672: Pacific Islands Embrace PHIG Investments, New Dashboard Calculates Heat Risk

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Friday, May 24, 2024. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

ALEX WHEATLEY: 

There has been conversation about how this sort of flexible foundational funding will ultimately improve health outcomes in the region, especially for the most vulnerable populations.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO's Alex Wheatley home from a recent meeting with Pacific Island Public Health Agencies gathering to discuss their work to implement the new Public Health Infrastructure Grant Program.

WHEATLEY: 

I've heard them talk about this funding as historic. I've also heard about this funding being foundational, it really supports some of those infrastructure and administrative functions that are necessary to leapfrog forward in what they're trying to achieve.

JOHNSON: 

Retired Guam, Public Health Director and ASTHO Alum, Arthur San Agustin, now advises the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. He says the island agencies are making progress one year into the five year program.

ARTHUR SAN AGUSTIN: 

It's an opportunity for change, positive change, it's an opportunity to be processed based. It's an opportunity to have data at your fingertips so you can make informed decisions regarding resources, regarding healthcare regarding health care delivery, regarding manpower resources.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

Palau Health Minister and ASTHO member, Gaafar Uherbelau says the meeting gave partners like ASTHO, the CDC, and others the chance to get a feel for work and life in the Island Areas.

GAAFAR UHERBELAU:

The Guam convening was sort of like a reverse site visit to this week where ASTHO and other national partners were able to come down to Guam. And again, get a feel of you know, what the environment is like and how things work in the islands.

JOHNSON: 

Part of that was an introduction to local culture expressed through music.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. ASTHO celebrates with comments next week from island area members. That's Tuesday through Thursday here on the newscast.

May also is Mental Health Awareness Month, Vermont Health Commissioner and ASTHO member, Dr. Mark Levine, says his state's Facing Suicide Vermont website is more than a collection of links to available resources.

MARK LEVINE: 

We wanted them actually to be able to get help themselves if they were having issues regarding depression, feeling despair, etc. But also, if there were friends who are concerned about them, they would be able to give help as well.

JOHNSON: 

June turns the focus to men's health. Levine says Vermont has a program to help men identify and engage mental health concerns. It's called Man Therapy.

LEVINE: 

This encourages and helps men to think about and support their own mental health and also provides guidance for others about what to do if they're worried about a man in their life who may be struggling with mental health challenges.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO has written a legislative prospectus on mental health policy. You can read that and learn more about Vermont's work by clicking the links in the show notes.

AARON BERNSTEIN: 

90 degrees in Bismarck is not the same as 90 degrees in Mobile.

JOHNSON: 

Memorial Day weekend means many of us will spend more time outside, starting today. The CDC's Dr. Aaron Bernstein says there's a new tool available to help people avoid the dangers of hot weather.

BERNSTEIN: 

Heat can be a real risk to anybody's health. And that's why we've created a new dashboard cdc.gov/heatrisk where you can go in, enter your zip code, and get potentially really helpful information to know how hot maybe too hot for where you live.

JOHNSON: 

Bernstein says the dashboard makes recommendations based on the relationship between rising temperatures and health outcomes.

BERNSTEIN: 

And what you see at different parts of the country is that as temperatures rise, some people show up in emergency departments, some people may die, but no different numbers given the same increase in temperature in different places.

JOHNSON: 

You can check out the dashboard using the link in the show notes.

Finally, this morning, remember to sign up for ASTHO's collection of informative email newsletters, they cover policy, resources, and public health news. You can join one or all of them by clicking the link 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 and Facebook.

That'll do it for today. We're off on Monday for Memorial Day, but back Tuesday 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 holiday weekend.