Adolescent Health Episodes
July 29, 2026
1175: Wildfire Smoke Is No Longer Just a Western Problem
Oregon Health Authority's Gabriela Goldfarb and the Minnesota Department of Health's Kathy Koehler Raleigh discuss the health risks of wildfire smoke and extreme heat, along with practical advice on protecting communities from these events.
Feb. 19, 2026
1072: From Rural Dollars to Dinner Plates: Turning Big Federal Policy Into Real Health Gains
Major federal investments and national guidance can shape the future of public health, but only if states can turn policy into practice. This episode looks at two sweeping developments and the on-the-ground work required to make them matter. First, Chris Salyers, director of programs and evaluation at the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health explains the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a $50 billion, five-year investment aimed at strengthening rural communities. Wit...
Guests: Shannon Vance MPH , Chris Salyers DHSc
Feb. 3, 2026
1062: Meeting Youth Where They Are: Expanding Mental Health Access and Youth Voice with PHIG
How do public health agencies expand access to mental health support while genuinely engaging the next generation? In this episode, we speak with Heidi Laird and Xavier Foster from the Southern Nevada Health District about two PHIG-funded initiatives designed to do exactly that.
Guests: Heidi Laird, CHES , Xavier Foster, MEd
397
Sept. 17, 2025
992: Respiratory Vaccines Update, Succession Planning How-To
Dr. Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer at ASTHO, discusses updates to federal health initiatives that continue to impact public health agencies, including the latest report from the Make America Healthy Again Commission and recent activity regarding vaccines; Tiffany Day, public health specialist with the Henry County Health Department in Ohio, previews...
Guests: Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA , Tiffany Day MPH GRMS
389
Sept. 5, 2025
984: Childhood Vaccination Efforts; FY26 Public Health Funding
Dr. Arti Barnes, chief medical officer at the Illinois Department of Public Health, describes how her agency is working collaboratively with other state departments to enhance access to pediatric vaccinations; Jeffrey Ekoma, senior director of government affairs at ASTHO, discusses changes to the CDC, this month’s federal funding deadline...
Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma, MBA, MS , Arti Barnes, MD, MPH
378
Aug. 20, 2025
973: Never A Bother Campaign, Expanding Academic Partnerships
Darcy Pickens, program coordinator for the office of suicide prevention at the California Department of Public Health, explains how the state’s “Never a Bother” youth suicide prevention campaign collaborated with youth to develop a campaign tailored to their needs; Courtney Dezendorf, director for the office of practice and learning at the Texas Department of State Health Services...
369
Aug. 7, 2025
964: MAHA Report, Subrecipient Monitoring
Dr. Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer for ASTHO, discusses the recent Make America Healthy Again report, and the work done by state and territorial health departments that intersects with the report’s themes; Ryan Daly, deputy director of finance and operations for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health, explains...
Guests: Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA , Ryan Daly MPH
351
July 10, 2025
944: State Activity on Food Dyes, PH collaboration
Kristen Rogers, a jounalist for CNN Wellness, explains why synthetic food dyes are being banned by states across the country and how each state is taking action; Felicia Quintana-Zinn, associate director of health data with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, discusses...
Guests: Kristen Rogers , Felicia Quintana-Zinn MS MBA
332
June 11, 2025
925: KFF Tracking Poll, Youth Vaccines
Liz Hamel, vice president and director of public opinion and survey research at KFF, discusses the latest KFF Tracking Poll on Information and Trust; Tina Tan, state epidemiologist at the New Jersey Department of Health, tells us about the Protect Me With 3+ program...
Guests: Tina Tan MD MPH , Liz Hamel
324
May 29, 2025
916: MAHA Report, School-Based Health Programs
Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, offers details on the Make America Healthy Again report; Lexa Giragosian, ASTHO senior analyst for maternal and infant health, tells us about an ASTHO brief that zeroes in on adolescent health...
Guests: Lexa Giragosian, MPH , Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA
492
April 14, 2025
884: Caring For PH Workers, Farm To ECE Program
Theresa Arriola, director of the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, tells us how she takes care of public health workers; Dr. Emia Oppenheim, public health consultant for the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists,...
475
March 20, 2025
867: Ethics of Wastewater Surveillance, Opioid Funding for Next Two Decades
Allison Wheeler, wastewater surveillance unit manager at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and co-director of the Wastewater Center of Excellence in Colorado, tells us about a recently published ASTHO report on ethical considerations in public health wastewater surveillance; Dawn...
Guests: Allison Wheeler, MSPH , Dawn Yohey MFT LCADC
474
March 19, 2025
866: Enhancing Island Workforce, ‘Own The Awk’ Campaign
Soulmaz Rostami, program manager for the Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program, tells us how the program is helping to fill a need for qualified public health workers in the island areas; Susan Gilbert, co-director of the National Coalition for...
Guests: Susan Gilbert, MPA , Soulmaz Rostami MPH
456
Feb. 20, 2025
847: Youth Behavioral Health, Khaldun Heads PHAB
Heidi Hedberg, commissioner for the Alaska Department of Health and an ASTHO member, tells us about Alaska's Youth Behavioral Health Roadmap; Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, former ASTHO member and the newest president and CEO of the Public Health Accreditation...
Guests: Joneigh Khaldun MD MPH , Heidi Hedberg BA
450
Feb. 11, 2025
841: Opioid Overdose Tool, Adolescent Behavioral Health
Mia Christopher, research epidemiologist at RTI International, explains how the Opioid Overdose Community Decision Tool could benefit public health; Lexa Giragosian, ASTHO senior analyst for Maternal and Infant Health, tells us why she believes her...
Guests: Lexa Giragosian, MPH , Mia Christopher MPH
443
Jan. 31, 2025
834: AI & PH Comms, HPAI Symposium Still Relevant
Robert Jennings, executive director of the National Public Health Information Coalition, is currently working on guidelines for AI use in public health communications; Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and the state health officer for the Alabama...
Guests: Robert Jennings , Scott Harris, MD, MPH
394
Nov. 5, 2024
785: Vaccination Coverage Decreases, OTC Birth Control Rule Change
Lori Freeman, chief executive officer for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, discusses a new report from the CDC outlining the decline in required vaccine coverage among kindergartners; and Brittany Lee, ASTHO director of...
Guests: Lori Freeman MBA , Brittany Lee
390
Oct. 30, 2024
781: Disaster Effects on Children, DELPH Applications Due
Dr. Dan Dodgen, Senior Advisor for the Office of Strategy Policy and Requirements in the Office of the Administrator for Strategic Preparedness and Response at HHS, discusses the importance of a recent listening session focused on the effect of...
Guests: Keon Lewis MHSA , Daniel Dodgen PhD
330
Aug. 5, 2024
721: Social Media Warning Label, Essentials of Leadership Management
Dr. Jane Harness, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry, discusses the surgeon general’s recent call for warning labels on social media; Bryan Jimenez, program supervisor for communicable disease...
Guests: Jane Harness DO , Bryan Jimenez, MPH
267
May 6, 2024
658: Avian Flu Symposium Takeaways, Adolescent Immunization Toolkit
Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, elaborates on a blog he authored on takeaways from the recent Avian Flu Symposium; Katelyn Wells, chief research evaluation and development officer for the Association of Immunization Managers,...
Guests: Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH , Katelyn Wells PhD
228
March 8, 2024
617: Social Media Oversight, Spending Deadline Concerns
Dr. Matthew Biel, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Georgetown University Medical Center, worries about the impact of social media on young people; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO senior vice president for Government Affairs and Public Relations, says...
Guests: Carolyn Mullen , Matthew Biel MD MSc
206
Feb. 6, 2024
595: Teens Get Online Health Hub, Indiana Funding Plan Discussed Today
Nicole Casanova, Youth Engagement and Evaluation Specialist with the Washington State Department of Health, says her agency has created an online Teen Health Hub to answer teens’ questions; Dr. Lindsay Weaver, ASTHO Member and State Health...
197
Jan. 24, 2024
586: Schools Get Naloxone, Communities Help Design Block Grant Projects
Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, Chief Science Officer for the Washington State Department of Health, says providing doses of naloxone to many schools in the state will save lives; Molly Cotant, Deputy Director, and Laura de la Rambelje, MA, Director, both of the Division of Local Health Services and at...
160
Nov. 21, 2023
549: Role of Schools in Preventing Teen Overdose, CDC Builds Outbreak Modeling Network
Dr. Lauren Tanz, an epidemiologist with the CDC, talks about the rising numbers of teen overdose deaths in the United States; Dr. Dylan George, director of the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics at the CDC, discusses the CDC’s creation of...