726: Updated Policy Statements, CHW Investments

JANSON SILVERS: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, August 12, 2024 I'm Janson Silvers. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

MARK LEVINE: 

So, it's really important for the organization to re evaluate its policy statements periodically. The fact of the matter is, public health landscape is moving fast. There are always important new innovations to take account of.

SILVERS: 

Dr. Mark Levine, ASTHO member and the commissioner of health for the state of Vermont, catches us up on some recent updates to a few astho policy statements. First up a new policy statement that has key recommendations for a state home visiting program.

LEVINE: 

One of them is an outgrowth of the COVID pandemic, because during the covid pandemic, home visiting started to adopt a virtual platform, and this policy statement wants to evaluate how that went, because obviously, if that was a success, that would be very important to continue on into the future.

SILVERS: 

ASTHO has also adopted a new statement on commercial tobacco and nicotine use.

LEVINE: 

There were new recommendations about pricing strategies and graphic warning labels. There was issues with modernized cessation messaging to keep up with the field, and then eliminating purchase, use, and possession laws.

SILVERS: 

Lastly, Levine explains as those inclusive approach to its improving birth outcomes policy.

LEVINE: 

So, some of the language in the new policy statement reflects the importance of health for the entire family unit to improve birth outcomes, and doesn't just focus solely on the pregnancy. There's also recommendations about improving data to better understand disparities in birth outcomes and implementing strategies that address the root causes of those disparities.

SILVERS: 

There are links to all three of these policy statements in the show notes.

Community health workers are often described as the first line of defense in public health, but investments for positions don't paint the same picture. Sherri Ohly, the co-director of the Envision Equity CHW Training and Technical Assistance Center, tells us what makes them so critical to population health.

SHERRI OHLY: 

They are trusted messengers who not only support healthcare, access and understanding and health in that way, but also address all the health related social needs and the social determinants of health. They really determine what's going to make a person healthy, and they use that knowledge and wisdom to the benefit of the entire community.

SILVERS: 

Ohly and her team at Envision have been working hard to sustain these positions, knowing that funding and grant positions would eventually end.

OHLY: 

We have put considerable effort into creating resources that support health departments and community-based organizations and healthcare systems to sustain community health workers, both from a fiscal perspective of financing and where do ongoing funds come from reimbursement strategies around Medicaid and Medicare, also budgeting and creating stable positions from within health department and health system budgets that honor community health workers and lift up their lived experience.

SILVERS: 

Ohly is joined by ASTHO Alum, Dr Joneigh Khaldun, who is now currently the VP and chief health equity officer for CVS health on an episode of the Public Health Review podcast. There, they discuss this topic at length. You can find a link to that episode in the show notes. Also today, an ASTHO report inspects the link between substance use, incarceration and death. O'Keyla Cooper has more.

O'KEYLA COOPER: 

Individuals with substance use disorder face higher rates of incarceration and death with the risk of overdose persisting after release, a new ASTHO report explores state policies aimed at reducing recidivism, overdose, and premature death by improving care linkage across the criminal justice system. Download the full report using the link in the show notes.

SILVERS: 

Finally today, an ASTHO blog article examines how your workplace can improve the retention of employees by enhancing connection. The article explores the role leaders play in connection, and also gives considerations for remote and hybrid employees. You can read the full article by using the link in the show notes. That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more astho news and information. I'm Janson Silvers. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.