585: 2024 Legislative Agenda Looks Familiar, Learn Trauma-Responsive Leadership

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, January 23, 2024. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

ANDY BAKER-WHITE: 

2024 we're really looking at as a continuation of 2023.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO's Andy Baker-White on the state of the legislative calendar this year. He says many of the issues are familiar, often carried over from previous legislative sessions, topping the list: proposals concerning public health authority and immunizations.

BAKER-WHITE: 

We'll also be keeping an eye on bills related to routine childhood immunizations, as well as ways states are seeking to improve the media literacy of their populations. To help reduce the impact of misinformation and disinformation.

JOHNSON: 

Baker-White says investment proposals also are worth watching.f

BAKER-WHITE: 

Another area is public health workforce, where we'll be looking at ways that states are hoping to stabilize funding for public health. Last year, we saw Indiana as a really good example of coming up with ways to help fund their public health system.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO examines the Indiana experience in a webinar scheduled for Tuesday, February 6. Learn how the State won approval for a 1500% increase in public health funding. Hold your seat using the link in the show notes. You also can read more about these issues and others by visiting ASTHO's Legislative Prospectus webpage. We've added the link to the show notes.

Trauma from the pandemic continues to impact many people who work in public health. ASTHO's Omar Khalid says leaders can support their teams by adopting a trauma responsive approach.

OMAR KHALID: 

Well, one thing that we aren't expecting public health leaders to do is have a trauma-free workforce and eliminate or eradicate trauma.

JOHNSON: 

Khalid says a little bit of stress can lead to growth, but too much for too long can have dramatic effects. When that happens, he recommends leaders encourage human connections that are known to help people recover.

KHALID: 

Finding ways to build a scaffolding of support for your organization and your agency, having communication and understanding about the effects of trauma and what the workforce has been through, can go a long way in understanding that connection really mitigates trauma.

JOHNSON: 

Khalid adds the shift from being trauma-informed to being trauma-responsive doesn't have to be complicated.

KHALID: 

You know, having regular connection, social time, making time for people to connect with each other just as people at the beginning of a meeting, can go a long way.

JOHNSON: 

You can read more about trauma-responsive leadership in a new ASTHO blog article now online. There's a link in the show notes.

Also today, prescription opioid use during pregnancy is the subject of a new ASTHO infographic. O'Keyla Cooper explains.

O'KEYLA COOPER: 

The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, also known as PRAMS is a collaboration between the CDC and U.S. jurisdictions that surveyed over 37,000 individuals post-live birth in 2019 to study prescription opioid use during pregnancy. The survey explores sources, reasons, duration, risks, and health care counseling related to opioid use. Find more information by downloading the infographic through the link in the show notes.

JOHNSON: 

Finally, this morning, stay connected to ASTHO news reports and other tools like infographics when you sign up for ASTHO's Public Health Weekly email newsletter. Look for the link in the show notes.

Before we go, a reminder to follow this newscast on your podcast player so you don't miss a single report and connect with ASTHO on social media. We are on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

That'll 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.