape two distinct tracks: (1) Remote Patient Monitoring for Maternal Care and (2) Telehealth Specialist Access for Rural Hospitals and Providers. The effort is part of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and will help the state understand available solutions and inform its approach to expanding virtual care for rural communities. The full RFI and response instructions are available through MissouriBUYS under bid number "0000000012SL". Responses are due September 9 and should be submitted by email to the RFI point of contact, Steven Hoffman, at Steven.Hoffman@dss.mo.gov.
RESOURCES
► Public Health Response to the Opioid Crisis, from ASTHO. Information and education and advocacy resources. (link)
► Building Up Community Health Worker Programs, from ASTHO. (link)
► The Public Health Costs of Data Centers and What Policy Can Do, from The Network for Public Health Law. Data centers are facing growing bipartisan resistance in communities across the country due to health and environmental concerns. Local campaigns are playing a pivotal role in shaping local and statewide data center policy. Some localities have successfully passed moratoriums on data centers, and multiple states have proposed moratoria to pause the creation or expansion of data centers within their jurisdictions. Beyond moratoria, some states are beginning to pass laws regulating data centers. (link)
OPPORTUNITIES
► Leadership Exchange for Adolescent Health Promotion Plus (LEAHP+) Community of Practice. ASTHO is currently accepting applications for the third cohort of the LEAHP+ Community of Practice. This initiative brings education and health agencies together to strengthen health education, connect students to services, and foster supportive school environments. Participants will develop state action plans using evidence-based strategies to improve adolescent health and create lasting community impact. The deadline to apply is Oct. 2.
► The Missouri Chapter of the Association of Free and Charitable Clinics is being relaunched after being inactive for a few years. This association is for truly free clinics and for charitable clinics helping the uninsured and underserved in Missouri. If you are interested in participating, or know of a clinic in your area that fits this description, please reach out to Henry Irvin at My Neighbors Charitable Pharmacy in Branson (417-230-6652). There is no state-specific website up currently, but you can learn about the national association.
DID YOU KNOW?
People who say they use AI to manage their health score AI higher than their healthcare provider on being non-judgmental, easy to understand and sensitive to personal constraints.
Source: the Edelman Special Report on Trust and Health
WEBINARS/TRAINING/CONFERENCES/EVENTS
► Sep 9 – 10, Missouri Rural Health Conference, hosted by Missouri Rural Health Association will be held at Camden on the Lake, in Lake Ozark, Missouri. Register
► Sep 15 - 17, Annual Joint Public Health Conference. Registration is now open for the annual Joint Public Health Conference, hosted by MPHA, DHSS, MPHI, and MICH. This year's conference features a variety of presentations under the theme "Bridging Communities: Connecting Missouri for Better Health." The conference takes place September 15 - 17 at the Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark. Register
► Sep 16, 12:00 pm, Framing Strategies to Move Beyond Stigma, hosted by FrameWorks Institute. Stigma is the visible symptom of deeply-rooted cultural mindsets that shape how Americans think about health, deservingness, and justice. In this Framing Forum, we will explore what FrameWorks research tells us about stigma and the need to pay attention to foundational mindsets alongside efforts to decrease stigma. Register
► Sep 23, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm, Leading with Listening: Modernizing Public Health Communication in a New Information Age, hosted by WashU Bursky Public Health. Solving the problems people care about — rather than the ones experts think people ought to care about — could be the key to winning back the public trust lost in recent years. This free, in-person event (with Zoom option) explores how public health professionals can learn to listen better in a time of eroding trust, emerging technologies and increasing demands for community input on public health decision-making. Learn more and register
► Sep 24, 11:00 am, Making Sense of AI, hosted by Brown University. Join this moderated conversation examining the promise and the risks of AI while considering deeper questions about attention, discernment, human flourishing and the kind of future we hope to create. Register
► Sep 25, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, 4th Annual Summit: Building Bridges of Care: Recovery, Resilience, and Family Empowerment, hosted by the Missouri Maternal Health Action Network at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center in Kansas City. The Summit will feature engaging panel discussions, networking opportunities, resource tables, and the opportunity to learn from mothers with lived experience who are helping shape systems of care across Missouri. Space is limited to 175 attendees, and registration will close on Monday, September 14, 2026, or when capacity is reached. Register
► 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
► Oct 6, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, Advancing Advocacy: Fall 2026 Workshops for Missouri Nonprofits, hosted by Missouri Foundation for Health. Join Missouri Foundation for Health and Alliance for Justice for one of two free, in-person workshops focused on strengthening advocacy and developing partnerships. Enjoy informative training presentations, a conversational networking lunch, and a panel of inspiring Missouri leaders who are building collective power through policy advocacy, community engagement, and coalition building. Lunch will be provided. Register by September 25 for this event or see the Hub Calendar for a second offering on Oct 8 in Republic, Missouri.
► Oct 8, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, Advancing Advocacy: Fall 2026 Workshops for Missouri Nonprofits, hosted by Missouri Foundation for Health. Join Missouri Foundation for Health and Alliance for Justice for one of two free, in-person workshops focused on strengthening advocacy and developing partnerships. Enjoy informative training presentations, a conversational networking lunch, and a panel of inspiring Missouri leaders who are building collective power through policy advocacy, community engagement, and coalition building. Lunch will be provided. Register by September 25 for this event at the Republic Branch Library, 921 N Lindsey Avenue, Republic, Missouri.
► Oct 14 – 16, Artificial Intelligence and Public Health Conference, hosted by the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI). In person in Baltimore, Maryland. Presenters will describe the state of AI adoption in public health organizations, governance frameworks for ethical use, and recommendations for addressing communities’ concerns with this impactful technology. Several workshops designed for different levels of technical expertise will be offered. Registration fees apply. Learn more and register
► Oct 21, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, Safe Cribs Office Hours. See the Hub Calendar for details.
► Oct 23, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, Transforming Healthcare in Missouri, Part XI: Strengthening Public Health Infrastructure for Impact, co-hosted by the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy and Economics Research as WashU and Missouri DHSS. Join this stakeholder discussion focused around the question: "How can Missouri’s public health infrastructure best be strengthened, given resource constraints, to deliver the most impact?" Together, we’ll explore the challenges facing Missouri’s public health infrastructure and crowdsource ideas for strengthening it for the future. The event will be held at Clark-Fox Forum, Hillman Hall, Wrighton Way & Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105. Register
► Oct 27 - 28, DIMENSIONS: Tobacco Free Advanced Techniques In-Person Training for Missouri, hosted by University of Colorado. This two-day training covers tobacco fundamentals, tobacco addiction, tobacco cessation strategies, and a motivational intervention for tobacco cessation. Trainees will also be trained to facilitate the DIMENSIONS Tobacco Free Group curriculum—a 6-week tobacco cessation group. The Advanced Techniques training is a train-the-trainer model, meaning participants will leave the training with the materials and knowledge to train others at their organization. Training is free. Learn more and register by October 16.
► Oct 28 - 30, 2026 Missouri WIC Conference, hosted by DHSS. The biennial Missouri WIC Conference at the Branson Convention Center is an opportunity for Missouri WIC local and state agency staff to network and to learn more about implementing the Missouri WIC program and supporting WIC participants with research-based nutrition guidance. Details
► Dec 8 – 10, 2026 Public Health Law Virtual Summit, hosted by The Network for Public Health Law. This three-day virtual event explores the essential role of law and policy in public health data modernization. Under the theme "Convening, Aligning and Building Trust to Transform Communities," sessions will cover legal frameworks for data exchange, confidentiality protections, and the role of law in supporting justice, community power, and AI in data technology. $460 for nonprofit and governmental organizations. Register
► Jan 12 - 14, Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training (virtual), hosted by University of Missouri. Applications are due November 19. Scholarships may be available. Details
► Mar 10 - 12, 2027, 3rd Annual Missouri Disaster Behavioral Health Conference, hosted by MO Department of Mental Health and the Missouri Behavioral Health Council at the Wyndham Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri. Additional details to be provided soon.
► May 18 - 20, Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training (virtual), hosted by University of Missouri. Applications are due March 25, 2027. Scholarships may be available. Details
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