ASTHO Members Episodes

614: New ASTHO CEO Announced
March 5, 2024

614: New ASTHO CEO Announced

Dr. Steven Stack, ASTHO president and commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, announces Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO alum, as incoming CEO; Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO’s newly-announced CEO, who joins ASTHO from the Louisiana Department of...
613: Members Meet Legislators, Islands Discuss Priorities
March 4, 2024

613: Members Meet Legislators, Islands Discuss Priorities

Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, spent her week in Washington, D.C., discussing the importance of the Public Health Infrastructure Grant to her state; Arthur San Agustin, special assistant for health to...
611: Harm Reduction Strategies, A Recruiter Calls Mike Fraser
Feb. 29, 2024

611: Harm Reduction Strategies, A Recruiter Calls Mike Fraser

Dr. Kaitlan Baston, ASTHO Member and acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, discusses a new law in New Jersey that decriminalizes many harm reduction supplies; Andra Samoa, a Department of Health consultant and liaison, wants...
610: Island Members Visit Capitol Hill, Campaign Recruits New Public Health Nurses
Feb. 28, 2024

610: Island Members Visit Capitol Hill, Campaign Recruits New Public Health Nurses

Gaafar Uherbelau, Minister of Health for the Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services, tells us his priorities in Washington D.C. for ASTHO’s Spring Meeting; this week, the third cohort of public health professionals in the Diverse Executives...
607: Spring Meeting Preview, ASTHO CEO Farewell
Feb. 23, 2024

607: Spring Meeting Preview, ASTHO CEO Farewell

Amber Williams, ASTHO senior vice president for Leadership and Organizational Performance, previews ASTHO’s upcoming Spring Meeting; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, prepares to say goodbye as he ends his time at ASTHO next week; and an ASTHO blog article...
606: RSV Treatment Availability, Indiana’s Big Funding Win
Feb. 22, 2024

606: RSV Treatment Availability, Indiana’s Big Funding Win

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, discusses the supply and demand challenges impacting new RSV antibody products; Luke Kenley, former Indiana state senator, tells us how he helped lead the committee to develop and promote the public...
604: How to Build a Rural Health Workforce, Pacific Island Agencies Make PHIG Plans
Feb. 20, 2024

604: How to Build a Rural Health Workforce, Pacific Island Agencies Make PHIG Plans

Dr. Nizar Wehbi, ASTHO Member and North Dakota state health officer, says North Dakota has a plan to attract healthcare workers; Lindsey Myers, ASTHO vice president for Public Health Workforce and Infrastructure, tells us Pacific Island area public...
603: Report Calls for New Health Data Approach, ASTHO Members Plan Hill Visit
Feb. 16, 2024

603: Report Calls for New Health Data Approach, ASTHO Members Plan Hill Visit

Dr. Gabriel Seidman, Director of Policy at the Ellison Institute of Technology, details the need for a stronger nationwide health data ecosystem; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO Senior Director for Government Affairs, tells us how some topics on the Hill that...
602: Public Health Skills Discussion Preview, Oregon’s New Director
Feb. 15, 2024

602: Public Health Skills Discussion Preview, Oregon’s New Director

Amber Williams, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Leadership and Organizational Performance, previews next week’s webinar about strategic skills for public health professionals; Dr. Sejal Hathi, ASTHO Member and Director of the Oregon Health...
601: Use Policy to Achieve Health Equity, Stigma Hurts Long COVID Patients
Feb. 14, 2024

601: Use Policy to Achieve Health Equity, Stigma Hurts Long COVID Patients

Dr. Brooke Cunningham, ASTHO Member and Health Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Health, reflects on the importance of using policy to achieve racial equity; Dr. Priti Patel, CDC...
595: Teens Get Online Health Hub, Indiana Funding Plan Discussed Today
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...
591: Infant Mortality Data Offers Mixed Results, Preparedness Lessons
Jan. 31, 2024

591: Infant Mortality Data Offers Mixed Results, Preparedness Lessons

Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO Member and State Health Officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, says new numbers in Alabama show infant deaths are dropping but the news isn’t all good; an ASTHO blog article outlines practical strategies for...
581: Policies Connect Health Care and PH Funding Tips
Jan. 17, 2024

581: Policies Connect Health Care and PH Funding Tips

Brianna Gorman, ASTHO analyst for Performance Excellence, explains ways to connect public health and health care in communities; Dr. Lindsay Weaver, ASTHO member and state health commissioner for the Indiana Department of Health, tells us how Indiana...
580: Reflections on Racial Healing, Readiness Website Launches Today
Jan. 16, 2024

580: Reflections on Racial Healing, Readiness Website Launches Today

Natasha Harper-Levy, ASTHO director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, reflects on the National Day of Racial Healing’s value and purpose; Margaux Haviland, ASTHO director of Preparedness and Response Coordination, explains what users will see...
578: New Fentanyl Laws, Report Indicates Climate Impacts on Mental Health
Jan. 11, 2024

578: New Fentanyl Laws, Report Indicates Climate Impacts on Mental Health

Dr. Sameer Vohra, ASTHO member and director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, tells us new laws in Illinois will seek to address the deadly effects of fentanyl; Paul Schramm, health scientist for the CDC, details the far-reaching and...
577: New Preparedness Website Set to Launch, COVID Vaccine Messaging
Jan. 10, 2024

577: New Preparedness Website Set to Launch, COVID Vaccine Messaging

Margaux Haviland, ASTHO director for Preparedness and Response Coordination, shares that the Inspire Readiness website goes live on January 16; Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, wants public health to focus its COVID vaccine promotion...
576: State Health Assessments Inform Planning, How to Access Public Health Databases
Jan. 9, 2024

576: State Health Assessments Inform Planning, How to Access Public Health Databases

Dr. Edward Simmer, director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, dives deep into a new state health assessment; Melissa Touma, ASTHO’s director of the Public Health Infrastructure Program, tells us how Colorado used...
567: Strategic Primer Helps PH Navigate Challenges; Lead, PFAS, and Food Safety Policy
Dec. 19, 2023

567: Strategic Primer Helps PH Navigate Challenges; Lead, PFAS, and Food Safety Policy

Mike Fraser, ASTHO chief executive officer, talks about the new book he wrote with Dr. Brian Castrucci, president and chief executive officer of the de Beaumont Foundation; Elke Shaw-Tulloch, public health administrator for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, says many agencies saw...
566: Policies to Curb Sexually Transmitted Infections, Xylazine Regulation and Testing
Dec. 18, 2023

566: Policies to Curb Sexually Transmitted Infections, Xylazine Regulation and Testing

Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO immediate past president and chief medical officer for the Alaska Department of Health, says policies can help address the fact that the number of babies born with syphilis is ten times higher than in 2012; JoAnne McClure, ASTHO...
565: Oregon’s Psilocybin Therapy Program, New Focus on Perinatal Substance Use
Dec. 15, 2023

565: Oregon’s Psilocybin Therapy Program, New Focus on Perinatal Substance Use

Cara Biddlecom, interim state health official at the Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division, talks about the launch of the first-ever state-sponsored psilocybin therapy program; Amani Echols, policy and government affairs manager for the...
564: Flavored Tobacco Bans and Pricing Strategies, Respiratory Disease Guidance
Dec. 14, 2023

564: Flavored Tobacco Bans and Pricing Strategies, Respiratory Disease Guidance

Dr. Barbara Wallace, director of the Division of Chronic Disease Prevention at the New York State Department of Health, discusses various strategies to curb tobacco use; Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, worries that too many sick...
562: Harm Reduction Gets Legislative Attention, Tainted Applesauce Investigation Expands
Dec. 12, 2023

562: Harm Reduction Gets Legislative Attention, Tainted Applesauce Investigation Expands

Dr. Steven Stack, ASTHO president and commissioner of public health for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, discusses substance misuse and overdose prevention strategies; Dr. Susan Kansagra, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services assistant...
561: ASTHO’s 2024 Legislative Overview Starts Today, Holiday Campaign Offers Treatment Message
Dec. 11, 2023

561: ASTHO’s 2024 Legislative Overview Starts Today, Holiday Campaign Offers Treatment Message

Dr. Lindsay Weaver, state health commissioner for the Indiana Department of Health, discusses the state’s campaign to increase investment in public health; Dr. Ralph Alvarado, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Public Health, explains how...
560: Businesses Supporting Public Health, Guide Helps Agencies with Antibiotic Stewardship
Dec. 8, 2023

560: Businesses Supporting Public Health, Guide Helps Agencies with Antibiotic Stewardship

Dr. Jerome Adams, former United States Surgeon General, says businesses learned from the pandemic that public health is a worthy investment; Destani Bizune, an epidemiologist in the Office of Antibiotic Stewardship at the CDC, discusses the CDC’s...