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Below is a Council on Linkages Update for July 2026. Please feel free to share these opportunities in your organization’s newsletter or other communications.

Connect with the Council on Linkages at NACCHO360

Catch up on Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages) initiatives at the 2026 National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) 360 Conference being held July 14-17, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky and virtually. This year’s theme, “Racing Forward, Swinging Big: United for Public Health’s Future,” calls on the public health community to stay focused, swing with purpose, and race toward a future built on innovation, resilience, and access for all. Onsite sessions will highlight the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals and academic health department partnerships. Learn more and register. 

Registration Now Open: 2026 Public Health Learning Forum

November 16-19, 2026

Registration is now open for the 2026 Public Health Learning Forum! The Learning Forum returns this fall, bringing together public health professionals nationwide to share practical strategies for workforce development, quality improvement, and performance management. To help sustain performance improvement efforts when many organizations are facing funding and travel-related concerns, this event is being offered virtually and at no cost. All who are interested are welcome. View the agenda and register today.

Become a Sponsor: Sponsorship packages are also available! This is a prime opportunity to reach public health leaders and practitioners across the country. View the prospectus or contact Mike Barry at mbarry@phf.org to learn more.

Stories from the Field: Pathways to Employment in California  

Working with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the Public Health Foundation (PHF) is highlighting a new success story that showcases the power of academic health department (AHD) partnerships, the impactful collaborations between health departments and academic institutions. Learn about how the California Academic Health Department project, led by the Public Health Institute’s Center for Health Leadership & Impact, brought together local health departments and schools and programs of public health to develop a streamlined workforce pathway system for recent public health graduates. Read the success story to learn more.  

To dive deeper into this work, PHF and ASTHO co-hosted the Strengthening Academic Health Department Partnerships: Workforce Pathways in California webinar on June 18, 2026, offering a foundational introduction to AHD partnerships and a closer look at the California fellowship program connecting emerging public health graduates with health departments. If you weren’t able to attend or would like to revisit the presentation, the recording is now available on the TRAIN Learning Network (Course ID #: 1138027).

Refreshed PHAB Accreditation Standards & Measures 2026

As of July 1, 2026, the new Public Health Accreditation Board Standards & Measures and reimagined Reaccreditation process are now live. Designed for the field, by the field, these updates reflect your feedback and are informed by years of data. This is a refresh—not an overhaul—focused on making accreditation and reaccreditation clearer, more flexible, and more practical for today’s public health practice. With enhanced clarity, greater relevance to your community, and more actionable insight, these updates are designed to support continuous quality improvement. Explore what’s new and get started today.

Register for Open Forum: Next Generation 

Registration is now open for the Open Forum: Next Generation conference taking place in Nashville, Tennessee, from August 24-26, 2026. This year’s theme, ”Grounded in Purpose, Growing Our Impact,” speaks to this moment—it is time to tend to our public health workforce, remain rooted in our collective values, and have a little fun while we’re doing it. Learn more and register.