Highlights from HCLI 2025
07/07/2025
“Despite the challenges in public health, what gets you up in the morning?"
- Greg Wallingford, M.D., MBA
That question from Dr. Wallingford (Dell Medical School) struck a chord at HCLI 2025 - because in public health, purpose fuels progress. This year's event was filled with fresh energy, bold ideas, and practical strategies to meet the moment. From harm reduction campaign wins and trust-building to creative leadership and workplace well-being, every session reminded us that strong communication isn't just important - it's what keeps us going.
Let's revisit some session highlights:
A room full of adults cheering each other on in a rock-paper-scissors tournament isn't what most people expect from a professional workshop - but at HCLI, it's tradition. Shana Merlin (Merlin Works) and Rob Milman, M.D. (Texas A&M College of Medicine) returned with their creative icebreaker games to ground us in curiosity, openness, and connection for the days ahead.
What can wastewater tell us about public health? A lot, according to Jennifer Deegan, M.A., MPAFF, from the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI). We learned how, through TexWEB - a statewide network tracking wastewater data - Texas is gaining a powerful tool for early detection of public health threats.
Elizabeth Richmond-Garza, Ph.D., reminded us that leadership isn't about titles or control - it's about building trust and influence. "Leading without authority can take a bit of effort," she said, "but it gets you to a very different and more sustainable place with coworkers." Her key takeaway: Don't try to force motivation. Instead, create conditions where people feel empowered - and motivation can naturally take root.
"This campaign has changed the way we talk about this issue in our city." That partner feedback, shared by CHC's very own Program Manager Catherine Cunningham, M.S., kicked off the Health Campaigns Panel and underscored the impact of In Austin, We Keep Each Other Safe, a fentanyl harm reduction campaign shaped by community voices. The panel also featured Paula Cuccaro, Ph.D., on vaccination outreach to agricultural workers, and Christina Thompson on building trust to advance vaccine equity.
During his playfully engaging talk on how to foster creativity in communication strategy, Mike Devlin, Ph.D. (Mosaic Creative Solutions) introduced us to the 6 Thinking Hats technique, which helps improve decision-making by guiding participants to explore a problem from multiple perspectives. And wouldn't you know it - it was already being put into practice the very next day during case study sessions!
"We can equip other people to be very effective spokespeople. You figure out who is trustworthy and try to help them," said Dr. David Lakey, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs at Chief Medical Officer for The University of Texas System. In his closing keynote, he emphasized the importance of public health experts partnering with trusted messengers - like educators, faith leaders, and local doctors - to strengthen community trust and impact. His message was a fitting close to an event focused on connection, leadership, and lasting impact.
If you joined us for HCLI 2025, thank you for being part of it. We're proud to offer a space where public health communicators can connect, recharge, and walk away with strategies they can use right away.
We're also deeply grateful to our sponsors - St. David's HealthCare and TEPHI - whose support makes this even possible.
If you found the experience valuable, we hope you'll share it with colleagues - we'd love to host them next year. To stay connected with the Center for Health Communication and get updates on future HCLIs, be sure to sign up for our mailing list. We hope to see you at HCLI 2026!