LEONARDTOWN, MD (July 21, 2026) – The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) is proud to announce that two of its innovative public health initiatives have been recognized with the 2026 Promising Practice Award from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

NACCHO, the national organization representing over 3,000 local health departments across the country, recognizes innovative programs that demonstrate effective approaches to improving public health. Through a competitive, peer-review process, Model and Promising Practices are selected for inclusion in NACCHO’s national searchable database. This allows health departments across the country to learn from and replicate successful local innovations. 

SMCHD’s Implementation of Public Health Laboratories at its Health Clinic in Leonardtown, Health Hub in Lexington Park, and School-Based Health Centers at Margaret Brent and Spring Ridge Middle Schools was recognized for expanding timely access to rapid diagnostic testing, supporting outbreak response, and improving access to trusted local public health services.

SMCHD’s OSHA Compliance & Safety Committee, led by Christina Hane, Laboratory Director, and Tressa Setlak, Director of the Division of Preparedness & Response, was recognized for creating a sustainable culture of workplace safety through staff training, continuous improvement, and organizational learning that benefits employees, clients, visitors, and community partners.

“These recognitions reflect the dedication of our team members who saw opportunities for improvement, worked together to develop practical solutions, and turned great ideas into action,” said Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary’s County Health Officer. “From expanding access to critical testing to building a culture of safety across our organization, these initiatives demonstrate how local health departments can respond to community needs in meaningful and impactful ways. We are grateful that NACCHO is helping share these efforts so other health departments can learn from and build upon them.”

The awards build on SMCHD’s history of developing innovative local public health practices that have been recognized nationally and shared with health departments across the country. The department has previously received multiple NACCHO Model and Promising Practice Awards, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to innovation, continuous improvement, and advancing local governmental public health.

“Local health departments remain committed to supporting their communities across a host of programmatic areas and public health challenges. It is extraordinary to witness local health department officials driving innovation and scaling best practices,” said NACCHO’s Chief Executive Officer Lori Tremmel Freeman. “We are proud to recognize the 2026 Model and Promising Practice Award winners as a showcase of the best and brightest in local public health.”   

To learn more about SMCHD and its programs, visit smchd.org. 

To learn more about NACCHO and its mission, visit naccho.org.