The 2025 HPM Healthcare Conference will examine the evolving role of local health departments in addressing the nation’s most pressing public health challenges. Through a series of thought-provoking discussions, the conference will explore national trends in the structure, priorities, activities, and funding of local health departments.

One session will highlight innovative collaborations between public agencies and private sector partners, with a particular focus on the role of private foundations in advancing public health initiatives. Another session will feature an in-depth conversation on how local health agencies respond to emerging public health crises—including gun violence and social isolation—as well as their role in addressing the social determinants of health, such as housing instability and inequitable educational systems. There will also be an important discussion of innovative strategies aimed at improving the finances of the public health sector.

Bringing together public health officials from New York, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Oregon, along with national leaders from organizations such as NACCHO and the Common Health Coalition, the conference will serve as a platform for developing strategies to strengthen and stabilize the nation’s public health system. The event will conclude with a networking reception.