421: Talking TechXpo, Maternal Mortality Help

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, May 16, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson.

Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

AVIA MASON: 

We are operating in a critical inflection point for public health, and we really need to take stock of what didn't work well during COVID and seek new opportunities to make use of the current infrastructure investments that will position us for our strong public health future.

JOHNSON: 

Avia Mason is vice president of leadership and learning at ASTHO. She says next week's TechXpo, happening in Chicago and online, has something for everyone.

MASON: 

We have included speakers and sessions that address multiple components of public health infrastructure, including workforce, foundational capabilities, data modernization, and health equity because they are all connected and so necessary to improve the public health infrastructure systems, services, and scaffolding.

JOHNSON: 

Mason says the event is designed to encourage attendees to not only learn from the presentations, but also from each other.

MASON: 

We see the TechXpo and Futures Forum as a great opportunity for DMI directors, public health administrators, workforce, and equity leaders to not only talk to their peers but to have conversations with each other about how their work impacts the public health system within their jurisdiction. There will be conversations around financing strategies and partnerships, data systems and infrastructure modernization, but also recruitment and retention strategies for Gen Z workforce.

JOHNSON: 

New this time, according to Mason, is a bonus online event planned in June,

MASON: 

Following the hybrid event in May, we also have an opportunity to virtually reconvene on June 15 for live Tech Talk sessions and pre-recorded SolutionX sessions hosted by our various technology leaders. This gives participants the opportunity to continue the conversations they start during the TechXpo and to be able to connect with a larger group of public health practitioners online.

JOHNSON: 

You can get an online ticket to the event next week and the event in June using the link in the show notes.

Public health leaders concerned about rising maternal mortality rates can consider how a risk appropriate care model might help. The model encourages teamwork among all disciplines and allocates resources according to the risk and complexity of the patient case.

Dr. Lily Lou is the former chief medical officer in Alaska.

LILY LOU: 

I think healthcare works best if all the participants understand how they fit into the overall healthcare environment so they can care for every patient in the setting that matches their individual needs. That means that patients stay as close to home as possible, but with a strategy that every patient receives care in a place where the resources and expertise necessary for their medical situation are readily available and that higher acuity settings are always available for those who really need them.

JOHNSON: 

Lou says competition sometimes is a roadblock to the risk appropriate care model, but she adds public health leaders can help navigate those barriers.

LOU: 

And I think state health officials and public health leaders have a significant role because they're at the table. They are credible with the funders in terms of federal grants and things like that, but they also are in touch with the providers with the boots on the ground in their neighborhoods.

JOHNSON: 

Lou says public health officials also can help by developing contacts in the healthcare community.

LOU: 

I was a physician health official, so some of my connections came naturally, came easily. But all SHOs would be well served to reach out and develop relationships with clinical leaders in various sectors of healthcare.

JOHNSON: 

Hear more of Dr. Lou's comments in a new episode of the Public Health Review Podcast, coming soon everywhere you stream audio.

Also today, it is possible to improve the way you communicate about health equity with people in your jurisdictions. Andrea O'Brien-Vives is with Klick health. She says the more we understand diverse audiences, the better we'll be at reaching them.

ANDREA O'BRIEN-VIVES: 

That means not just understanding who they are, but also how they engage with the environment, with media, and with information. It means showing up where they are and designing communications in ways that are meaningful to them and that ultimately help to promote positive and lasting changes in their communities.

JOHNSON: 

The event is happening soon. We'll have that date and time for you as soon as it's on the schedule.

Finally this morning, stay on top of everything happening in public health when you sign up for ASTHO's Public Health Weekly email newsletter. You can read more about the news we report here each day and get links to policy documents and other original content created by the ASTHO team. You can sign up clicking the link in the show notes.

That'll do it for today's newscast. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information.

I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.