Dr. Lindsay Weaver, ASTHO member and state health commissioner of Indiana, discusses the public health programs that Indiana employed to achieve its lowest infant mortality rate in more than a century; Corinne Gillenwater, chronic disease and health improvement analyst at ASTHO...
Dr. Lindsay Weaver, ASTHO member and state health commissioner of Indiana, discusses the public health programs that Indiana employed to achieve its lowest infant mortality rate in more than a century; Corinne Gillenwater, chronic disease and health improvement analyst at ASTHO, shares how ASTHO’s new e-learning module can equip community health workers (CHWs) with the tools and resources they need to support healthy aging in individuals with Alzheimer's disease; the highlights from ASTHO’s recent INSPIRE: Readiness webinar on communicating with data during infectious disease emergencies are now available online; and the PHIG Partners Public Health Data Modernization Implementation Center Program is hosting two Q&A sessions for public health agencies regarding Wave 2 applications.
PHIG Partners: Public Health Data Modernization IC Program Wave 2 Q&A (Session 1)
SUMMER JOHNSON:
This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, September 9, 2025. I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
LINDSAY WEAVER:
While the big statewide initiatives, I think, do make a difference, it is really those very specific local efforts that- that end up making the biggest difference in the long run.
JOHNSON:
That's ASTHO member Dr. Lindsay Weaver, state health commissioner of Indiana, discussing the state's big news.
NEWSCASTER:
Indiana Department of Health is celebrating a historic decrease in the state's infant mortality rate.
JOHNSON:
The record-breaking decline is the state's lowest infant mortality rate recorded in over a century.
WEAVER:
But it wasn't just recently. This has been years in the making. We're really thankful that our state has invested a lot in the space of infant and maternal mortality, and we believe it's many different programs that have contributed to this historic low infant mortality rate.
JOHNSON:
Weaver dives into the programs that helped Indiana reach this milestone.
WEAVER:
So, many of our programs that we're implementing statewide to just help Hoosiers get healthy in general, we know will also affect our infant and maternal mortality rate. So, an example of that is we know that 13% of Indiana women who are obese will deliver preterm compared to only 9% of Indiana women who are of a healthy weight. So, our focus on chronic disease prevention, obesity prevention will also affect those numbers in the long-term.
JOHNSON:
While statewide programs are essential, Weaver says it's the state's investment in local efforts that have really moved the needle.
WEAVER:
We're helping our local health departments to understand their data so that they are really focusing on those areas of biggest need to decrease infant mortality in their community.
JOHNSON:
And those needs vary greatly from one community to another.
WEAVER:
In some communities, they know that their leading cause of infant mortality is 'safe sleep,' so, they've put a lot of effort in making sure that women have access to cribs, they have access to education on what does safe sleep look like. In other communities, it's substance use, and so, they're helping connect providers to our CHAMP Program, or making sure women know that there's resources like our Pregnancy Promise Program available to them.
JOHNSON:
Weaver says Indiana's next move is to develop a one-stop-shop platform for pre- and post-natal care resources. For more information on Indiana's programming, you can head to the link in the show notes.
A new opportunity for community health workers to help individuals with Alzheimer's disease: ASTHO has an e-learning module that can equip CHWs with the tools and resources they need to promote healthy aging in this population. ASTHO's, Corinne Gillenwater shares more.
CORINNE GILLENWATER:
So, the information implementation strategies and resources featured in the module are all tailored specifically to CHWs to assist them in leveraging the really incredible core competencies and skill sets that they already have to support community members with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in their caregivers.
JOHNSON:
Gillenwater says the course is an opportunity to meet continuing education requirements.
GILLENWATER:
The module includes three sub-modules: one on risk reduction, one on early detection, and one on caregiving. After completing the end of course survey, learners also receive an official certificate of completion to be used as they see fit.
JOHNSON:
ASTHO worked with community health workers to design the course to get CHWs information in a format that works for them.
GILLENWATER:
When making these modules, we had a lot of conversations with CHWs in various states, and they all mentioned wanting to keep the module short and straightforward. So, that is what we did, to recognize the capacity and how many responsibilities they take on.
JOHNSON:
From interactive learning tools to implementation tips and strategies, the module has everything you need to learn how you can support individuals with Alzheimer's. You can enroll in the course now on ASTHO's website. We'll have a link right to it in the show notes.
Next up, in case you missed the INSPIRE: Readiness webinar on communicating with data during infectious disease emergencies, ASTHO has released a brief video that gives you the highlights from it. It's now available online. Use the link in the show notes to learn more about tested communications frameworks your department can use to address uncertainty, emerging evidence, and misinformation.
And finally, the PHIG Partners' Public Health Data Modernization Implementation Center program will host 2 Q&A sessions for state, local, and territorial public health agencies. During these sessions, you'll have a chance to ask questions about the Wave 2 applications and timelines. The first Q&A session is coming up next Tuesday, September 16, at 3 p.m. Eastern, and the second will be October 7. If your agency is considering applying, you're encouraged to attend one of these sessions. More information is at 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 are listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.
