National Association of County and City Health Officials

aThe National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is the national organization representing local health departments. NACCHO supports efforts that protect and improve the health of all people and all communities by promoting national policy, developing resources and programs, seeking health equity, and supporting effective local public health practice and systems.

NACCHO is governed by a 32-member Board of Directors, comprising health officials from around the country elected by their peers, and including ad hoc members representing the National Association of Counties, of which NACCHO is an affiliate, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. NACCHO's Executive Committee includes the four NACCHO officers and the chairs of the three NACCHO forums—the Metro Forum, County Forum, and City Forum. The Board meets three times a year: at a Leadership Meeting in Washington, D.C., at the NACCHO Annual Conference, and in conjunction with the APHA Annual Meeting. NACCHO members have opportunities to serve on a variety of NACCHO Committees, including standing committees and program advisory committees. Most of the committees meet by conference call and have one face-to-face meeting a year.

The history of NACCHO dates back to the 1960s, with the formation of the National Association of County Health Officials (NACHO), an independent affiliate of the National Association of Counties. As the U.S. federal, state, and local public health systems continued to expand, NACHO combined with the U.S. Conference of Local Health Officers, an organization affiliated with the United States Conference of Mayors, to form the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) in 1994. This unified organization more closely represents all governmental local health departments, including counties, cities, city/counties, districts, and townships. In 2001, NACCHO expanded its scope to include tribal public health agencies serving tribal communities on reservation lands. Today, active membership in NACCHO continues to grow with about 1,300 local health departments.

1. http://www.naccho.org