What Every Local Health Leader Should Prioritize Before 2026

Local public health leaders are carrying more than ever — more responsibility, more expectation, more pressure, and more demand placed on fewer shoulders. As counties navigate shifting regulations, budget instability, staffing shortages, and rising community needs, the next year is already taking shape.

And 2026 will not wait for anyone.

This is the moment to steady the ground beneath your feet.

1. Clarify the Indicators That Matter Most

Funding, accountability, and program support are increasingly tied to data. But not all indicators carry equal weight.

Administrators should enter 2026 with clarity on:

• Preventable condition costs

• High-burden chronic disease trends

• Workforce capacity and vulnerability indicators

• Social and economic pressures impacting community risk

• Emerging needs tied to housing, food access, and behavioral health

Clarity here reduces noise — and strengthens your voice when advocating for budget, staffing, and cross-sector support.

2. Strengthen the Fiscal Narrative Before Budget Season

Commissioners, city managers, and finance directors need one thing:A clear understanding of the financial consequences of inaction.

Health leaders who walk into budget discussions with validated numbers have a different kind of influence.

Counties that quantify the annual cost of preventable conditions are better positioned to:

• Justify staffing

• Protect essential programs

• Secure competitive funding

• Make the case for targeted intervention

Financial clarity is not optional anymore.It is a leadership necessity.

3. Prepare for Increased Operational Pressure

Public expectation is rising, even as staffing levels remain compressed.

Heading into 2026, leaders benefit from:

• Streamlined processes

• Clear delegation maps

• Updated strategic priorities

• A communication framework that reduces escalation

• Tools for managing pressure during high-stakes conversations

The pace will not slow.But your capacity to navigate it can expand.

4. Rebuild Team Stability and Morale

Teams mirror their leadership.Your steadiness becomes their steadiness.

The administrators who will thrive in 2026 are those who:

• Set clear priorities for staff

• Communicate expectations consistently

• Create psychological safety during change

• Protect morale and reduce internal confusion

• Offer grounding direction when the environment shifts

Operational clarity is an act of leadership — not management.

5. Reassess Your Community’s Greatest Vulnerabilities

Every county is facing a different set of pressures.

As 2026 approaches, leaders should review:

• Gaps identified in the last assessment

• New demographic or economic shifts

• Current community stressors

• Cross-sector readiness and partnership strength

Priorities evolve faster now.Your understanding must evolve with them.

6. Build the Infrastructure You Need for the Year Ahead

The leaders who succeed in 2026 will be those who prepare now, with intention.

This includes:

• Validated data

• Clear narratives

• Updated assessments

• Fiscal impact reports

• A strategic plan that is achievable, not aspirational

• Support systems that reinforce your leadership

• Tools to strengthen your voice with commissioners and finance teams

A strong year begins with strong preparation.

Your Work Matters — And Your Voice Matters Even More

Local public health administrators carry a responsibility that often exceeds recognition. The demands are high, the noise is constant, and yet the mission remains unchanged:

Protect your community.

Lead with clarity.

Do the next right thing, even when the pressure is real.

You are the guardians of community well-being — and you deserve every resource, tool, and support system that strengthens your leadership.

As 2026 approaches, preparation becomes your power.

If you need support preparing for 2026:

• CHNA Express™ — fully PHAB-aligned and delivered in 45 days

• Cost to the Community™ Report — validated financial impact in 10 days

• Leadership Under Pressure™ — a strategic workshop to strengthen operational clarity

Your work deserves precision, and you don’t have to navigate this alone.