934: ASTHO Deskside Briefing, Congressional Public Health Priorities

JANSON SILVERS: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, June 25, 2025. I'm Janson Silvers. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

JOSEPH KANTER: 

We are delighted to bring this deskside briefing to you on the Impact of Nutrition on Chronic Disease Prevention. This is an issue that we care deeply about. There's a lot of really good and inspiring work on this happening in states and territories throughout the country.

SILVERS: 

ASTHO CEO, Dr. Joseph Kanter, welcomed media to a deskside briefing yesterday that focused on the Impact of Nutrition on Chronic Disease. Kanter was joined by: Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO President; Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO's chief medical officer; Dr. Lindsay Weaver of Indiana; Dr. James McDonald of New York; and Dr. Ralph Alvarado of Tennessee, who you can hear here...

RALPH ALVARADO: 

With a lot of our local communities who have important needs for them, and all too often, a lot of their concerns and worries tie right back into nutrition. So, when we have anywhere from 13 to almost 40% of people in the state, at times, depending on the study that you're looking at, that doesn't know where their next meal is coming from, we're really focusing on that.

SILVERS: 

ASTHO member, Dr. McDonald, from New York, spoke about the importance of several programs.

JAMES MCDONALD: 

Programs like SNAP and WIC are vital in New York. You know, in New York, about 3 million people rely on SNAP, about 450,000 rely on WIC. And we know WIC is a very cost effective program. You know, we know for every dollar we spend in WIC, we see a Medicaid savings of $1.24 to $6.38. We also know WIC recipients are more likely to eat real foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.

SILVERS: 

ASTHO member Dr. Weaver of Indiana says, like many of her counterparts, obesity is a big topic of focus.

LINDSAY WEAVER: 

We know that by prior research it was probably not accurate. So, we actually utilized real health data here in Indiana, and it turns out our obesity rate is actually 10% higher than what we thought it was. So, it's 44% of Hoosiers are obese. And when when we looked at our other health outcomes in Indiana, rising health care costs from, often related to chronic diseases, a higher infant mortality, a higher maternal mortality, mental health issues. And you can- there's one link back to many of those, and it is obesity.

SILVERS: 

The participating members also took questions from the media regarding the importance of nutrition. We'll have more from the briefing, including those questions and answers throughout the rest of this week.

An ASTHO Federal Health Policy Update focuses on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' recent budget hearings. Catherine Jones, senior analyst of government affairs at ASTHO, shares some of the hearings' biggest takeaways.

CATHERINE JONES: 

Congress's FY26 budget priorities for public health are not crystal clear. Preparedness and prevention were central topics in the hearings, and ensuring that supply chains and biomedical research and development are well-funded. And the final takeaway would be the general concern that Secretary Kennedy will not spend all of the FY26 allocated funding.

SILVERS: 

Jones says there is concern on both sides of the aisle regarding vaccine guidance for the general public.

JONES: 

Secretary Kennedy confirmed that funding appropriated for vaccines would be used and that vaccine recommendations would come from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP. Since that hearing, the Secretary has dismantled 17 voting board members on ACIP and installed eight new ones.

SILVERS: 

Members of Congress covered a range of topics in their questioning, from substance use and funding for harm reduction tools, to disparities in maternal care and program disruptions.

JONES: 

Tobacco control was brought up in the context that it is the leading preventable cause of death. And staffing cuts, along with the proposed elimination of the Office on Smoking and Health will have a negative impact on the major progress that has been made over the decades.

SILVERS: 

You can read the full update by heading to the link in the show notes.

Also, happening right now is ASTHO's 2025 Executive Leadership Forum annual meeting. Participants are currently fostering peer connection, identifying solutions for public health challenges, and working to create actionable strategies to share with membership. Hear coverage from the ELF annual meeting in upcoming Public Health Review Morning Edition episodes.

Finally, if your team needs a new person to bring your work to the next level, publichealthcareers.org could be where you find them. Some of the best and brightest in public health are there looking for their next opportunity. Click the link in the show notes to learn more.

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.