Northeastern States Launch Regional Public Health Collaborative

Morristown, NJ — Public health leaders from across the Northeast, including New Jersey, have joined forces with neighboring states and New York City to create the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a voluntary coalition designed to improve coordination, share expertise, and strengthen readiness against public health threats.

The partnership includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York State, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New York City. Though each jurisdiction remains independent, the collaborative seeks to leverage shared resources and expertise while maintaining flexibility for members to adapt initiatives to their local needs.

New Jersey Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown said, “The interconnectedness of our populations and shared health challenges across the Northeast make this Collaborative a natural synergy and extension of our longstanding partnerships with peer health agencies to support the health of the people of New Jersey. Public health requires regular sharing of information, ideas, and best practices across jurisdictions and state lines. Whether it’s responding to a pandemic or an outbreak or preparing for a large-scale event such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup, with three host cities in the Northeast, working together helps keep our residents safe and healthy.”

Goals of the Collaborative

According to the announcement, the group’s mission is to promote trust in public health and deliver science- and evidence-based information to protect residents’ health and safety. Key goals include:

• Enhancing regional capacity to respond to public health threats

• Strengthening confidence in vaccines and science-based medicine

• Promoting equitable access to health care services, vaccines, and medications

• Reimagining and innovating public health services through shared planning and expertise

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald, M.D., M.P.H., said, “Everyone benefits when we work together. I am excited about this collaborative; we all share the same goal of achieving health and well-being for our people. New York is proud to be part of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. By working together, we are creating a more adaptable, sustainable and resilient public health system for our state and the region.”

The Collaborative, which began informal coordination in early 2025, held its first in-person meeting in Rhode Island in August. Since then, members have established interjurisdictional working groups to explore collaboration across several priority areas:

• Emergency preparedness and response

• Vaccine recommendations and purchasing strategies

• Data collection, analysis, and sharing

• Infectious disease management and epidemiology

• Laboratory capacity and services

Already, the coalition has issued joint guidance for health care personnel on protecting themselves and patients during respiratory virus season. Other projects include coordinating emergency preparedness around three FIFA World Cup host cities within the region, sharing strategies to address staffing shortages in public health, and aligning state laboratory activities.

New York City Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse said, "As the oldest and largest local health department in the nation, the New York City Health Department is proud to be a member of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. We must always protect our public health infrastructure, reject misinformation, and maintain trust in science. The collaborative is working together to rebuild public trust, and provide factual information, so people can make informed decisions about their health, and continue our critical work to address health inequities.”

While the Collaborative is united by shared goals, the announcement emphasized that each state and New York City retains full authority over its own laws, regulations, and public health strategies. Members may choose to adopt, modify, or decline specific initiatives depending on their unique populations and circumstances.

Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen said, “Protecting public health has always been a collaborative effort and that joint work has never been more important. Continuing to work with public health experts in other states allows us to exchange best practices, pursue improvements and efficiencies, and explore opportunities to better meet the needs of Pennsylvanians. We respect the role public health professionals play in keeping our Commonwealth safe, and will continue to back science in our efforts to ensure Pennsylvanians can make the best health care decisions for themselves and their families.”

Significance for New Jersey

For New Jersey, participation in the Collaborative provides access to expanded expertise, shared data, and regional planning resources, particularly in areas like preparedness for health emergencies, vaccine strategy, and infectious disease response. State officials noted that such coordination is increasingly vital in the face of staffing shortages, emerging health threats, and large-scale events such as the upcoming World Cup.

The Northeast Public Health Collaborative reflects a growing trend toward regional cooperation in public health, with the ultimate goal of protecting residents across state lines through evidence-based strategies and joint planning.

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