Health

Governors play an essential role in addressing the health needs of the public across all domains. NGA’s Center for Best Practices supports Governors’ offices in addressing emerging public health crises, improving access and quality of care for behavioral health and substance use disorders, and finding ways to innovate healthcare delivery.

To support Governors’ priorities, the NGA Health Team provides information, research synthesis, policy analysis, technical assistance, special projects, and resources to Governors and their staff on a variety of health topics including: public health infrastructure, chronic and infectious diseases, rural health issues, healthcare workforce, cost and coverage issues, behavioral health, health equity, and maternal and child health. NGA also provides special opportunities for states and territories to engage in more in-depth technical assistance such as through policy academies, learning collaboratives, workshops, and roundtables on pressing policy issues. With an emphasis on finding equitable solutions to some of the most demanding health issues, Governors establish partnerships, utilize state and territorial resources, and work across multiple sectors and state/territory agencies to develop and promote relationships to improve the public’s health. In addition to providing timely and individualized Governors’ office-focused technical assistance to Governors, their health advisors, and state and territory agency leadership, our team is working to aid Governors and health leaders in state and territory wide transformation efforts to build and improve the nation’s health through transformation efforts.

Services

  • Strategic planning facilitation and best practice guidance on health topics or initiatives
  • Annual HHS Advisors Institute for state/territory leaders on emerging health issues
  • Regular communications and briefings to health policy advisors on health topics
  • Customized research briefs and best practice presentations upon request
  • Strategic guidance, feedback, and meeting facilitation support to relevant advisors
  • Coordinating groups such as the Health Policy Advisors Network, Opioid State Action Network (OSAN), Medicaid Advisors Network, etc…

NGA Health Networks

  • Health Equity Learning Network – In 2023, the NGA Center convened states and territories to discuss approaches and communication strategies regarding health equity. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the NGA Center for Best Practices launched the “NGA Health Equity Learning Network.” The learning network is an opportunity for Governors’ offices and their health leaders to address health equity priorities. The learning network will focus on state and territory best practices related to health equity policy across several populations, including people with disabilities, racially and ethnically marginalized groups, and rural communities.
  • Health Policy Advisors Network – The Health Policy Advisors Network convenes Governor’s advisors on critical challenges in health impacting their states or territories. Through monthly calls that foster collaboration, the network is able to be a platform for sharing insights, strategies, and best practices for an evolving health landscape. 
  • Medicaid Advisors Network – The Medicaid Advisors Network brings together Governors’ Medicaid advisors and Medicaid state agency policy analysts to discuss key regulations and analyze the impacts on states and territories through a series of capacity building tools such as monthly roundtables, technical assistance and resource sharing. Members of the network focus on sustainable funding solutions, improving quality of care for Medicaid beneficiaries, and closing gaps in access to care. 
  • Opioid State Action Network – The Opioid State Action Network is comprised of Governor’s office staff (including policy advisors for criminal justice and health) and state officials from departments of public safety, corrections, health, behavioral health, Medicaid, and other related agencies. This network convenes to discuss critical new developments in opioid litigation and state policy. 

Focus Areas

  • Addressing Infectious Diseases Related to SUD/OUD
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma
  • Cost and Coverage
  • Disease Prevention and Management
  • Health Equity
  • Health Workforce
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Medicaid
  • Population Health
  • Public Health Infrastructure
  • Social Drivers of Health
  • Substance Use and Substance Use Disorder

Meet the Team

  • Marianne Gibson, Program Director
  • Brittney Roy-Morales, Program Director
  • Alex Entner, Policy Analyst
  • Anna Heard, Senior Policy Analyst
  • Asia Riviere, Policy Analyst
  • Grace Burns, Policy Coordinator

Improving Maternal and Child Health in Rural America

With generous support from the Health Resources and Services Administration, Merck for Mothers, Pritzker Family Foundation, and March of Dimes, The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices launched a Learning Collaborative in March 2024 to support nine Governors’ offices as they work to improve maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. The Collaborative supports the growth and development of state and territory-level, rural MCH initiatives. States currently participate in the Collaborative include: Alabama, American Samoa, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. Learn more…


NextGen Healthcare Workforce Project Year 3

NGA launched the Next Generation of the Healthcare Workforce project in 2022 with support from HRSA. The project supports Governors’ offices and other senior state officials in implementing strategies to strengthen and grow the next generation of the healthcare workforce. Year three of this project will focus on a policy academy and learning network to lay the foundation for new initiatives, funding opportunities, or administrative policies for improving healthcare workforce. Learn more…


Health Equity Learning Network

In 2023, the NGA Center convened states to discuss approaches and communication strategies regarding health equity. In 2024, the NGA Center will facilitate a learning network of states and territories interested in advancing their health equity goals. Learn more…


Towards Epidemic Preparedness

Through the “Towards Epidemic Preparedness: Enhancing Public Health Infrastructure and Incorporating Data-Driven Tools project, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) seeks to build on its strong history of working across sectors in a bipartisan fashion to support the needs of the U.S. Governors and their trusted advisors in 55 states and territories. Specifically, the NGA Center is supporting Governors and other senior state officials by providing technical assistance, and engaging Governors’ advisors to identify best practices for implementing forecasting models to predict infectious disease outbreaks and empower response. This project is in collaboration with the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation (CORI) at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security


NGA Health Libraries

Behavioral Health

Youth Mental Health: Promoting access and affordability of quality treatment and care

Youth Mental Health: Promoting access and affordability of quality treatment and care

NGA Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer hosted the third convening of the NGA Chair’s Initiative: Strengthening Youth Mental Health, in Detroit, Michigan, from April ...
State and Federal Actions to Respond to Xylazine

State and Federal Actions to Respond to Xylazine

Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is a non-opioid drug commonly used for veterinary purposes which has been showing up more frequently in the illicit drug supply. To address the significant ...
Youth Mental Health: Messaging for Success

Youth Mental Health: Messaging for Success

As part of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s 2022-2023 Chair’s Initiative on Strengthening Youth Mental Health, the National Governors Association hosted a webinar in partnership with the Frameworks Institute on ...
Youth Mental Health and Substance Use

Youth Mental Health and Substance Use

In a time when the drug supply is more lethal than ever, preventing substance use and mitigating risk among youth is a critical bipartisan priority. (Download) Mental health conditions and ...
Governors Lead the Way on Behavioral Health Workforce Needs

Governors Lead the Way on Behavioral Health Workforce Needs

New research from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing shows that 83% of the behavioral health workforce believes providers will not be able to meet the demand for mental health ...
Governors Lead on Solutions to Improve Mental Health in the Workplace

Governors Lead on Solutions to Improve Mental Health in the Workplace

More than half of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental health condition in their lifetime and may experience associated barriers to entering and maintaining employment. At a time when ...

Healthcare Delivery

Governors’ Health and Humans Services Policy Advisors Institute 2022

Governors’ Health and Humans Services Policy Advisors Institute 2022

The Governors’ Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute provided a valuable space for Governors’ advisors, subject matter experts, and partners to convene and learn from each other. by Myra ...
Wrap Up Meeting for the Policy Academy on State Strategies to Improve Care for Stimulant and Polysubstance Use

Wrap Up Meeting for the Policy Academy on State Strategies to Improve Care for Stimulant and Polysubstance Use

On September 19-20, 2022, the National Governors Association hosted the Wrap Up Meeting for the Policy Academy on State Strategies to Improve Care for Stimulant and Polysubstance Use in Los ...
Modernizing the U.S. public health system

Modernizing the U.S. public health system

Public Health infrastructure is the system that supports the planning, delivery and evaluation of the 10 public health essential services. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of a robust public ...
National Recovery Month - 2022

National Recovery Month – 2022

National Recovery Month, which started in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery ...
Supporting and Sustaining Access to Harm Reduction Services for People Who Use Drugs

Supporting and Sustaining Access to Harm Reduction Services for People Who Use Drugs

Harm reduction approaches are focused on minimizing the health, social and economic effects of drug use, including infectious disease spread and overdose with humility and compassion toward people who use ...
Behavioral Health Equity for All Communities: Policy Solutions to Advance Equity Across the Crisis Continuum

Behavioral Health Equity for All Communities: Policy Solutions to Advance Equity Across the Crisis Continuum

As a point of interception, equitable crisis response provides an opportunity to disrupt a cycle that has perpetuated longstanding challenges in underserved communities. (Download) Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic called widespread ...

Public Health

Governors’ Health and Humans Services Policy Advisors Institute 2022

Governors’ Health and Humans Services Policy Advisors Institute 2022

The Governors’ Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute provided a valuable space for Governors’ advisors, subject matter experts, and partners to convene and learn from each other. by Myra ...
Modernizing the U.S. public health system

Modernizing the U.S. public health system

Public Health infrastructure is the system that supports the planning, delivery and evaluation of the 10 public health essential services. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of a robust public ...
Nutrition for health

State Strategies on Preventing and Managing Type 2 Diabetes: A State Playbook

This paper looks at comprehensive local and state programs that can assist people with diabetes who may have low-incomes, be older or live in underserved communities. (Download) Type 2 diabetes, ...
Governor Murphy Introduces Chair’s Initiative: Strengthening Youth Mental Health Care

Governor Murphy Introduces Chair’s Initiative: Strengthening Youth Mental Health Care

At the closing session of NGA’s Summer Meeting 2022, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy accepted the NGA Chair’s gavel from Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and underlined the importance of Governors’ ...
NGA 2022 Summer Meeting

NGA 2022 Summer Meeting

The National Governors Association's 2022 Annual Summer Meeting was held was July 13-15, 2022, in Portland, Maine. Governors met to collaborate on bipartisan solutions to leading policy issues including computer ...
Maximizing Impact: State Strategies to Manage and Prevent HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STDs and TB

Maximizing Impact: State Strategies to Manage and Prevent HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STDs and TB

By targeting prevention efforts in specific settings, Governors can develop an intersectional, equitable and holistic approach to addressing barriers to testing and treatment for HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs and TB ...
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