Dakota County earns top national award for health work

Aug. 5, 2026

Dakota County earned a top national award for efforts to make health resources more accessible. 

The county received a 2026 Best in Category Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties for its Library Locations as Community Health Hubs program. The Dakota County Board of Commissioners recognized staff involved in the program on Aug. 4.

County public health and library staff worked together to make critical health resources available in familiar, trusted spaces. The program works to reduce opioid overdoses, improve breastfeeding support for families and expand access to mental health resources. Through the partnership, the county’s 10 library locations:

• Offer free naloxone kits and opioid education. Naloxone is a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose.
• Hosts weekly and monthly “Feeding Your Baby” lactation support groups
• Provide mental health resources, including CredibleMind, an online mental well-being platform.

In its first year, the program distributed more than 1,200 naloxone kits, hosted more than 80 breastfeeding support sessions and connected more than 1,000 residents to mental health resources.

Dakota County has won five national Best in Category awards for a variety of services and programs since 2015. The county has also received Achievement Awards in all but one year since then.

Additional recognition

The board also recognized staff for other state and national awards in community service programs.

Community Corrections received an Association of Minnesota Counties award for its Evidence-Based Practices. This approach helps clients who are in the corrections system to build problem-solving and decision-making skills and to reduce their likelihood of reoffending.

Dakota County Public Health recently received a Model Practice award for public health communications planning from the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Staff created proactive plans to expand information shared with the community.

"We want to be a county that goes above and beyond, that is recognized as a stellar county,” board Chair Laurie Halverson said. “These kinds of awards affirm that the vision and work that is being done is seen by others and is really making a difference in the lives of the people of our community.”