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Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and an ASTHO Member, discusses the allocation of $300 million to address substance use disorder; Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, spoke to Route...
Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and an ASTHO Member, discusses the allocation of $300 million to address substance use disorder; Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, spoke to Route Fifty about COVID-19 vaccinations; Maya Goldman, a reporter for Axios, tells us about a new report that says the U.S. will be short thousands of health care workers by 2028; and an ASTHO webinar will help create a workplace that promotes psychological safety.
Route Fifty News Article: $62M available for state, local health agencies to offer free vaccines
Axios News Article: Health worker shortages forecast thru 2028
SUMMER JOHNSON:
This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, September 17, 2024.
I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
ELIZABETH HARTEL:
We have been able to move from 15th to 30th nationally in overdose deaths. So, we're seeing success when it comes to preventing death with the Naloxone and those sorts of things.
JOHNSON:
Michigan working to realize even more success, lawmakers and the governor there, allocating almost $300 million to address substance use disorder in the new fiscal year. Michigan Health Department director and ASTHO member, Elizabeth Hertel, credits a Naloxone strategy for some of the state's progress.
HARTEL:
We've had more than a million kids distributed statewide. We really focus on distributing those in communities of color, among other vulnerable populations.
JOHNSON:
Hertel says the new money will be spent on neighborhood wellness centers, syringe service programs, transportation for treatment, and other assistance.
HARTEL:
The goal is to measurably reduce the overdose deaths and eliminating the racial disparities in those overdose deaths.
JOHNSON:
Read more about Michigan's plans to address substance use disorder by clicking the link in the show notes.
More money is coming to help pay for COVID-19 immunizations, but $62 million may not be enough to address the need. ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia tells the news site, Route Fifty, that cost shouldn't be an issue for people who want to be vaccinated. Read the story using the link in the show notes.
A new report says the US will be short about 100,000 healthcare workers by 2028, but it also says the need depends on the state. Maya Goldman reviewed the report for the news site Axios.
MAYA GOLDMAN:
Some states will be short physicians, but not nurses. Some states will be short home health aides, but not nursing aides.
JOHNSON:
Goldman says the analysis was produced by Mercer, a global management consulting firm. It considers data from public and private sources.
GOLDMAN:
Very populous states like California, New York, Texas, they're all expected to be significantly short physicians. Most states will actually have enough registered nurses, but states in the northeast, as well as Tennessee and Kentucky, are going to be short on the RN side.
JOHNSON:
Among the report's recommendations is the suggestion that agencies do their own research.
GOLDMAN:
Localities, states should actually take stock of which positions they're going to be short and not just lump every health care career together when they're thinking about shortages.
JOHNSON:
You can read Goldman's coverage of the report using the link in the show notes.
Agencies looking to hire new workers should consider whether their workplace promotes psychological safety. ASTHO will tell you what that is and how to achieve it during a webinar planned for tomorrow, Wednesday, September 18. This is ASTHO's Alicia Justice.
ALICIA JUSTICE:
What I'm really hoping to present the audience in the upcoming national convening, one a better understanding of what psychological safety is, but also what psychological safety is not.
JOHNSON:
Justice as wants to give attendees the tools they need to help them assess and improve their workplace environments.
JUSTICE:
How might they be able to perceive or determine or investigate how someone else is experiencing their work environment, and if there's an opportunity for them to create or advocate for some psychological safety, possibly on behalf of someone else. And then, what are just some other leadership characteristics and styles that folks can consider, adopt, or learn from to add to their leadership identity that promotes psychological safety for workplaces.
JOHNSON:
You can sign up to attend the online event with the link in the show notes. Again, that meeting is tomorrow at 4pm Eastern Time.
Finally, on tomorrow's newscast, we'll tell you how ASTHO members leverage data to improve brain health.
MEGHAN FADEL:
The Healthy Brain Initiative Data for Action Project is a new nationwide effort to support the integration of data on brain health and on caregiving into public health planning efforts.
JOHNSON:
Hear more from Megan Fadel with the Alzheimer's Association tomorrow morning. Follow the show and you'll have it on your mobile device at 5am. Tap the plus sign in the upper right corner of the screen you're looking at right now.
That'll do it for today. We're back bright and early Wednesday with more ASTHO news and information.
I'm Summer Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition.
Have a great day.
