772: Texas Uses ASTHO Peer Assessment Program, Major Overdose Death Reduction

JANSON SILVERS: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Thursday, October 17, 2024 I'm Janson Silvers. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

LILY MCCLURE: 

So, ASTHO really helped us uncover what does that gap look like and give us suggestions for how we start to close it.

SILVERS: 

The Texas Department of State Health Services is the first public health department to utilize ASTHO's Peer Assessment Program. Lily McClure with the Texas Department of State Health Services says her team's workforce goals were pretty simple.

MCCLURE: 

It's making sure that we have a public health agency that people want to come work at and that people want to stay at, not just because of the mission-oriented work we do within public health, but because we're delivering an excellent employee experience.

SILVERS: 

McClure and her team received access to six public health experts to assist her small but mighty team.

MCCLURE: 

So, they spoke to 114 of our employees over a three-day period, and they really helped us make sure that we are casting a wide net and understanding what employees' needs and pain points are, and really using that as the foundation of our roadmap and what projects we take on. So, they helped to add capacity to really make sure that we were uncovering those gaps.

SILVERS: 

McClure says now her job is to make sure they take the results and run with them.

MCCLURE: 

So, the approach we're taking is making sure that we really deeply understand the voice of our employees as we prioritize our efforts, and so, the ASTHO Peer Assessment, their deliverable, and their output was a critical component in our overall analysis of how we're doing in each one of the 30 different areas that we define under the umbrella of workforce.

SILVERS: 

You can learn more about ASTHO's Peer Assessment Program by using the link in the show notes.

Today, West Virginia is celebrating a big victory. Preliminary numbers show that when comparing the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024, the state saw a 28% decrease in overdose deaths. Christina Mullins, with the West Virginia Department of Human Services says the team's first reaction was to do a double take.

CHRISTINA MULLINS: 

The first thing is, let's check our math. "Is that right?" We've been fighting this for so long, it was hard to believe, and then it kind of switched to cautious optimism. You know, it really was encouraging, but then it's understanding the 'why' that becomes important.

SILVERS: 

Mullins thinks their focus on naloxone distribution has been very important to the reduction.

MULLINS: 

We have distributed for our state well over 100,000 naloxone kits the last couple of years; pushing, pushing, pushing to make sure we have good naloxone saturation in the communities, and we see corresponding dips in calls to EMS.

SILVERS: 

Partnerships have also been key.

MULLINS: 

We have really been working very closely with our Department of Corrections to assure that individuals have access to medication-assisteded treatment when they are incarcerated. Those numbers have jumped significantly as well during the same time period with naloxone distribution.

SILVERS: 

Mullins also highlights the work done by law enforcement to make the drug supply less deadly. If you want to learn more about the reduction in overdose deaths in West Virginia, there's a press release online now. Use the link in the show notes to learn more.

Also, today, you have a chance to improve your performance management systems. O'Keyla Cooper explains.

O'KEYLA COOPER: 

The 2024 Virtual Performance Management Vendor Showcase is happening October 30 from 12:30 to 5 p.m. ET. Explore the latest public health resources and technology, gain insights on performance management software, and engage with peers on best practices. You can register through the link in the show notes.

SILVERS: 

And the CDC has launched a brand new web portal that has a number of resources available to support emergency preparedness for people living with disabilities. Videos, summaries, infographics, and more are all online now. Use the link in the show notes to access them.

Finally, on tomorrow's newscast...

DAVID MOFFITT: 

They serve as primary focal points within state and local environment for the receipt analysis and gathering and sharing of threat-related information.

SILVERS: 

David Moffitt tells us about Fusion Centers and how they're helping his community. Follow the show, and you'll have the episode on your mobile device at 5 a.m. Just 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 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.