Ready, Set, Action: Bridging Public Health and Policy in a Shifting Landscape

Join Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) for a national webinar in recognition of National Public Health Week 2026. This year’s theme is Ready. Set. Action!, a call to reflect on the progress public health has made and next steps needed to build a healthier future.

Good health does not happen in a vacuum. It’s shaped by sustained investments, strong federal leadership, and effective partnerships across state and local communities. For 25 years, TFAH has stood at the center of the nation’s most critical public health milestones, championing initiatives like the Prevention and Public Health Fund to secure sustainable resources. However, following a year of significant challenges and a Fiscal Year 2026 budget that deviates from expectations, the question remains: how are federal, state, and local programs adapting to move forward?

Join us as we discuss how public health systems are navigating this evolving landscape, examining the status of key federal agencies and the broader network of public health programs. Speakers will reflect on lessons learned, emerging threats and opportunities, and strategies to sustain momentum in a changing fiscal and policy environment. The webinar will include time for Q&A from the audience.

Panelists

• Darlene Huang Briggs
  Darlene leads trust-building and research efforts to bring traditional and non-traditional partners together to modernize systems, so they more effectively deliver public health services and enable better health for all.
  Bio
  
• Olusimbo (Simbo) Ige, M.D. MPH
  Dr. Olusimbo (Simbo) Ige’s public health career spans nearly two decades. Before her appointment as the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, she served as the Managing Director of Programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
  Bio
  
• Scott Thorpe
  Scott is the Executive Director and founder of the Southern Alliance for Public Health Leadership, which partners with state and local public health efforts in the Southeastern U.S. on strategies and advocacy for immunizations, access to care, and infant/maternal mortality.
  Bio
  

Moderator

• Tekisha Dwan Everette, Ph.D, MPA, MPH, CPH
  Tekisha Everette is TFAH’s Executive Vice President. In this role, she works in partnership with TFAH’s President and CEO to chart and implement the organization’s strategic direction and priorities, provides counsel on current and emerging policy issues, and engages with key organizations, policymakers, and other partners to advance policy priorities to improve public health and promote equity.
  Bio