ASTHO Alumni Episodes

May 16, 2025

908: Measles Outbreak Simulator, HHS Secretary Testifies

Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health and an ASTHO member, tells us why his department wanted to create a dashboard focused on measles; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director of government affairs...
May 15, 2025

907: Suicide Capacity Assessment, Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Alex Karydi, states and territories initiatives director at the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, details a recent assessment from SPRC that looked at the ability of states and territories to prevent suicide successfully; Emily Lapayowker, ASTHO’s assistant director of web content, uses Global Ac…
May 12, 2025

Ep 904: Childhood Obesity Report, States Act on Food Dyes

Rita Condon, program manager for obesity, nutrition, and physical activity with the New Mexico Department of Health, discusses the agency’s annual Childhood Obesity Update and the new initiatives in place to promote healthy eating; Andy Baker-White, senior director for state health policy...
May 1, 2025

897: Baston Steps Down, AI for Vaccine Misbelief Correction

Dr. Kaitlan Baston, ASTHO alum and the former New Jersey commissioner of health, reflects on her time in the role as she steps down; Dr. Hang Lu, assistant professor in the department of communication and media at the University of Michigan, discusses an...
April 29, 2025

895: Opioid Efforts, Long COVID Programming

Dr. Kaitlan Baston, former commissioner of health for the New Jersey Department of Health and ASTHO alumni, outlines what New Jersey has been doing to address opioids; Kate Murray, program supervisor for Long COVID and post-COVID conditions at the...
April 22, 2025

890: Remembering Mary Selecky, Take Down Tobacco Day

Dr. John Wiesman, Associate Dean for Practice at UNC Chapel Hill, remembers his former mentor, Mary Selecky, who passed away on April 7; Finn Lanning, Youth Tobacco Prevention Coordinator for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, tells us...
April 7, 2025

879: National Public Health Week Kicks Off, Veteran Health

Alexis Travis, ASTHO Alumni Society chair, and assistant provost and executive director of University Health and Wellbeing at Michigan State University, details a few priorities for National Public Health Week; Arnice Yuji, Director of the Bureau of Health System Administration...
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...
Dec. 18, 2024

813: Enhance PH Workforce Retention, PH Kiosk Project Launch

Allison Budzinski, ASTHO senior workforce analyst, tells us small and important steps to support the public health workforce; Shane Gausepohl, communications and equity coordinator for Del Norte County Public Health, explains the Community Health...
Oct. 31, 2024

782: Maternal Mortality Crisis Gets National Attention, Zink Still Educating

Laura Ungar, science and medical writer on the Global Health and Science Team for the Associated Press, discusses the two articles she wrote about the maternal mortality crisis; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO past president and Alaska’s former chief medical...