NACCHO's Podcast from Washington: Dr. Michael Kilkenny of Cabell-Huntington Health Department Discusses Local Preparedness Work and Leading Public Health Through Change

Washington, DC, January 16, 2026 —This month's podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes discussion of significant changes to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule, announced on January 5 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NACCHO issued a joint statement opposed to the change, and published an analysis about what this means for local public health practice. The episode also includes updates on the Rural Health Transformation Program and the status of FY26 federal funding negotiations. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO's News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.

Later in the program (6:00), Dr. Michael Kilkenny, NACCHO Immediate Past President and Chief Executive Officer and Health Officer for Cabell-Huntington Health Department, discusses how his department is navigating the many changes occurring in public health and offers advice to public health leaders on how to thrive in 2026. Dr. Kilkenny shared that, despite losing funding for their syringe services program in 2025, Cabell-Huntington Health Department remains committed in providing overdose prevention services.

As the