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Who We Are

The New Hampshire Public Health Network (NHPHN) works to assure coordinated and comprehensive delivery of essential public health services and serves as a local liaison with state agencies involved in the public's health and safety.

The Network is comprised of community-based partnerships involving broad public health interests [PowerPoint, 1.1 MB] including local health departments and health officers, fire, police, emergency medical services, health care providers, social service agencies, schools, media and advocacy groups, and leaders in business, politics and faith working together to address complex public health issues.

New Hampshire began funding community partnerships in 2000 to improve local public health capacity throughout the State. Currently there are 14 public health partnerships serving nearly 50% of New Hampshire towns and 70% of New Hampshire residents.

"Government has a unique responsibility to promote and protect the health of the people built on a constitutional, theoretical and practical foundation. However, government public health agencies alone cannot assure the nation's health.... There is growing recognition that individuals, communities, and various social institutions can form powerful collaborative relationships to improve health that government alone cannot replicate."
- Institute of Medicine, The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century, 2003

Vision

The concept of a public health system describes a complex network of individuals and organizations that have the potential to play significant roles in creating the conditions for health. The components parts of a potential system can act for health individually, but when they work together toward a health goal, they act as a true system - a public health system.

The importance of an effective local public health system recognizes that health improvement is best achieved at the local level. Local communities can identify health problems, galvanize a community response, and devise appropriate local solutions based on available resources.

The vision for the Public Health Network is to:
  • Serve as a local, collaborative entity with collective responsibility for the health and safety of community residents;
  • Coordinate comprehensive health improvement efforts at the local level including assuring sufficient capacity for effective response to emerging public health threats;
  • Assure the delivery of The Essential Services of Public Health at the local level;
  • Serve as the local liaison with state agencies involved in the public's health and safety;
  • Coordinate the effective use of state prevention and health promotion funds at the local level.

Related Information
"The New Hampshire Public Health Network: Creating Local Public Health Infrastructure Through Community-Driven Partnerships"
Published in the "Journal of Public Health Management Practice", this article describes the history and development of the New Hampshire Public Health Network.
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For more information see history, expectations, and activities of the Public Health Network.