933: ASTHO’s Policy Navigation Expertise, Pregnancy-Related Deaths Rise

SUMMER JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, June 24, 2025. I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

BETH GIAMBRONE: 

I bring a little bit of a different perspective when it comes to public health and how health and policy, how those two marry together.

JOHNSON: 

We continue today with Get to Know ASTHO, where we highlight the work of ASTHO's expert staff. Today, we hear from the state health policy team's Senior Analyst, Beth Giambrone.

GIAMBRONE: 

Generally, my role at ASTHO with the team is I help provide that law and policy support for the staff. So, another way to look at it is that I am technical assistance for the staff. So, I help them with every facet of policy, whether it's looking at legislation, whether it's helping put together policy, whether it's helping them, writing blog articles, giving them information.

JOHNSON: 

Giambrone goes on to describe how her expertise complements the various efforts of ASTHO's public health work.

GIAMBRONE: 

So, I've had a really pretty long career in government affairs and government relations. I've worked at trade associations, the National Governors Association, for about six years, on their Federal Relations team. And I've also worked for some other membership organizations within health. One of the things that I've really tried to instill with the people that I work with a lot is that no question is a silly question. The only question that's silly is the one you don't ask.

JOHNSON: 

Using her policy navigation expertise, she highlights a significant resource created by the state health policy team to guide ASTHO staff and members through new U.S. legislation.

GIAMBRONE: 

Something that I'm really proud of, that we put up last year on our website is a map of legislation surrounding public health infrastructure, more specifically, artificial intelligence, and public health, and workforce commissions. So, that was something that I did. The research helped get it up on the website in a way that is searchable for everyone.

JOHNSON: 

Giambrone encourages members and staff to read ASTHO's ongoing legislative blog series, Health Policy Update for the latest trends in public health law and policy in the US.

GIAMBRONE: 

I would always direct people to the Health Policy Updates, because that is the most, will give you the most up to date information on certain public policy issues. And it's a great way for people who might be new to an issue or new to public health in general, to help start getting a good base as to what the issue is about and what states are doing about the issue.

JOHNSON: 

You can sign up for those Health Policy Updates and learn more about ASTHO's state health policy team by using the links in the show notes.

A recent study found that the rate of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. increased between 2018 and 2022. Dr. Rose Molina from Harvard Medical School discusses tactics that can help protect women against pregnancy-related deaths.

ROSE MOLINA: 

One of the most important public health strategies in that delayed postpartum period beyond six weeks is to ensure that people who have given birth have ongoing touch points with, whether it's their obstetrician, their primary care doctor, or some other touch point within the healthcare system.

JOHNSON: 

Molina says states like California have low maternal mortality rates with data-driven quality improvement initiatives like the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative.

MOLINA: 

This collaborative focuses on key QI projects such as ensuring that all people who could benefit from aspirin, for preventing preeclampsia, get aspirin. They also focus on integrating midwives and doulas into maternity care, as well as a variety of other quality improvement initiatives.

JOHNSON: 

When it comes to women who may struggle with mental health and substance use disorders postpartum, Molina recommends the integrative behavioral healthcare model.

MOLINA: 

The behavioral health clinicians are integrated within primary care settings, such as in pregnancy care offices or other primary care offices, and that enables warm handoffs between the clinicians who screen patients for mental health challenges and then refer them immediately.

JOHNSON: 

To read more from the study, head to the link in the show notes.

Also on deck, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern, ASTHO will host a deskside media briefing focused on the impact of nutrition on chronic disease. Public health leaders will outline potential policy levers, and you can catch the highlights from that briefing on this newscast throughout the week.

Finally, check to make sure you're signed up for ASTHO's Public Health Weekly newsletter. The latest public health news is delivered straight to your inbox every week, and it's the perfect complement to this newscast. You can sign up by clicking the link 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.