In addition to serving the 57 state and territorial health officials, ASTHO supports other state health agency staff and is always ready to assist each agency in any capacity.
For State Health Officials
- Annual Hill Day: STHO hosts an annual Hill Day in Washington to help members meet with their Members of Congress. ASTHO also helps members arrange agency site visits with their respective Mewmbers of Congress and continually works with policymakers to ensure that state public health's voice is heard.
- Publications and Other Resources: Policy and program services are provided through publications, webinars, sharing of best/model practices, and more. Topics include health reform, family and community health, chronic disease prevention, tobacco control, performance improvement and accreditation, health IT, public health systems, environmental health, injury prevention, infectious diseases and immunizations, pandemic influenza, and all hazards preparedness. Our programmatic direction is driven by members through our Policy Committees.
- Member Discounts: A member rate is offered for ASTHO's Annual Meeting, which features presentations from national experts, dialogue with leaders from the Administration, and opportunities to share information and network with peers.
- Free Registration: Offered for topically based meetings on priority issues. Travel scholarships to facilitate attendance are often available as well.
- Technical Assistance: This is provided to states/territories both proactively and in response to member requests. ASTHO draws on information from staff research, current members, former members, our network of affiliated organizations, and our federal partners.
- The State Health Leadership Initiative (SHLI): This unique, customized leadership development program helps state and territorial health officials quickly become effective policymakers and administrators. SHLI includes:
- A weeklong retreat at Harvard, all tuition and travel paid by ASTHO
- Mentoring
- A site visit from ASTHO's Executive Director
- A customized technical assistance fund ($5000) for your professional development
- A networking meeting with public policy training, all tuition and travel paid by ASTHO
- A member retreat, all registration and travel paid by ASTHO
- Strategic planning grants ($10,000)
- Other networking opportunities.
Other Agency Staff
All state and territorial health agency staff members are eligible to participate in open ASTHO meetings. ASTHO also provides networking and leadership development, policy and programmatic services, and technical assistance to other groups of agency staff including:
- Senior deputies ("senior deputy" is ASTHO's terminology for those staff considered second in command to the health official)
- Preparedness directors
- Environmental health directors
- Human resource directors
- Chief budget officers
- Primary care officers
- State legislative liaisons.