ASTHO President Episodes

What does calm leadership actually look like when everything feels urgent, political, and on fire?  In this episode, John Auerbach, senior vice president of health at ICF, offers a preview of ASTHO’s upcoming Insight & Inspiration webinar, 'Steady Hands, Steady Teams: Leading with Confidence and Composure,' on February 11, and digs into the real-world skills behind steady leadership in volatile times. From pandemic burnout to nonstop crises, today’s public health leaders are navigating faster information cycles, rising mistrust, misinformation, and exhausted teams. So how do you keep people focused, grounded, and moving forward? We’ll also hear from Dr. Manisha Juthani, ASTHO president and Connecticut commissioner of public health, who is co-hosting the webinar.

What happens when the federal government steps back and states are asked to lead? Continuing our Legislative Prospectus Series, which examines the public health policy trends set to shape 2026, ASTHO President and Connecticut Commissioner of Public Health, Dr. Manisha Juthani, joins the show to discuss the creation of a new public health emergency funding safety net and the difficult decisions leaders face when planning amid constant uncertainty. Later, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Public Health Infrastructure, Brian Lentes, breaks down key federal funding streams, governance models, and practical steps states can take to stabilize infrastructure, modernize data systems, and support the public health workforce.

For the first time, all eight U.S. territories and freely associated states have been included in PH-WINS, or the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey. Rachel Hare Bork joins the show to discuss how this landmark pilot effort came together, why it took extensive travel and collaboration to make it happen, and what the results reveal about the public health workforce across the islands.

On today’s Best Of PHRME episode, Maria Courogen, executive director for the Center for Access to Whole Person Care at the Washington State Department of Health, explains how her state worked to enable the continued support of community health workers (CHWs) by developing a sustainable funding model; Dr. Heather Krasna, associate dean of career and professional development at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, joins the show for the first time as ASTHO’s president to discuss her plans for the new term; Dr. Karen Hacker, health policy fellow at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, co-authored an article...

ASTHO immediate past president Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health, reflects on his time as president as he closes out his term; Dr. Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer at ASTHO, served as a panelist during a press briefing for Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) on chronic disease prevention and obesity,...

Dr. Daniel Edney, state health officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health and ASTHO member, shares how his state declared infant mortality a public health emergency to offer services across the state more rapidly; Bonny Mayes, epidemiologist with the Texas Department of State Health Services, discusses the article she co-authored...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, and Kate McEvoy, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, discuss a new partnership between the two organizations; Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO,...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and state health Officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, Dr. Ayanna Bennett, director of the District of Columbia Department of Health, and Dr. Manisha Juthani, ASTHO president-elect and commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, held a deskside briefing on the preparations for the upcoming respiratory virus season; Ericka McGowan, senior director of emerging infectious disease at ASTHO...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president, Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, Dr. Lindsay Weaver of Indiana, Dr. James McDonald of New York, and Dr. Ralph Alvarado of Tennessee, held a deskside briefing on the Impact of Nutrition on Chronic Disease Prevention; Catherine Jones, senior analyst of government affairs at ASTHO, shares...

Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and state health officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health, discusses takeaways from the most recent ASTHO Board of Directors meeting; Alex Kurutz, dialysis epidemiologist for the Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program at the Tennessee Department of Health...

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the State of Michigan, explains the state’s Public Health Data Dashboard, which visualizes public health trends by district and helps to shape awareness of public health’s role in the community;...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, highlights public health workers as National Public Health Week wraps up this weekend; Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and Alabama state health officer, outlines public health priorities to Congress; Jacki Tulafono,...

Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and Alabama state health officer, testified before Congress about the needs of Public Health; Emi Chutaro, the executive director of the Pacific Island Health Officers Association, recently spoke to leaders on Capitol...

Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director for government affairs, previews ASTHO president Dr. Scott Harris’ testimony before Congress today; Anna Bradley, ASTHO senior analyst with the public health infrastructure and performance improvement team,...

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...

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...

Dr. Robert Goldstein, commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and an ASTHO Member, describes how SAPHE 2.0 will promote health equity throughout the state; Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama state health officer and ASTHO president, is...

Dr. Scott Harris, State Health Officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health and the ASTHO President, tells us exactly how his state has benefited from PHIG.

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, is stepping away from ASTHO after seven years in the position; Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health and ASTHO president, says the next few years are...

Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health and now ASTHO president, previews the upcoming year in his new role; Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, correspondent for KFF Health News, discusses her article about public...

Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health and current ASTHO President, tells us about ASTHO’s upcoming leadership transition; Madison Novosel, North Dakota’s Lead Program coordinator discusses the program’s new...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, looks forward to a smooth transition as he begins his new job; Rebecca Adamson, preparedness section director at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, discusses the sixth day of National Public Health Week as...

Keon Lewis, equity and development coordinator for the Cabarrus Health Alliance, talks about his experience as a recent graduate of ASTHO’s DELPH program; Dr. Joseph Kanter is ASTHO’s new CEO and begins his role in April; Dr. Steven Stack, ASTHO...