NACDD Partner Finder

Chronic health divisions at state public health departments are interested in partnering with the community development sector to improve health outcomes in low- and moderate-income communities. NACEDA and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) are working to foster these partnerships by educating our members about each others' work and providing opportunities for connection. 

“Community developers address factors that drive health outcomes,” said John Robitscher. MPH, CEO of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. “Given the public health sector’s expertise in measuring health outcomes, collaboration could lead to more effective use of limited funding."

Connect with chronic disease staff at State Health Departments

NACDD is a nonprofit professional association that strengthens state-based leadership and expertise for chronic disease prevention and control. NACDD's core members — 59 state and territorial Health Department Chronic Disease Directors and their staff — work to protect public health through prevention efforts and “upstream” work on root causes of chronic conditions. NACDD was established in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Find a representative at a state health department in your state. (Free associate membership is required to access contact information.) 

Become an associate member at no cost

Through its associate membership program, NACDD unites more than 7,000 chronic disease professionals working in state and territorial health departments, nonprofits, academia, and the private industry to promote health and to reduce the burden of chronic disease. NACDD invites community developers to join as associate members. Please contact Tamika Smith, Director of Membership, at [email protected].

These NACDD programs may be of particular interest to community developers: 

• GIS Capacity Building helps policy makers visualize data around the social determinants of health.
• Walkability Action Institute makes states and communities become more walkable through a multi-day course involving interdisciplinary teams from the public health, housing, transportation and planning sectors and elected officials.

Dr. Gabriel Kaplan, NACDD Board President, hosted a series of podcasts on health equity, including these two interviews:

• Interview with Dr. Anthony Iton, Senior Vice President at the California Endowment on how political power, or lack of it, impacts public health.
• Interview with Dr. Douglas Jutte, Executive Director of the Build Healthy Places Network on the relationship between housing, the physical resources located in a community, and the lack of economic opportunity and health.

Our goal is to help facilitate partnerships between NACEDA members and chronic disease divisions at state public health departments. We presented these posters NACDD's Annual Program Showcase to show how community development investment reduces upstream causes of chronic disease.