821: Winter Weather Safety Campaign, Senior Deputy & CFO Meeting Invaluable

JANSON SILVERS: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, January 13, 2025. I'm Janson Silvers. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

NILESH KALYANARAMAN: 

When it gets cold is when people are paying attention. So, that's our time to be able to communicate these important issues to folks.

SILVERS: 

Maryland has launched its Annual Cold Weather Safety campaign urging residents to take precautions during the winter months. ASTHO member Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman is with the Maryland Department of Health.

KALYANARAMAN: 

It's a way to make sure that people are aware of the dangers of cold weather, what that means in terms of the preparedness they need to do, and the actions they need to take when it is cold.

SILVERS: 

Maryland works on weather preparedness from the top down.

KALYANARAMAN: 

We're actually asking each of our jurisdictions to update their cold weather plans to be able to meet a minimum set of standards and to make sure that they're collaborating across their counties.

SILVERS: 

Although the focus is ramped up during the season, cold weather preparedness is something Maryland works on all year long.

KALYANARAMAN: 

It's a year-round activity of making sure that we take the lessons learned from this cold weather season. You know when- when it starts to get warmer, and then putting into place the pieces for the next cold weather season.

SILVERS: 

You can find more information on Maryland's Cold Weather Safety campaign on its website. A link is in the show notes. Also, check out ASTHO's website for more resources on staying safe this winter. An ASTHO blog article has federal, state, and local resources all in one place, plus it discusses the evolving needs of communities during cold weather events. Use the link in the show notes to read it today.

Senior deputies and CFOs from across the country recently met with the CDC. Tobi Adeyeye Amosun with the Tennessee Department of Health says a meeting like that is invaluable.

TOBI ADEYEYE AMOSUN: 

There aren't that many people across the state that do those types of jobs, and they're very specific jobs when there's a lot of changeover from the federal administration or from the governor's side, or even from our state health officers. We're the class of leadership within those agencies that kind of keeps things going.

SILVERS: 

Amosun says the group covered a wide range of topics, including funding and preparedness.

AMOSUN: 

We were talking a lot about workforce development, a lot about the pending fiscal cliff that's going to be happening with a lot of the funding that's come into a lot of state health departments post-COVID. There's been a tremendous investment from a fiscal standpoint, but that money will be cutting off in a few years.

SILVERS: 

Finally, Amosun adds, one of the takeaways is that people in public health will continue to plan for the unplanned.

AMOSUN: 

I think the past five years have really taught everybody that any month, any year, can look completely different from the next. And with that, I think one of the things I took away from the CDC is that they are very used to having change in directorship, changes in leadership. They have a plan, and that really was very reassuring, I think, for me, but also other folks who were in attendance.

SILVERS: 

Before we wrap-up this morning, set yourself up for success by listening to this newscast every weekday morning and having the latest public health news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for ASTHO's Public Health Weekly newsletter. The link to sign up is 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.