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, Program Director
  • Alex Entner, Policy Analyst
  • Anna Heard, Senior Policy Analyst
  • Asia Riviere, Policy Analyst
  • Chyenne Tran, Policy Analyst
  • Dana Heilman, Senior 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

Policy Academy on Overdose Prevention Across the Continuum Kick-Off

Policy Academy on Overdose Prevention Across the Continuum Kick-Off

The NGA Center for Best Practices welcomed state teams from Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, and Missouri to Phoenix, Arizona on January 25 and 26, 2024 to kick off the Policy Academy ...
Expanding the Role of EMS to Prevent Overdose

Expanding the Role of EMS to Prevent Overdose

During a six-month Learning Collaborative, NGA is supporting five states—Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, Vermont, and Wisconsin—in their action planning to expand the scope of emergency medical services (EMS) as a ...
A Best Practices Dozen – Publications 2023

A Best Practices Dozen – Publications 2023

As we welcome a new year, it is natural to reflect on the year that has passed. In the realm of information dissemination, this act of reflection takes on particular ...
Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing

Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing

The NGA Center for Best Practices Children and Families team is excited to announce the Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing. Built off the success of ...
2023 Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute

2023 Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute

The National Governors Association (NGA) was pleased to welcome Governors’ staff from 32 states and four territories to the annual Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ...
American Samoa Supports Behavioral Health and Healthcare Workforce Needs

American Samoa Supports Behavioral Health and Healthcare Workforce Needs

American Samoa is working to address behavioral health and workforce needs in several ways. In 2021, Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga identified addressing the drug epidemic in American Samoa as a ...

Healthcare Delivery

Regional Workshops Explore Healthcare Workforce Solutions

Regional Workshops Explore Healthcare Workforce Solutions

During the past three months, NGA's Healthcare Delivery and Postsecondary Education teams convened teams from 20 states and territories in a series of regional workshops as part of the Next ...
NGA Releases Roadmap for Tackling Drug Overdose Epidemic

NGA Releases Roadmap for Tackling Drug Overdose Epidemic

Roadmap Outlines Strategies Targeting Growing Impact of Fentanyl Washington, DC –The National Governors Association (NGA) released a roadmap to help support Governors and state officials in developing policy solutions to ...
Implementing Best Practices Across the Continuum of Care to Prevent Overdose

Implementing Best Practices Across the Continuum of Care to Prevent Overdose

This Roadmap provides Governors with 17 specific, actionable recommendations to prevent overdose across five pillars of the Substance Use Disorder Continuum of Care: foundations, prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery ...
State and Territory Approaches to Improving Care for Individuals Affected by Stimulant and Polysubstance Use

State and Territory Approaches to Improving Care for Individuals Affected by Stimulant and Polysubstance Use

The Stimulant and Polysubstance Use Policy Academy provided states and territories with the opportunity to assess their current strategies and infrastructure for stimulant and polysubstance use using a comprehensive approach ...
Preparing the Next Generation of the Healthcare Workforce: State Strategies for Recruitment and Retention

Preparing the Next Generation of the Healthcare Workforce: State Strategies for Recruitment and Retention

Through their work together, states have learned ways to strengthen their healthcare career pathways, strategies to attract and retain workers, and methods to coordinate these efforts effectively. (Download) Governors have ...
Resource Guide on State Actions to Prevent and Mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma

Resource Guide on State Actions to Prevent and Mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma

States are actively engaged in supporting trauma-informed best practices to mitigate the effects of ACEs and trauma and promote resilience for their communities. (Download) In 2021, the National Governors Association ...

Public Health

NGA Releases Roadmap for Tackling Drug Overdose Epidemic

NGA Releases Roadmap for Tackling Drug Overdose Epidemic

Roadmap Outlines Strategies Targeting Growing Impact of Fentanyl Washington, DC –The National Governors Association (NGA) released a roadmap to help support Governors and state officials in developing policy solutions to ...
Implementing Best Practices Across the Continuum of Care to Prevent Overdose

Implementing Best Practices Across the Continuum of Care to Prevent Overdose

This Roadmap provides Governors with 17 specific, actionable recommendations to prevent overdose across five pillars of the Substance Use Disorder Continuum of Care: foundations, prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery ...
Tackling The Maternal And Infant Health Crisis: A Governor’s Playbook

Tackling The Maternal And Infant Health Crisis: A Governor’s Playbook

The National Governors Association Maternal and Infant Health Initiative Playbook is a guide designed to make transformational change in a system that has historically failed our mothers and babies, especially our ...
New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy Unveils “Maternal and Infant Health Initiative Playbook”

New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy Unveils “Maternal and Infant Health Initiative Playbook”

Atlantic City, New Jersey – In the opening session of the National Governors Association (NGA) Annual Meeting, New Jersey First Lady Tammy Snyder Murphy released the “Tackling the Maternal and ...
Leveraging Telehealth for Justice-involved Populations With Substance Use Disorders

Leveraging Telehealth for Justice-involved Populations With Substance Use Disorders

This brief reviews activities undertaken by states to expand the use of telehealth for justice-involved individuals with SUDs during the COVID-19 pandemic, share lessons learned, and highlight considerations for Governors ...
Public Health and Green Spaces

Public Health and Green Spaces

Governors are leveraging the great outdoors to improve health outcomes and bolster state economies. Genetics play a role in one’s health; however, the environment in which one is raised and ...