Big Cities Health Coalition

Big Cities Health Coalition BCHC is a forum for the leaders of the largest U.S. metropolitan health departments. Together we promote and protect the health of one in five Americans.

Over the next few weeks, millions of kids will head into kindergarten for the first time – backpacks on, excitement in f...
08/10/2026

Over the next few weeks, millions of kids will head into kindergarten for the first time – backpacks on, excitement in full swing.

Dr. David Margolius, Cleveland's public health director and BCHC's chair-elect, writes in USA Today that those kids deserve to start the year protected.

Cleveland has made real progress, moving from 68% to 76% of kindergarteners meeting immunization requirements in just two years, by bringing free vaccines into neighborhoods and schools.

But nearly 1,000 Cleveland children are still unprotected, and the U.S. has seen more measles cases in the last 18 months than in the previous 25 years combined. Two children have died. Those deaths were preventable.

Cities are doing their part. It's time for Washington to do its part.

See the full op ed at the link in the comments.

Cleveland Department of Public Health

08/04/2026

Perfect example of how working with those who need health support the most benefits everyone 💞

Being well-fed is one of the most basic conditions for good health. In Cleveland, the health department is treating it t...
07/30/2026

Being well-fed is one of the most basic conditions for good health. In Cleveland, the health department is treating it that way.

With CDC Public Health Infrastructure Grant funding, the Cleveland Department of Public Health brought on Zainab Pixler to treat food access as a foundation for health.

She started by listening to the whole city, then began collaborating with community partners to revive the beloved Summer Sprout community gardening program, help a neighborhood open its own cooperatively owned grocery, and get locally grown food into school cafeterias.

It's a model other cities can learn from — and a clear example of why this federal funding matters.

Get the full story at the link in the comments 👇

Health departments are doing something you may not realize: they're the reason disease outbreaks don't become catastroph...
06/30/2026

Health departments are doing something you may not realize: they're the reason disease outbreaks don't become catastrophes, and they're the ones stepping in when no one else will.

In 2025, BCHC's member health departments served 62 million people – all while facing budget cuts, federal instability, and tough choices. But the work didn't stop. From keeping vaccination rates up to visiting thousands of homes to assess health needs, local health officials kept showing up.

Read our 2025 annual report to see the real work being done to keep your community safe. (Link in comments.)

Sometimes there's no substitute for being there in person.We recently introduced a professional development program wher...
06/29/2026

Sometimes there's no substitute for being there in person.

We recently introduced a professional development program where each staff member travels to spend a couple of days with one of our 36 member health departments.

Our communications director and the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District were our guinea pigs, and it was a great experience all around.

Elizabeth spent her two days shadowing the health department's director and comms director – watching city council members ask questions about the cross-agency community violence intervention program, learning daily operations and valuable stories from staff, visiting the immunization clinic and food and environmental safety teams on site, and even touring a 300-year-old mission and UNESCO World Heritage site to learn more about the tough but inspiring story of this community.

We love learning more about the brilliant on-the-ground work our members do every day to support their communities' health.

06/15/2026

Help us welcome Public Health - Seattle & King County's new Director and Health Officer, Sandra Valenciano, aka Dr. V! In this video, hear her talk about not just her extensive experience in public health, but also how she grew up receiving services from her local health department.

05/28/2026

Big city health departments are ready for the World Cup events coming to major cities across the US two weeks from now. Preparing for potential disease outbreaks, food safety, and preventing heat-related illness? This is the work local health departments do every day, just on a larger scale. Learn more in this video and this in-depth piece from CNN's Deidre McPhillips: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/27/health/world-cup-public-health

Most people affected by firearm-related harm saw a health care provider the year prior. Health care plays a critical rol...
05/28/2026

Most people affected by firearm-related harm saw a health care provider the year prior. Health care plays a critical role in preventing firearm injuries and death.

The Prevention & Intervention Library, from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education—powered by The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention—brings together evidence-informed, health-focused strategies that help turn clinical care into opportunities for prevention.

Explore the Library today: https://kpcenterforgunviolenceresearch.org/interventions

Join our team! We are hiring a full-time Program Assistant to support various project and program activities at BCHC. Th...
05/26/2026

Join our team! We are hiring a full-time Program Assistant to support various project and program activities at BCHC.

The role involves working with a diverse program portfolio that includes:

- Substance use
- Violence prevention
- Data infrastructure
- Life expectancy
- Climate
- And more

Check out the job listing for more details - link in comments.

Public health emergency preparedness depends on strong systems at every level of government. How prepared is your state ...
05/07/2026

Public health emergency preparedness depends on strong systems at every level of government. How prepared is your state for the next emergency?

A new report from Trust for America's Health evaluates all 50 states and DC on 10 indicators of emergency preparedness and outlines steps policymakers can take to strengthen readiness.

Read more:
https://www.tfah.org/report-details/ready-or-not-2026/

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6909 Laurel Avenue Unit 11442
Takoma Park, MD
20814

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Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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