State Approaches to Public Health Challenges Discussed at NASHP Conference

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) held its annual conference September 8-10 in San Diego, convening healthcare professionals and policy leaders to discuss public health challenges and efforts to address them through state policy.

Several insights from the conference may be helpful to decision-makers in Arkansas. State policy approaches discussed included:

• Expanding interventions for youth with complex behavioral needs: Health policy officials from multiple states described programs aimed at closing service gaps between providers and children with behavioral health challenges. Kentucky is developing the Community Health for Improved Lives and Development (CHILD) Waiver, which, if approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will prioritize home- and community-based Medicaid services for children with complex behavioral needs who are in state custody, face homelessness, or are leaving institutional settings. Michigan has the Children’s Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SEDW), which targets children and youth with serious emotional disturbances through age 20. Wisconsin has Wisconsin Wayfinder, a resource that connects families and professionals to information and support for children and youth ages 0-21 who have delays, disabilities, special health care needs, or mental health conditions.
• Using social media to reach the uninsured: Participants discussed how social media could be better utilized to support public health efforts, especially by reaching those who may not have access to traditional healthcare resources. With individuals increasingly relying on social media for health information, agencies were encouraged to build trust and create a consistent, credible voice online. Suggestions included developing a strong brand, using trusted messengers such as physicians or influencers, and connecting public health messages to pop culture to make them more relatable. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Healthy Living social media accounts were noted as examples of a state agency using these strategies to engage target populations.
• Ensuring access to maternity care in rural and urban areas: Several presenters shared innovative strategies to ensure access to maternity care in both rural and urban communities. In Washington, D.C., the Safe Babies Safe Moms initiative is a collaboration between the region’s largest healthcare provider, MedStar Health, and local community-based organizations. It integrates a continuum of care model that supports women across the entire maternal health journey, from preconception through prenatal, postpartum, and early infancy care. In Iowa, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the University of Iowa to improve maternal health through the creation of a statewide task force and the expansion of telemedicine services to reach underserved areas.
• State strategies to build and sustain primary care: Arkansas state Senator Missy Irvin discussed how rural residency programs have helped increase the primary care physician workforce in Arkansas. A Colorado official spoke about Colorado’s Primary Care Payment Reform Collaborative, which aims to reduce healthcare costs by increasing investment in primary care.

For ACHI resources related to the above topics, see our Acute Behavioral Health Events Dashboard, our Social Media and Youth Mental Health topic page, our Maternal and Infant Health topic page, and our Primary Care Physician Workforce Dashboard.