Melissa Magstadt, secretary of health for South Dakota and an ASTHO member, explains the state’s first-in-the-nation anonymous naloxone kit distribution program; Colton Anderson, ASTHO senior analyst for public health systems and improvement, tells us about ASTHO’s Quality Advisory Group...
Melissa Magstadt, secretary of health for South Dakota and an ASTHO member, explains the state’s first-in-the-nation anonymous naloxone kit distribution program; Colton Anderson, ASTHO senior analyst for public health systems and improvement, tells us about ASTHO’s Quality Advisory Group; an ASTHO webinar scheduled for June 12 aims to help public health practitioners tell the story of public health; and Dr. Brooke Cunningham, an ASTHO Member and the Commissioner of Health for the Minnesota Department of Health, will speak at the 2025 Minnesota Rural Health Conference.
ASTHO Blog Article: Quality Advisory Group Supports Performance Improvement in Health Agencies
Minnesota Rural Health Conference Web Page
SUMMER JOHNSON:
This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Thursday, June 5, 2025. I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
MELISSA MAGSTADT:
Overdose can happen to anyone, anyone who has access to an opioid, whether that's even an elderly person in chronic pain or cancer pain, or, you know, these things can also happen accidentally as well. And I think reducing the stigma by having this as an anonymous option starts to normalize.
JOHNSON:
Melissa Magstadt is an ASTHO member and the secretary of health for South Dakota. She tells us about South Dakota becoming the first state to anonymously distribute naloxone kits statewide. Here's what the kits look like.
MAGSTADT:
They have the Emily's Hope logo, and it was- just has a sweet heart with little Emily- Emily's Hope on it. They are very noticeable, but kind. You know, when I look at that, there's a kindness to them that says, you know, 'Hey, come here, here's a little hope in this box.'
JOHNSON:
Magstadt says they've seen immediate success with the kids.
MAGSTADT:
One of the first hospitals that put it in their emergency room vestibule, so you don't have to go into the hospital, it's in the vestibule, the CMO of the hospital said, immediately that box emptied out and we needed to call for more. So, I don't even know if we know how desperate our population is to have a chance to save one of their loved ones lives.
JOHNSON:
When it comes to evaluating the success of the program, Magstadt anticipates the department will have plenty of indicators.
MAGSTADT:
You know, with the anonymous piece, part of the stuff that we're giving up is knowing exactly who has the box and who used it, you know. So, our measurements are really, basically, going to be where they're distributed, and how often do we have to keep those boxes filled, and counting the boxes that are going out.
JOHNSON:
A full news release on South Dakota's anonymous naloxone distribution program is online now. We have a link in the show notes.
In the summer of 2023, ASTHO launched a strategic hub to advance public health performance improvement. It's grown into a significant resource for public health professionals. ASTHO's Colton Anderson tells us more about the Quality Advisory Group.
COLTON ANDERSON:
The original goal of the Quality Advisory Group, but we call it the QAG, was to bring together state performance improvement professionals to help our internal ASTHO performance improvement team to identify and shape resources related to things like performance management, quality improvement accreditation, and just overall public health infrastructure.
JOHNSON:
The QAG quickly evolved, says Anderson.
ANDERSON:
Peer connection was always part of the plan and part of the original vision of the QAG, but since the group has grown, it's become an even bigger focus. As we've heard from members that one of the most valuable aspects of the QAG is a chance for them to learn from and lean on each other.
JOHNSON:
Now, Anderson says the Quality Advisory Group is a place for states and territories to share what's working in their jurisdictions.
ANDERSON:
I think the QAG gives members a space to kind of share these real-world examples that they're working on, some lessons learned, and some practical resources that others can then adapt. And we think that this kind of peer learning can help agencies move forward, even when their resources are tight or priorities are shifting within the agencies.
JOHNSON:
Anderson recently wrote a blog article about the QAG. You can use the link in the show notes to read it.
Also, we often talk on this show about telling the public health story. And an ASTHO webinar scheduled for next week aims to help. O'Keyla Cooper has more.
O'KEYLA COOPER:
Join ASTHO on Thursday, June 12, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time for a timely INSPIRE: Readiness session on tackling harmful public health rumors. Hear real-world strategies to protect your community, build trust, and respond effectively during health crises. Register now using the link in the show notes.
JOHNSON:
Finally, ASTHO member, Dr. Brooke Cunningham, commissioner of health for the Minnesota Department of Health, is set to speak at the 2025 Minnesota Rural Health Conference. Cunningham will be joined by several ASTHO alums as part of a closing keynote panel. We have more information in the show notes.
That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning 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.
