Benefits of Forming State Associations

Local boards of health are a resource for improving advocacy, policy, and collaboration for public health. When local board members become involved in public health issues, they have the collective ability to influence how political, educational, business, and community leaders perceive and support local health issues.

 

By creating a SALBOH, board members are able to learn and interact with their peers and public health leaders throughout the state. Local board members also have access to a wide variety of services, including:

• Educational programs
• Legislative information
• Networking opportunities
• Models for improving local public health programs
• Training to improve board performance

SALBOHs also provide local board of health members with the opportunity to develop the leadership skills necessary to participate in shaping health policy at local, regional, and state levels. State associations of local boards of health foster citizen involvement in public health and assist their members in exercising an important democratic function.

 

State associations of local boards of health are a resource for their local boards of health. Whereas NALBOH focuses on a national agenda, a state association is able to provide state specific assistance to its local boards. SALBOHs, then, are a further resource for improving advocacy, policy, and collaboration for public health.

 

Benefits for State Association for Local Board of Health Members

Because of the unique role that local boards of health play in the public health system, state associations are needed to focus upon and respond to the statewide public health issues. SALBOHs are best suited to advocate on behalf of local board members because of their knowledge of state and local rules and regulations and their ability to tailor national educational and training materials and programs to the specific needs of their local boards.

 

Local board members benefit from state associations because SALBOHs are able to provide another level of attention to local boards of health. While NALBOH oversees national policy and boards overall, state associations are better situated to represent their members to state legislators, public health officials, and others and to deliver localized training for its members.

 

Because the SALBOH leadership is more likely to interact with other state leaders, there is an increased opportunity for this personal contact with legislators, politicians, and others to positively affect boards of health. Because of this contact, the SALBOH is better positioned to track and act upon state public health legislation, protect the local board of health’s role in public health agency oversight, and represent the boards’ positions.

 

Lastly, SALBOHs represent their members to the National Association of Local Boards of Health. Because of their partnership with NALBOH, members of SALBOHs are better informed, focused, and represented at the national, state, and local levels.

 

If you are a board of health member and are interested in forming a State Association, please contact Ned Baker for more information.