North Dakota Public Health Association

08/13/2026

🎉 North Dakota public health leadership on the national stage! 🎉

NDPHA is proud to celebrate two of our members and local public health leaders who have been elected to leadership roles on the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) 2026–2027 Board of Directors!

👏 Renae Moch, MBA, FACMPE, Public Health Director at Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health, will serve as President-Elect.

👏 Patricia Bisch-Steinke, RN, BSN, Administrator and Director of Nursing at Kidder County District Health Unit, will serve as an At-Large Director.

What an incredible representation of North Dakota’s local public health system at the national level! We are proud to see Renae and Tricia bringing their leadership, experience and North Dakota perspective to NACCHO.

Please join us in congratulating Renae and Tricia on these well-deserved roles! 🥳

Read the full NACCHO announcement and meet the 2026–2027 Board of Directors at the link below:
https://www.naccho.org/blog/articles/naccho-announces-its-2026-2027-board-of-directors

08/13/2026

FREE car seat checks going on NOW until 2pm at the Cavalier County Courthouse. Come ensure that your child is riding safely in your car. 🚗❤️

08/10/2026

Did you know North Dakota helped lead the way in food and drug safety in the United States?

Dr. Edwin Ladd, founder of the North Dakota State University School of Pharmacy, was a pioneer in protecting the public’s health. His work helped establish North Dakota’s Pure Food Act in 1903, followed by legislation addressing drug safety—groundbreaking efforts that helped shape later federal food and drug protections.

This Dakota Datebook podcast episode offers a fascinating look at Dr. Ladd’s work and North Dakota’s role in advancing public health protections.

More than a century later, it’s also a reminder of why a strong governmental public health infrastructure continues to matter. From food safety to emerging outbreaks, including the current cyclosporiasis outbreak, these public health protections remain essential today.

🎧 Listen to the Dakota Datebook episode below to learn more about this piece of North Dakota public health history.

Food contamination was a common problem in the early 20th century. Contaminants that would shock us today were routinely found in food products. Sawdust was added to coffee, and chalk was added to milk to improve its appearance. Vivid colors for candy were created with lead, arsenic, coal tar, and c...

07/20/2026

Congratulations to NDPHA member Steph Welsh on attending the recent American Public Health Association Boot Camp!

Steph was honored to be elected as an NDPHA officer, representing North Dakota public health, connecting with APHA leaders from across the country, and learning new ways to strengthen and elevate public health across our state.

Thank you for representing North Dakota so well, Steph, and for being a strong advocate for public health! 🎉

07/15/2026

Be sure to check out this FREE webinar on vaccinations, presented by fellow NDPHA member and NDSU CIRE Operations Director Kylie Hall!

See the post below for registration details. Hope to see you there! 😀

07/02/2026

🇺🇸 America 250: Public Health in North Dakota 🇺🇸
2026 and Beyond: Looking Ahead

For more than 250 years, the story of public health in North Dakota has been one of resilience, innovation and partnership. While the challenges have changed over time, the mission has remained the same: prevent disease, promote health and help every community thrive.

The next 25 years will bring new opportunities and new challenges. Public health will continue working alongside healthcare providers, tribal nations, local communities, businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations, faith communities and many others to improve the health and well-being of all North Dakotans.

The work ahead includes preventing chronic disease, supporting mental health, reducing substance misuse, improving maternal and child health, strengthening emergency preparedness, protecting our environment, expanding access to healthy foods and physical activity, and using data to guide evidence-based decisions. Just as importantly, public health will continue building trusted relationships and empowering communities to create healthier futures together.

Meeting these challenges will require the next generation of public health leaders—professionals who are innovative, collaborative and committed to serving their communities with courage, compassion and integrity. Across North Dakota, that work is already underway.

As we celebrate America's 250th birthday and reflect on 250 years of public health in North Dakota, we honor the people, partnerships and communities that have shaped our past while looking with optimism toward the future. Together, we can continue building a healthier, stronger North Dakota—and once again become the healthiest state in the nation.

Thank you for following along as we celebrated 250 years of America and reflected on 250 years of public health in North Dakota. Here's to the next chapter.

07/02/2026

🇺🇸 America 250: Public Health in North Dakota 🇺🇸
2001–2026: Prevention and Screening

The first quarter of the 21st century highlighted the importance of both emergency preparedness and disease prevention. Following the September 11 attacks and subsequent anthrax incidents, public health systems across the country strengthened their ability to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies.

Those investments proved invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health agencies, healthcare providers, pharmacies, clinics and the North Dakota National Guard worked together to expand testing, distribute vaccines and support communities across the state during one of the most significant public health challenges of our time.

At the same time, prevention and early detection continued to improve health outcomes for North Dakotans. Public health initiatives promoting healthy nutrition and physical activity helped slow the rise of childhood obesity, while expanded colorectal cancer screening and programs like Women's Way increased early detection of cancer. Today, North Dakota ranks among the nation's leaders in early cancer diagnosis.

As we celebrate 250 years of America and reflect on 250 years of public health in North Dakota, this chapter reminds us that public health protects communities every day—by preparing for emergencies, promoting healthy lifestyles and detecting disease early, when treatment is most effective.

Next up: Looking Ahead (2026 and Beyond)

06/30/2026

🇺🇸 America 250: Public Health in North Dakota 🇺🇸
1976–2001: Chronic Disease Prevention and Management

As infectious diseases became less common, North Dakota's public health efforts shifted toward preventing chronic disease and helping people live longer, healthier lives. Nutrition, to***co prevention, injury prevention and early detection became central to improving health across the state.

During this era, communities expanded access to nutrition services and health education to help prevent chronic diseases before they started. In 1985, Grand Forks Public Health became the first local public health unit in North Dakota to establish a dedicated nutrition division.

To***co prevention also became a major public health priority. The Smoke Free North Dakota Coalition formed in 1985, followed by the landmark Clean Indoor Air Act in 1987. Together, these efforts helped reduce to***co use and protect North Dakotans from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

Public health also responded to emerging health challenges. As the HIV/AIDS epidemic reached communities across the country during the 1980s, North Dakotans stepped forward to educate others and reduce stigma. Bismarck librarian and puppeteer Darrel Hildebrant founded The Coalition, North Dakota's first AIDS advocacy organization, and traveled throughout the state speaking about HIV/AIDS prevention. By sharing accurate information and putting a human face on the epidemic, he helped combat fear, misinformation and discrimination while advancing public health education across North Dakota.

At the same time, injury prevention efforts—including North Dakota's 1993 seat belt law—and programs like Women's Way, established in 1996 to increase breast and cervical cancer screenings, demonstrated the growing importance of prevention and early detection.

By 1990, North Dakota was recognized as the healthiest state in the nation—a reflection of decades of investment in prevention, education and community partnerships. It remains a milestone many continue working to achieve again today.

As we celebrate 250 years of America and reflect on 250 years of public health in North Dakota, this chapter reminds us that prevention, education and early detection continue to improve health and save lives.

Next up: Prevention and Screening (2001–2026)

06/26/2026

🇺🇸 America 250: Public Health in North Dakota 🇺🇸
1951–1976: Disease Elimination Through Vaccination

The years between 1951 and 1976 marked some of North Dakota's greatest public health victories. Decades of investment in vaccination, clean water and disease prevention dramatically reduced the burden of infectious diseases across the state.

Building on vaccination efforts that began in the late 1800s, North Dakota successfully eliminated smallpox within the state by 1954. Public health leaders then turned their attention to polio. In 1954, North Dakota participated in the historic Salk polio vaccine trials, and by 1961, locally transmitted cases of polio had been eliminated. These milestones demonstrated the extraordinary power of vaccines to prevent disease, disability and death.

Public health progress extended beyond immunizations. In 1974, the expansion of rural water systems brought clean, treated drinking water to communities across North Dakota. Chlorination helped prevent waterborne disease, while fluoridation improved dental health, giving families greater access to safe, reliable drinking water.

As infectious diseases became less common, public health also began preparing for the next generation of health challenges. In 1964, North Dakota established a Division of Chronic Disease to address the growing burden of chronic illnesses and promote healthier communities for years to come.

As we celebrate 250 years of America and reflect on 250 years of public health in North Dakota, this chapter reminds us that prevention through vaccines, clean water and public health innovation transformed the health of generations and laid the foundation for the work that continues today.

Next up: Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (1976–2001)

06/26/2026

🇺🇸 America 250: Public Health in North Dakota 🇺🇸
1926–1951: Public Health in North Dakota Comes of Age

Between 1926 and 1951, North Dakota demonstrated the power of prevention. Public health programs expanded across the state, helping communities live longer, healthier lives before many modern medical treatments were even available.

One of the greatest public health successes of this era was the fight against tuberculosis (TB). Before antibiotics became available in 1944, North Dakota relied on prevention through public health measures, including the Tuberculosis Sanatorium at San Haven, Camp Grassick, improved nutrition and reduced the spread of disease. These efforts dramatically reduced TB cases and demonstrated that prevention alone could save lives.

Public health also broadened its focus beyond infectious diseases. Programs promoting child health, nutrition, vaccinations and maternal health helped improve the well-being of families across the state. With rural electrification in 1945, refrigeration became more common in rural communities, so food could be stored more safely, reducing foodborne illness and increasing access to nutritious foods.

Strong public health leadership continued to shape North Dakota's future. Dr. Maysil Williams served as the state's first woman State Health Officer from 1933 to 1942, and under her leadership North Dakota became recognized as one of the healthiest states in the nation. In 1944, the North Dakota Public Health Association was established as an affiliate of the American Public Health Association, further strengthening the state's public health workforce and partnerships.

As we celebrate 250 years of America and reflect on 250 years of public health in North Dakota, this chapter reminds us that prevention, leadership and community partnerships helped public health come of age—and laid the foundation for the healthier North Dakota we know today.

Next up: Disease Elimination Through Vaccination (1951–1976)