610: Island Members Visit Capitol Hill, Campaign Recruits New Public Health Nurses

ROBERT JOHNSON:   

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, February 28, 2024. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. 

GAAFAR UHERBELAU:   

It is a long 24 hours or more, in some cases one way, but it's definitely worth it to be here to be in D.C. 

JOHNSON:   

Republic of Palau, Health Minister Gaafar Uherbelau is in Washington, D.C. this week to meet with fellow ASTHO members and members of Congress. 

UHERBELAU:   

Points of discussion with folks on the Hill regarding different policies and proposed legislative changes, particularly on Medicare, Medicaid, for the territories, and for the FAS things like veterans' benefits, possibilities to expand on those to include veterans who reside in the freely associated states. 

JOHNSON:   

Uherbelau and others are on Capitol Hill today. He says it's an opportunity to check on the status of funding for the freely associated states. 

UHERBELAU:   

The FAS recently concluded our Compact of Free Association renegotiation, so that's definitely been the highlight in terms of the topics. And now we're just awaiting U.S. Congress to sort of approve the funding for those based on the agreements that were signed in the past year. 

JOHNSON:   

Hill visits often include a lot of walking inside and outside congressional office buildings, even if it's a little chilly, Uherbelau says he doesn't mind. 

UHERBELAU:   

As you know, the islands are nowhere near as cold as here, but I do miss the cold sometimes. So it's good to be back in the cold and to be able to walk around Washington D.C. 

JOHNSON:  

Also happening at this week's ASTHO Spring Meeting, the graduation of the third cohort of public health professionals in the Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health program. 20 students are celebrated for their work. You can read more about the graduates and the program by clicking the links in the show notes. 

The State of Maine has a plan to recruit and retain more public health nurses. This is Maine CDC Director and ASTHO member Dr. Puthiery Va.  

PUTHIERY VA:   

When you think about public health and public health services and how to deliver that bridge between clinical care out in the community, that is what our public health nurses do. 

JOHNSON:   

Since launching a campaign focused on public health nursing, Maine has cut its vacancy rate by half. Va credits her team for a plan that included financial incentives. 

VA:   

The second strategy was to go out to where we can recruit potential candidates. And that was making sure we had relationships with universities setting up job fairs and events, being present at those job fairs and events. We also partnered and build relationships with different job programs, Job Shadow Programs, to do the exact same thing. Going to where we felt that candidates would be. 

JOHNSON:   

Va adds the campaign relied on many different partnerships. 

VA:   

I would also add our community partners as well, because this includes our partners in the business world, in our community-based organizations, the same Job Shadow Programs. Our community partners also helped us highlight the work that we do and recruit candidates that were interested. 

JOHNSON:   

Read more about the Maine campaign using the link in the show notes. Also today, ASTHO is hiring for open positions. The organization is recruiting for a Chief Financial Officer and a Contracts Manager. Get more information by clicking the links in the show notes. Finally, this morning, get your weekly dose of Public Health news and other resources when you join the list to receive ASTHO's Public Health Weekly email newsletter; the link to sign up is in the show notes. Before we go, a reminder also to follow this newscast on your podcast player and connect with ASTHO on social media. We're 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.