Registration
Joint Public Health COnference
Hosted by
MPHA * MODHSS * MPHI * MICH
MPHA * MODHSS * MPHI * MICH
Registration
Bridging Communities:
September 15-17, 2026
September 15-17, 2026
Attendee Registration
The Missouri Public Health Association, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence and Missouri Institute for Community Health invite you to the Joint Public Health Conference “It Starts Here: Investing in Public Health”. The in-person conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri. We are looking forward to your participation in our Conference and are grateful for your past involvement. We know it will be an effective opportunity for you to interact with Public Health Professionals from Missouri and around the region.
All meal functions and breaks will be held in the exhibit area where booth spaces will be assigned on a first come-first serve basis (excluding sponsors). Please fill out and return the enclosed Registration Form with your payment as soon as possible. If you have any questions about the conference, please feel free to call MPHA at 573-634-7977 or email at sboeckman@mopha.org
The Wyndham Executive Center Columbia has extended a conference room rate of $125.00 for single or double occupancy available until Sunday, August 24, 2025. Call the Wyndham Executive Center at 573-445-8531 and mention the group block for Missouri Public Health Association when making your reservations.
Session Topics
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE PREVENTION & CONTROL
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE HEALTH EDUCATION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH
HEALTH EQUITY & SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT SERVICES
General Session Speakers
Sarah Willson, MBA, BSN, RN, FACHE, Director, MODHSS
Dr. Patrick McGough, MNP, MSHR, RN, CHA, President Elect, NACCHO
Allie Bodin, MPH, CPH, Missouri Public Health Institute
Jesse DeVillier, Infrastructure Manager, Cooper County Public Health Center
Alaina Flory, MPH, Missouri Public Health Institute
Nebu Kolenchery, MPH, Chief Revenue Officer, Flourish and Thrive Labs
Phillip Marotta, PhD, MPH, Washington University Brown School-School of Public Health Jaci McReynolds, MHA, Ozarks Public Health Institute
Hannah Pender, Carter County Prosecutors Office
K. Michelle Walker, MPH, RN, Administrator, Carter County Health Department
Conference Objectives
Education, Networking, Involvement
- Provide information for public health professionals and governing body members, and partnership efforts to enhance the
coordination of health and human services for Missourians. - Provide an environment for information exchange among individuals involved in and impacted by the provision, support and
use of public health services. - Increase indiviuals’ involvement in assoications with a commitment to improving the health of all Missourians.
Agenda
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
1 – 5:00 p.m. – PRE-CONFERENCE ENVIRONMENTAL SESSIONS
1 – 2:30 P.M. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 101 FOR ADMINISTRATORS – Dusty Johnson, Senior Services, MODHSS
This presentation provides an overview of environmental health responsibilities, regulatory requirements, enforcement processes, and contractual opportunities and obligations within public health agencies.
3 – 5 P.M. GO FROM BYSTANDER TO LIFESAVER; STOP THE BLEED TRAINING WITH INSTRUCTION OPTION – Elissa Brueggemann, BSN, RN, NCSN, Missouri State School Nurse Consultant, MO DHSS, Adolescent and School Health Program; Kelly Vaugh, BS, RN, School Nurse Specialist, MO DHSS, Adolescent and School Health Program
Join us in this session to master the life-saving skills needed to control severe bleeding in an emergency. The ACS Stop the Bleed Program empowers bystanders to become immediate responders. Learn to quickly identify life-threatening hemorrhage and perform critical interventions—including wound packing, pressure application, and tourniquet usage—before emergency personnel arrive. Instructor Option: Missouri’s “Stop the Bleed Act” (SB 68/Sect. 160.485, RSMo) mandates that all public and charter schools maintain traumatic blood loss protocols, equip facilities with bleeding control kits, and train designated staff. Stay with us after the basic course and equip yourself to teach these life-saving techniques to others in your community, workplace, or school. The instructor course provides the comprehensive knowledge needed to effectively lead basic Stop the Bleed trainings. Trainee must be 18 years or older, have completed the basic Stop the Bleed training, and be a healthcare professional or one of the following non-healthcare professionals: American Heart Association CPR/BLS Instructor; American Red Cross CPR/First Aid Instructor; Certified Health Teacher; FEMA Certified trainer; National Safety Council trainer/instructor; OSHA Safety Instructor; Organization Safety and Health Instructors; Wilderness First Responder Instructor
1 – 5:00 p.m. – PRE-CONFERENCE COMMUNICATION SESSIONS
1 – 3 P.M. WHEN YOUR ROI IS AN LOL: MEASURING A HUMAN CONNECTION – Spenser Bartholomew McCarthy, Communications Professional, MODHSS
The key to connecting is humor. It’s a practical strategy that cuts through to the heart of what makes communications special: the human connection. People scroll through social media to laugh and be entertained, and the days of successful corporate toolkit posts are long gone. 91% of people say they want brands to be funny, but only 20% of brands actually are. You were born with a funny bone, you just have to know how to use it (and when not to). Health and science communicators have the opportunity to break through a tremendous algorithmic barrier by humanizing their digital experience through humor. This session puts an emphasis on your organizations relatability so you can stop the scroll in a noisy digital world, because making your followers laugh puts you on the path to building trust with Missourians.
3 – 5 P.M. ACCESSIBILITY TIPS & TRICKS FOR DOCUMENT CREATORS AND DESIGNERS – Sami Jo Freeman, Deputy Communications Director, MODHSS
This presentation offers a highly practical, workflow-driven roadmap designed to equip local public health and other organizations with the skills to build accessibility into the foundation of their daily work. Moving beyond theoretical concepts like the POUR principles and color contrast ratios, we will dive straight into step-by-step authoring techniques within Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel to ensure your heading structures, data tables and essential metadata fields are perfectly configured before you ever hit export. Finally, we will deconstruct the PDF pipeline by showing you how to run an Adobe Acrobat accessibility report, interpret the purpose of reading order and tags, and quickly resolve common layout failures so your agency can distribute flawless, compliant public health materials with confidence.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
7: 30 a.m. Registration Opens
7: 30 – 10 a.m. Exhibitor Setup
8:00 a.m. Missouri Public Health Association GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
9:00 a.m. Section for Public Health Nursing GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
9 – 5:00 p.m. Wellness Center Open
10 – 11:30 a.m.
WELCOME – Sharon Whisenand, President, Missouri Public Health Association (MPHA)
MISSOURI’S PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM: FROM THE DIRECTOR’S VIEW –Sarah Willson, MBA, BSN, RN, FACHE, Director, Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services (MODHSS)
POSITIVE TRENDS FROM THE NATIONAL LEVEL: GIVING HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE FUTURE TO PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS IN THE TRENCHES – Dr. Patrick McGough, MNP, MSHR, RN, CHA, President-Elect, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
OPENING SESSION
AI IN THE FIELD: HOW TWO MISSOURI HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ARE USING AI IN THEIR
PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFLOWS – K. Michelle Walker, MPH, RN, Administrator, Carter County Health Center; Jesse DeVillier, Infrastructure Manager, Cooper County Public Health Center; Nebu Kolenchery, MPH, Chief Revenue Officer, Flourish and Thrive Labs
This presentation features two rural Missouri health departments, Carter County and Cooper County, sharing how they’ve integrated AI into their everyday workflows using PH360, an AI platform built specifically for public health. Attendees will hear directly from practitioners about what it looks like to use AI, and how to do it safely, with the right guardrails, in a HIPAA-compliant environment. Whether your department has three staff or three hundred, this session will give you a practical look at what AI in public health actually looks like on the ground.
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. AWARDS LUNCHEON
1:15 – 2:15 p.m.
BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
USING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSPECTION DATA TO IDENTIFY TRENDS AND GUIDE TARGETED COMPLIANCE AND EDUCATION INTERVENTIONS IN RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS – Reshma Fatima, Cooper County Public Health Center; Scott Clardy, Cooper County Public Health Center
This presentation explores the use of three years of environmental health inspection data to identify trends in food establishment violations and guide targeted public health interventions. The project analyzes patterns in priority and core violations, identifies high-risk establishments, and categorizes facilities based on compliance levels. Findings are used to develop planned targeted interventions, including training sessions, social media outreach, signage distribution, and direct communication with food establishments. This session will highlight how local health departments can use existing inspection data to drive proactive, data-informed strategies to improve food safety compliance and strengthen community health outcomes.
WELLNESS THAT WORKS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM 10 YEARS OF BUILDING A CULTURE OF HEALTH – Tiffany Stevens, Taney County Health Department Public Health Center
Lessons Learned from 10 Years of Building a Culture of Health highlights the evolution of workplace health and wellness initiatives over the past 10 years, including lessons learned, program challenges, employee engagement strategies, and the redesign of a successful workplace wellness campaign. Attendees will hear practical insights on building a culture of wellness, adapting initiatives to employee needs, and sustaining long-term engagement. The program will also share strategies that contributed to receiving a workplace wellness award and how organizations of any size can create meaningful wellness improvements.
REBUILDING TRUST AFTER MORAL INJURY: INSIGHT INTO ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES – Jaci McReynolds, DrPH(c), University of Nebraska Medical Center
Verbal abuse and harassment, social media attacks, doxing, and physical threats – even death threats – against public health workers during the COVID pandemic led to many experiencing moral injury. Moral injury is defined as “psychological harm incurred from committing, witnessing, or being subject to actions that violate one’s moral code” (VanderWeele & Wortham, 2025). Moral injury can cause psychological, social, spiritual and biological effects such as a loss of trust in oneself and others, a loss of purpose, withdrawing from relationships, depression, cynicism, even physical pain. One of the effects of moral injury reported among Missouri’s public health workers is a loss of trust in themselves, their co-workers and leadership, and their public. Trust at all of these levels must be restored in order for public health workers to truly bridge communities and connect Missouri to better health. This session will explore individual and organizational actions that can be taken to move public health workers beyond moral injury to rebuild trust at the individual, organizational, and community levels.
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN HEALTH POLICY WORK – Lauren Crome, Clay County Public Health Center
Clay County Public Health Center has built a health policy program that’s grounded in community input and designed to be practical and sustainable. We started by engaging residents and partner organizations to identify shared priorities, so our work reflects what the community actually needs. We then developed a clear structure for the program, including a Health in All Policies approach that helps us empower our community to integrate a health lens into all levels of decision-making. This presentation will share what steps we took to build non-partisan community interest in our policy work, how we use the community’s voice to shape our actions, what tools we use to meet community needs, how we’re building a sustainable process, and where we expect to go from here.
2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Break with Exhibitors
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
IMPROVING STUDENT NURSE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE AT THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT – Lisa Terbrock, St. Charles County Public Health
This presentation will describe a quality improvement project focused on improving the student nurse clinical experience at a local public health department. The project was designed to strengthen student learning, keep students engaged, protect staff well-being, build sustainable hosting capacity at our local health department, and instill a sense of love for public health. Using a pre-post quality improvement approach, staff nurse feedback was collected to identify barriers related to student engagement, workload, and placement logistics. Targeted interventions were then developed and implemented with Spring 2026 nursing student cohorts. The presentation will highlight our challenges, lessons learned, practical tools, and recommendations for building a more sustainable, scalable, student-nurse hosting process in public health settings.
BEYOND THE BILL: MEDICAL DEBT AS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE – Mary Shannon, Care Over Collections
Medical debt is both a consequence of illness and a driver of worsening health. In Missouri, which lags behind other states in medical debt protections, it presents a nearly universal risk, but unequal outcomes. This presentation explores medical debt through patient stories, Missouri-based research, and discussion of the downstream impacts of medical debt on access to care, chronic stress, and community health. Participants will examine how billing and collection practices can contribute to barriers to care and health inequities. The session will conclude with practical opportunities for healthcare providers, public health agencies, and community organizations to reduce financial harm, strengthen trust in healthcare systems, and support patients navigating medical debt.
LEARNING FROM LOSS: FETAL AND INFANT MORTALITY REVIEW – Angela Talbott, MODHSS; Daniel Quay, MODHSS; Martha Smith, MSN, RN, MODHSS
Learn how the Missouri Fetal and Infant Mortality Review program is addressing the problems of fetal death and infant mortality by developing an understanding of the problem. The program collaborates across the state with local partners to develop and implement strategies for improving these outcomes by addressing contributing factors and systemic gaps that are connected with these tragic outcomes.
MANY HANDS, BETTER HEALTH – FOSTERING CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS – Amanda Harrold, PhD, MPH, Lindenwood University; Jessica McHugh, MPH, St. Charles County Department of Public Health; Stephanie Moore, MPH, MCHES, SSM Health-Saint Louis
Discover how the St. Charles Community Health Collaborative brought partners together in 2024 to implement a community-driven approach to health improvement through the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) 2.0 Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). Members of the Assessment Design Team will share practical strategies for creating community engagement from planning to implementation, including lessons learned in building partnerships, securing funding and engaging students and community stakeholders throughout the process. Attendees will gain actionable ideas, hear about key milestones and upcoming priorities, and leave with tools and approaches that can be adapted and replicated within their own health departments and community partnerships.
3:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Break with Exhibitors
4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. CLOSING SESSION
BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY FOR DATA-DRIVEN PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT – Allie Bodin, MPH, CPH, Missouri Public Health Institute; Alaina Flory, MPH, Missouri Public Health Institute
Local public health agencies must demonstrate measurable impact and improve efficiency but often lack scalable, practical models for performance management and quality improvement. This session presents a model developed by the Missouri Public Health Institute. Participants will learn how the model aligns organizational priorities with measurable indicators and translates data into actionable insights using key performance indicators and objectives and key results. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies and templates to strengthen performance management efforts and embed quality improvement into routine operations.
5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. Reception with Exhibitors
Thursday, September 17, 2026
7: 30 a.m. Registration Opens
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast with Exhibitors
9:00 a.m. – 12 noon – WELLNESS CENTER OPEN
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. OPENING SESSION
LOCOMOTOR FPHS MODEL: THE MAGIC OF BRINGING MISSOURI’S FPHS MODEL TO LIFE –Jaci McReynolds, Associate Director, Ozarks Public Health Institute
Missouri’s Foundational Public Health Services model defines the suite of foundational services and capabilities that must be available in every community in order to ensure Missouri’s public health system delivers equitable opportunities that remove barriers and promote optimal health for all Missourians. The FPHS model provides a critical and consistent framework for practicing public health and communicating its essential role in our communities. This session brings the Missouri FPHS model to life. It offers practical, actionable steps LPHAs can use to map their programs and services to the model, align capabilities to better support programs and services, and identify areas for improvement to ensure all foundational public health services are delivered. The result is an increased ability to practice person- and community-centered care and resourcing that helps people break through barriers to reach their best state of health. Collectively, we can ensure a functioning public health system in Missouri that will give us more room to operate in a way that honors the dignity and value of every person.
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
MEETING THEM WHERE THEY ARE: UTILIZING SCHOOL HEALTH CLINICS AND COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO OPTIMIZE STUDENT HEALTH AND SUCCESS OUTCOMES – Aaron Berendzen, Eldon R-1; Eve-Lynn Nelson, TelehealthROCKS
Telehealth ROCKS Missouri is a two-state initiative to address the national crisis in youth mental health and significant student inequities related to the Social Determinants of Health. The network of partners includes the Eldon, South Callaway, and Kennett School Districts in Missouri and nine school districts in southeast Kansas. The presenters will share the promising practice of school-based community health workers (SB-CHW) and tools for community partnership and engagement. Participants will discuss ways to maximize the impact of these trusted “frontline public health workers” and differentiate their role within school teams. The presenters will also share strategies for building and sustaining engagement across stakeholders (e.g., students, families, education, health, mental health and wellbeing, social services, government, and others) and building community partnerships to address student and family needs. The presenters will discuss how the Eldon School District has created a partnership that led to a full health clinic on their school campus and how that has improved the district’s health outcomes and other metrics. The presentation will conclude with a call to action for participants to engage stakeholders to advance Social Determinants of Health goals within their unique schools and communities, including SB-CHW options.
24/7 AND 365: EXPANDING NALOXONE ACCESS THROUGH 24/7 DISTRIBUTION BOXES IN BOONE COUNTY, MISSOURI – Alec Mundle, Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services; Dave Zellmer, MPH, Health Program Coordinator, Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services; Christina Safron, Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services
Multiple barriers to naloxone access exist for the general public. One of the biggest is that many of the access points for naloxone are subject to closure after business hours. These include locations such as front desks, pharmacies, and health departments. Geographical and transport barriers further prevent access. To combat these issues, Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services program coordinators implemented a nimble 24/7 naloxone access project, resulting in 3,000 doses being distributed in the first six months. In this presentation, participants will understand the importance of increased access to naloxone, 24/7 naloxone distribution boxes as a way to battle stigma, and how to implement a 24/7 naloxone access project in their community.
SHOWME WORLDCARE EXPORTING METHODS – Kelby Kies, MODHSS; Eden Dietle, MODHSS; Angie McKee, MODHSS
This session will provide guidance on how to extract data from ShowMe WorldCare using three different methods: exports within the application, ShowMe WorldCare Data Warehouse, and the Bl Portal. The Bureau of Data Modernization and Interoperability {BDMI) will give a brief overview and demonstration of these three data extraction methods. Audience members will have the chance to provide feedback and priorities for future report needs.
BEYOND ACCESS: EXAMINING HIDDEN DRIVERS OF HEALTH INEQUITIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS – Lauren Anderson, PhD, Independent Researcher & Founder, Grow with Dr. Lauren
Organizations often approach equity through surface-level inclusion efforts and initiatives while overlooking the institutional processes and organizational norms that quietly reproduce inequities. This presentation examines how hidden dynamics within organizations shape experiences and outcomes for marginalized populations. Attendees will explore how organizational assumptions surrounding access, participation, and institutional “fit” can reinforce inequities despite equity-focused intentions. Participants will leave with practical strategies for critically examining organizational systems, identifying hidden barriers, and designing more human-centered and equitable institutional practices across workforce, educational, and community-serving environments.
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Break with Exhibitors
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
EXTENDING THE REACH: LEVERAGING MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS – Isaac Sandidge, MA, Missouri Institute for Mental Health; Amy Bartels, M.Ed., Assistant Director, Missouri Health First Aid (MHFA)
Communities across Missouri face persistent barriers to mental health care-including provider shortages, transportation challenges, and stigma, while Local Public Health Agencies (LPHAs) are experiencing growing demand to address behavioral health needs with limited resources and workforce capacity, often placing public health professionals in the role of informal first responders. This session highlights how Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), an evidence-based training that builds mental health awareness, literacy, and pathways to support, can serve as a scalable strategy to extend the reach of local public health systems. By equipping both clinical and non-clinical staff with practical skills to recognize, respond to, and connect individuals to care, MHFA helps bridge access gaps and advance health equity across both rural and urban Missouri. Participants will explore how workforce strain, access limitations, and social determinants of health intersect, while learning how to access no-cost MHFA training opportunities and leverage available funding to strengthen capacity within their own agencies, contributing to a statewide goal of training 500 LPHA staff by October 2027. Real-world Missouri examples will demonstrate how MHFA enhances cross-sector collaboration, increases staff confidence, and supports early intervention, leaving attendees with actionable strategies to build more responsive and resilient public health systems.
A POPULATION-BASED STUDY OF SEX DIFFERENCES IN THE PROSPECTIVE ASSOCIATION OF LONG COVID WITH HEADACHE AND FATIGUE SYMPTOMS THREE YEARS AFTER COVID-19 ONSET – Kelechi Onyeaka, MPH, College of Health Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia
This presentation examines the long-term health burden of Long COVID nearly three years after initial infection, focusing on persistent headache and fatigue in a population-based cohort. Using prospective data, we identify patterns of enduring symptoms and explore whether these associations differ by sex. Attendees will gain insight into the lasting public health implications of post-COVID conditions and discuss how these findings can inform surveillance, clinical awareness, and community health planning going forward.
DECODING DISPARITIES: ADDRESSING RACIAL BIAS IN MEDICAL RISK TOOLS – Mary Amanda Haskins, PhD, Stephens College; Merrill Sapp, PhD, PA-C, Stephens College
This session will explore how racial biases embedded in medical algorithms contribute to health disparities and undermine equitable care. Drawing from both public health and clinical frameworks, we will examine how widely used diagnostic tools and risk calculators may reinforce structural inequities by encoding race as a biological rather than social construct. A public health educator and a practicing physician assistant will co-present, offering a multidisciplinary lens on the historical roots, real-world consequences, and potential reforms of these algorithmic practices. Through case examples, we will discuss how clinicians, educators, and policy advocates can critically assess these tools and advance more equitable healthcare systems.
HOW YOU CAN HELP RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT LONG COVID PREVALENCE, MANAGEMENT, AND RESOURCES – Amy McQueen, PhD, Washington University-St. Louis; Loire Biggs, MSW, St. Louis Integrated Health Network
This session will provide a practical overview tailored for public henlll\ professionals regarding the long-term symptoms and sequelae that can occur after a COVID-19 infection – called 1011,1 COVID. Attendees will learn what Long COVID is, why it is under-recognized and under-diagnosed, effective ther,1pit;s, and the lived experience of people with Long COVID. The presentation will share practical resources for Long CO\/ID care in Missouri and resources for increasing community awareness and access to care. At the end of the session, nttendees will be encouraged to discuss practical ways the public health workforce can address and mitigate the impact of Long COVID across Missouri.
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Luncheon
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. GENERAL SESSION
BRIDGING JUSTICE AND PUBLIC HEALTH: THE RISE PROGRAM MODEL FOR ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE USE IN RURAL MISSOURI – Hannah Pender, Carter County Prosecutors Office; Phillip Marotta, PhD, MPH, Washington University Brown School-School of Public Health; K. Michelle Walker, MPH, RN, Administrator, Carter County Health Center
The RISE Program in Carter County, Missouri, is an innovative, cross-sector initiative designed to address substance use disorders through coordinated efforts between public health, the justice system, and behavioral health providers. Developed in response to rising overdose deaths, limited access to care, and high rates of drug-related crime, the program integrates prosecutor-led diversion, peer support, patient navigation, and recovery services into a unified care model. By embedding services across the Sequential Intercept Model and leveraging strong community partnerships, RISE improves care continuity, reduces recidivism, and expands access to treatment in a rural, underserved population. This session will highlight implementation strategies, early outcomes, and lessons learned to support replication in other communities.
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. CLOSING SESSION
THE POWER OF OUR RESPONSE: THRIVING AND LEADING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY – John Thomas, Organizational Development Consultant, Washington University
This session challenges the pursuit of certainty and instead focuses on how public health professionals can lead effectively in the unknown. It emphasizes that lasting impact comes not from having all the answers, but from consistently showing up with intention, resilience, and strategic patience.
2:30 p.m. Prize Giveaways – We’ll wrap up the conference with exciting prize drawings on Thursday afternoon, and we’d love your help! Attendees are invited to bring a door prize or gift basket to showcase your agency, community, or simply something you love. Whether it’s locally made items, wellness products, office favorites, or agency swag, every donation helps make our closing celebration even more memorable. Thank you for helping us celebrate Missouri public health! (Prizes will be posted to the website for your review prior to the conference)
See Agenda
Interested in seeing what we have scheduled for the Joint Public Health Conference? Look here: See Agenda Here
Hotel Information
LODGE OF FOUR SEASONS, 315 FOUR SEASONS DRIVE, LAKE OZARK, MO 65049
The Joint Public Health Conference will be held at The Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Missouri , for this years conference. A block of rooms has been reserved at The Lodge of Four Seasons at a discounted rate of $135.00 for a standard room. Call 888-265-5500 and mention the “Public Health Conference” by Monday, August, 24, 2026 and receive your discounted convention rate.
For More Information
All meal functions and breaks will be held in the exhibit area where booth spaces will be assigned on a first come-first serve basis (excluding sponsors). Please fill out and return the enclosed Registration Form with your payment as soon as possible. If you have any questions about the conference, please feel free to call MPHA at 573-634-7977 or email at sboeckman@mopha.org
Missouri Public Health Association
722 E. Capitol Avenue
Jefferson City, MO 65101
573-761-5771
Fax: 573-635-7823
sboeckman@mopha.org
https://mopha.org/