930: State Policy Work, CHW Funding

JANSON SILVERS: 

So, this is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, June 18, 2025. I'm Janson Silvers. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

SILVERS: 

This morning, we continue with our Get to Know ASTHO segment, where we highlight the work of ASTHO's expert staff. You'll hear what they do, why it's important, and the positive effect on ASTHO's members. Today, we speak to Lillian Colasurdo, ASTHO's director of public health law and data sharing.

LILLIAN COLASURDO: 

I'm one of the directors on the State Health Policy team at ASTHO. Our team responds to requests for technical assistance on policy issues, and we track state and territorial legislation each session. At the end of each year, that tracking informs our Legislative Prospectus Series, where we publish our list of public health topics we expect are going to get a lot of traction in the upcoming legislative session.

SILVERS: 

Colasurdo's unique background provided her with insight into ASTHO long before joining the organization.

COLASURDO: 

So, I've been at ASTHO now for about three and a half years, but in previous roles, I was actually a member of both of the peer groups that I mentioned, the Legislative Liaisons and the Public Health Attorneys Peer Group, and it was really important to me to be able to give back to our members in the same way that ASTHO had supported me. Previously, I worked in public health for the state of Vermont, and I was an Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Health, which included serving as legal counsel for the state's Health Operations Center during the COVID-19 response. And before that, I was a policy advisor for the Department of Health in the Office of the Commissioner.

SILVERS: 

Colasurdo's health agency insights directly translate into the policy work she does today.

COLASURDO: 

So, I currently spend most of my time involved in ASTHO's new Implementation Center projects, which is a really exciting opportunity. We've been able to provide as part of CDC's Public Health Infrastructure Grant funding to work with state, local, territorial and tribal health departments on data modernization projects.

SILVERS: 

Colasurdo tells us how the State Health Policy team's work supports ASTHO members.

COLASURDO: 

My experience working for a state health department is that they are oftentimes under-resourced areas of the department, but it affects everything across the board. And so being able to help our membership navigate legislative sessions and legal issues that come up around different public health topics, I think is a really important role that ASTHO plays.

SILVERS: 

Colasurdo values the work she gets to do every day.

COLASURDO: 

I really enjoy being in roles where you get to kind of play the helper to the people who are out doing the work, and that's I think what gets me out of bed in the morning is that I know firsthand the impact this organization has in our membership. I feel very lucky to be able to be a part of that.

SILVERS: 

Hear more from the State Health Policy team over the next few weeks. Make sure you follow this show wherever you get your podcasts, so that you never miss an episode, and you can learn more about the work of the State Health Policy team on ASTHO's website. We have a link in the show notes.

Many in public health know the value of community health workers, but funding them can be a challenge. Here's Lesley Wolf with Envision.

LESLEY WOLF: 

So, CHWs offer health education, or connect people to care and resources, show up during moments of crisis, but one of the things I want to emphasize is that their role goes beyond services. So, CHWs advocate for systems that are more just, responsive, and community-led.

SILVERS: 

According to Wolf, part of the problem is the disconnect between CHWs and those who design CHW programs.

WOLF: 

CHWs themselves often aren't at the table when decisions are made about how programs are designed or funded. So, that's also a huge disconnect. We can't build sustainable programs if the people doing the work aren't leading the conversation or part of the conversation to inform it.

SILVERS: 

The new CHW Financial Sustainability Toolkit, which was co-created with CHW leaders to establish best practices, aims to help with the funding issues.

WOLF: 

It's packed with practical tools, exercises to map relationships, and assess influence, and explore financing strategies like Medicare, Medicaid systems integration, and blended or braided funding, and it's designed to really meet you where you are, whether you're just starting or already deep in the work.

SILVERS: 

You can check out the toolkit by visiting the link in the show notes.

Also, ASTHO is hosting an INSPIRE: Readiness webinar next month, on Thursday, July 10, about how to communicate with data during infectious disease emergencies. You can use the link in the show notes to register for the event.

Finally, this morning, if you're ever looking for more engagement with ASTHO, make sure you connect with us on social media. We're on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook, and would love to hear from you.

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.