Partners in Public Health Conference
Related Sites
![Partners in Public Health logo](/communities/practice/conference/image/logo.png)
Partners in Public Health Conference
The Local Public Health Association (LPHA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) are excited to launch a new opportunity for learning and connection: the Minnesota Partners in Public Health Conference.
Join us in November 2024 in Breezy Point, MN, as we explore new approaches for transforming Minnesota’s public health system. We will forge and strengthen our partnership and leverage each other's expertise to develop strategies that improve the well-being of our communities.
November 13-15, 2024
Breezy Point Resort: 9252 Breezy Point Dr., Breezy Point, MN 56472
Breakout session requests for proposals are now open!
Learn more and submit your request for proposal.
Who should attend?
- Local public health leaders and staff
- Tribal health department leaders and staff
- MDH leadership and staff
Registration, lodging information, and more event details will be available later this summer. In June, a request for proposals for breakout presentations will be released.
Conference purpose and objectives
Strengthen the partnership between local and state public health and create a shared understanding of what this partnership means.
By the end of the conference, attendees will be able to:
- Describe the common mission/vision between local and state public health.
- Explain the importance of partnership between the Local Public Health Association (LPHA) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) as organizations and between local and state public health.
- Describe the strengths and assets that LPHA and MDH as organizations bring to the partnership.
- Identify positive outcomes of partnerships between local and state public health.
- List the unique traits that local and state public health bring to the partnership.
For questions about the conference, visit the frequently asked questions below or email health.mpphconference@state.mn.us
We invite the following audience to this conference. It is designed for the following groups and will have content that is most relevant and beneficial for these groups:
- Local public health department directors/CHS administrators/staff - our goal is to have every local public health agency represented at this conference
- Tribal health department leaders and staff – participants from the health departments of Minnesota’s 11 Tribal Nations are encouraged to attend
- MDH leadership and staff – a wide representation of attendees across MDH divisions is sought
The conference will feature a mix of keynote speakers and breakout sessions.
Requests for breakout proposals are now open through August 1, 2024.
Learn more and submit your request for proposal: Breakout Session Request for Proposals
Information about sponsoring and exhibiting opportunities is coming soon.
The conference will take place from November 13 to 15, 2024. Further details are coming soon.
Registration will open this summer. The registration cost per person is estimated to be between $180 and $225, and it will include all meals at the conference as well as materials.
Start planning your attendance now!
Local Public Health and Tribal Health: This conference is sponsored in part by LPHA’s Response Sustainability Grant funding received from the state, and through these funds, LPHA will cover the cost of 2 conference registrations per Local Public Health Agency. Local Public Health Agency is defined as a tribal or city health department, or a county health department that has their own director. See the FAQs for more details on this policy. We want a wide representation of all those in local public health and tribal health departments – if the cost of attending this conference is a hindrance to your attendance, please email Alicia Rodriguez at arodriguez@mncounties.org, as scholarships are available to those in local and tribal public health if that is the case.
The conference will take place at Breezy Point Resort, 9252 Breezy Point Dr., Breezy Point, MN 56472.
A room block with group rate pricing will be available at Breezy Point Resort for the two nights of the conference. Information about reserving your lodging will be available this summer. For now, you can plan for a nightly rate of approximately $129 + tax. All individuals are responsible for making and canceling their own lodging reservations.
Thank you to our conference planning committee!
Kristin Bye, Otter Tail County
Kelsey Collier, Wright County
Sam Colston, MDH, Public Health Laboratory
Michelle Ebbers, Des Moines Valley Public Health
Amy Evans, Dodge County
Kelly Felton, MDH, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease
Karen Grasmon, MDH, Communications Office
Sara Lovett, MDH, Infectious Disease, Epidemiology, Prevention and Control
Erin Melz, Aitkin County
Amy Nelson, MDH, Child Family Health
Gabby Nelson, MDH, Community Health Division
Sarah Reese, Polk County Public Health
Alicia Rodriguez, Local Public Health Association
Mickey Scullard, MDH, Emergency Preparedness and Response
Stephanie Souter, Washington County
Frieda vonQualen, MDH, Environmental Health
Deanna White, MDH, Center for Public Health Practice
I am a local public health professional but not a member of the Local Public Health Association (LPHA). Can I attend?
Yes! Local public health agencies can send as many people as they want, whether they are appointed LPHA members or not. Those in leadership and staff positions are welcome and encouraged to attend. To encourage attendance from every corner of the state, each local health agency/tribe will receive two free registrations. Additional attendees from each agency are welcome and encouraged to attend and will be responsible for a registration fee and lodging expenses.
What do you mean when you say “local health agency”?
A local health agency is defined as a tribal or city health department or a county health department that has its own director. Departments that serve multiple counties with one director will be counted as one “agency” and will receive two free registrations. CHBs receive double the number of registrations equal to the number of counties with directors in the CHB – i.e. -- a three-county CHB that has three directors plus a CHB administrator still receives six free registrations.
I am a community health board (CHB) administrator only (i.e., I do NOT have a dual role as administrator and public health director of a county). Will my free registration be separate from the free registrations the counties in my CHB receive?
No. If you are a CHB administrator in a three-county CHB, for example, your CHB would receive six free registrations total. Your free registration as a CHB administrator is included in that number.
How will my local health agency get the free registrations?
The logistics and method/process for ensuring each local health agency receives its two free registrations is TBD. Stay tuned!
I work at a Tribal health department but am not a member of LPHA. Can I attend?
Yes! This conference is open to all those who work in Minnesota’s tribal public health departments, whether the tribe is a member of LPHA or not.
I work at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) – how do I know if I can attend?
We want to have representation from a wide array of departments at MDH attend this conference. Please speak to your division/section director or your direct supervisor to understand the plan for your department’s attendance.
Will continuing education be offered?
Participants will receive a certificate of attendance that can be used for continuing education contact hours after the conference. The number of contact hours is to be determined.
Will parts of the conference be recorded or live-streamed?
No. This conference will be an in-person event only, and there is no plan to record or live-stream parts of it.
If I can’t attend the conference in person, is there a virtual option?
There will be no virtual attendance option for this conference.
The cost of attending the conference (registration, lodging, travel) is prohibitive to my attendance. Are scholarships available?
Yes, scholarships are available to cover the costs associated with attending this conference for those in local or tribal public health. Please contact Alicia Rodriguez at arodriguez@mncounties.org to learn more.
Will different dietary needs be accommodated?
Yes, when you register, you will be able to share your dietary restrictions, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. Note that if you have severe allergies, we cannot guarantee that food is prepared in an allergen-free environment, so in that case, you might consider bringing your own food to supplement the conference meals.