Strengthening Outbreak Response and Preparedness in US Health Departments Through a Community of Practice

The reemergence of infectious diseases, such as measles, in the United States has placed significant strain on state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments to respond and contain the spread of disease. The actions by health departments have spanned a wide range of outbreak preparedness and response initiatives, with some health departments excelling in their approaches while others work to build capacity despite resource constraints. To strengthen outbreak preparedness and response, the Johns Hopkins Center for Outbreak Response Innovation convened a national Community of Practice series in 2025, bringing together 115 participants from 40 health departments. Presentations emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, system adaptability, and continuous learning to enhance outbreak response capacity. This series underscored that sustainable improvements in public health practice rely on bridging academic research and operational realities through shared learning networks, ensuring that technical innovations translate into effective and scalable disease response strategies nationwide.