502: Rural Health Plan, Age-Friendly Public Health Systems

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, September 13, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

RALPH ALVARADO: 

There were 13 recommendations that were issued which could each fill up a segment of the entire podcast.

JOHNSON: 

Tennessee Health Commissioner, Dr. Ralph Alvarado, talking about the work of a new Rural Health Care Task Force in his state.

ALVARADO: 

They identified three priority areas that have some downstream impacts on all rural Tennessee communities and that was access to care, workforce development, and social drivers of health.

JOHNSON: 

Among the recommendations, boosting Tennessee's telehealth network.

ALVARADO: 

So, the task force recommended a one-year pilot program within three safety net clinics and three community-based sites so, things like libraries, for example, to improve access to telemedicine and healthcare services within rural communities. And another recommendation was to contract with a telemedicine vendor to help the state implement the program. So, the taskforce also recommended that the state explore a lot of future options and opportunities to build upon existing technology.

JOHNSON: 

Alvarado says the plan is informed and driven by lessons learned during the pandemic.

ALVARADO: 

So, I think the timeliness of the report helps provide urgency in adopting and funding the policies that are proposed because everyone including our legislature, state government officials, have witnessed these problems firsthand during the pandemic, so, it's no longer background noise and requests from health advocates, but real problems that I think everybody's pressed to try to address.

JOHNSON: 

You can read the Tennessee report using the link in the show notes.

The nonprofit Trust for America's Health is leading the age-friendly public health systems movement. This is Dr. Karon Phillips.

KARON PHILLIPS: 

We are focused on empowering and supporting public health to work collaboratively with other organizations and agencies to support the health of older adults. So, with generous funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation, we were able to fund Mississippi and Washington State to develop an age-friendly public health system in their states.

JOHNSON: 

Phillips tells us about the work happening in Mississippi.

PHILLIPS: 

Providing guidance and technical assistance has led Mississippi to develop what we're calling an age-friendly ecosystem. So, having a committed leadership at the state, and raising awareness about the importance of the issues of promoting healthy aging has led to lots of opportunities for collaboration and coordination across various sectors throughout the state.

JOHNSON: 

The transformation, according to Philips, is guided by a framework.

PHILLIPS: 

The components of it are creating and leading policy systems and environmental changes, connecting and convening multi-sector stakeholders, coordinating existing supports and services, collecting and analyzing data, communicating health information, and complementing the existing health promoting programs. Advancing health equity is at the center of this framework, and it is very central to this work.

JOHNSON: 

Learn more about age friendly public health systems by clicking the link in the show notes. You can also listen to a new podcast about this approach. It's hosted by trust President and CEO, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia. We've got that link in the show notes as well.

ASTHO is working on a new leadership training program that soon will be available to anyone in public health. Avia Mason is ASTHO's vice president of leadership and learning. She says work started on the new Essentials of Leadership and Management program before COVID-19, but adds the pandemic has made the training plan even more important.

AVIA MASON: 

During COVID, a lot of staff were promoted to management and supervisory positions and did not receive the adequate training that they needed in order to be effective in those positions.

JOHNSON: 

Kentucky agencies helped pilot the program. You can hear from Mason and two members of the pilot in a new episode of the Public Health Review podcast. It's online now everywhere you stream audio.

Also today, ASTHO is hiring for several positions. The organization is recruiting for a Vice President of Public Health Data Modernization and Informatics, a Manager of Contracts, and a Vice President of Finance. Apply today using the link in the show notes.

Finally this morning, stay informed about public health policy and debate happening on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures by signing up for ASTHO's Legislative Alert emails. The link is in the show notes.

We'd also like to encourage you to follow ASTHO on social media. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

That will do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.