Editor’s Note: References to “Disease and Epidemiological Functions of the Sexual Health Program” have been updated to “Sexual Health Outreach and Investigations.”

July 2, 2025. Reno/Sparks, Nev. – Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) is renaming its Epidemiology and Public Health Preparedness Division to Population Health Division, reflecting a broader focus on long-term community health outcomes and strategic prevention initiatives.

The name change to Population Health Division (PHD) also coincides with the division now incorporating two additional program areas:

• Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention: This program focuses on reducing the burden of preventable diseases and injuries through community education, data-driven interventions, and partnerships with local organizations.
• Sexual Health Outreach and Investigations: To create a more integrated and responsive public health infrastructure, surveillance and disease investigation components related to sexually transmitted infections will now be housed within the Population Health Division.

The new structure also places an increased emphasis on public health informatics, which leverage data, technology, and analytics to guide decision-making, improve health outcomes, and better anticipate emerging health trends in our communities.

All existing expertise and services of the former Epidemiology and Public Health Preparedness division – including public health preparedness, vital statistics, epidemiology, disease surveillance, data reporting and emergency response coordination – will remain unchanged. These core functions continue to be vital to protecting public health in Northern Nevada and will remain central to the division’s work.

“This shift represents more than a name change – it’s a strategic move toward better understanding and addressing the root causes of health in our community,” said Chad Kingsley, District Health Officer of NNPH. “By aligning prevention, preparedness, and data expertise under one umbrella, we are building a stronger, more nimble public health division.”

The updated structure will enhance NNPH’s ability to address emerging health issues, improve disease surveillance across all reportable communicable diseases, and promote long-term health and resilience for all residents in Northern Nevada.

Altogether, NNPH’s public-facing divisions are: Air Quality Management Division, Clinical and Community Health Services, Environmental Health Services and Population Health.

For more info, visit our website, www.NNPH.org.

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Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) is nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board and has jurisdiction over all public health matters in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County through the policy-making District Board of Health. NNPH consists of four public-facing divisions: Air Quality Management, Community and Clinical Health Services, Environmental Health Services and Population Health (Formerly Epidemiology & Public Health Preparedness). More info can be found here.