COVID-19 Episodes

Oct. 22, 2021

52: New York Times PH Survey – Pt 2

New York Times journalist Danielle Ivory details the feedback she and her team received from public health professionals responding to the newspaper’s survey about their work during the pandemic; ASTHO Board Member and former Minnesota health...
Oct. 21, 2021

51: New York Times PH Survey

Danielle Ivory, a journalist for the New York Times, explains the results of the newspaper’s survey of hundreds of local public health departments; Senate budgeteers release FY 22 Appropriations bills, including a historic increase in funding for...
Oct. 20, 2021

50: Social Media Health Concerns

Stephanie Smiley, former state health officer for Wisconsin, examines the impact of social media on young people; Community COVID Coalition members release new social media animations to educate people ages 18 to 24 about vaccine safety; ASTHO CEO...
Oct. 19, 2021

49: Preparing for Flu Season

Dr. Denise Johnson, Acting Physician General at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, discusses the upcoming flu season; Avia Mason, ASTHO Vice President of Learning Strategy, outlines ASTHO’s annual fall board meeting agenda and a new "Insight and...
Oct. 18, 2021

48: Pt 2 -State of the COVID-19 Response

Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, talks about the importance of COVID vaccines for young children; Executive coach Larry Lewis explains the value of recognizing small victories even...
Oct. 15, 2021

47: State of the COVID-19 Response

Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, addresses the state of the campaign against COVID-19; Kim Martin, ASTHO’s Director of Immunizations, says more approved booster formulas would be...
Oct. 14, 2021

46: New FDA Booster Shot Debate

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia forecasts this week’s FDA discussions about the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster shots; ASTHO President Elect Dr. Anne Zink explains the importance of recognizing small victories even...
Oct. 13, 2021

45: Infection Control Funding

Janet Hamilton, Executive Director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists explains how $2 billion in CDC funds will help hospitals and healthcare facilities fight infections; Jonathan Wolfe, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Content...
Oct. 12, 2021

44: The Next Medicaid Cliff?

Dr. Jose Romero, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health, discusses the negative impact vaccine misinformation has on efforts to protect communities of color from the COVID-19 virus; Congressman Darren Soto of Florida considers what’s next in...
Oct. 7, 2021

42: New Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Report

Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses concerns of workshop participants about the way Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) decisions are communicated; Ericka McGowan, ASTHO’s...
Oct. 5, 2021

40: Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines

Dr. Jose Romero, a pediatrician and Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health, discusses COVID-19 vaccines for kids and parental hesitancy; ASTHO leaders discuss the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) process during a national workshop...
Oct. 4, 2021

39: Territories Avoid Medicaid Cliff

Carolyn McCoy, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs, explains how an extension of Medicaid funding for U.S. Territories gives them more time to work toward a permanent policy solution; Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health...
Oct. 1, 2021

38: Wildfire and Hurricane Preparedness

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, discusses the appropriate role of monoclonal antibodies in the COVID-19 response; ASTHO has a Q/A for public health teams who need to explain the CDC’s revised guidance for pregnant or...
Sept. 30, 2021

37: Workforce Reforms Pitched

Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health Officer and Medical Director, calls on Congress to take steps to address urgent public health workforce needs; Dr. Umair Shah, Secretary of Health for Washington state, reminds public health leaders to...
Sept. 29, 2021

36: Heart Health Messages

Dr. Dave Dixon, a clinical pharmacist and a member of the American College of Cardiology’s Prevention Section and Leadership Council, tells us how public health teams can apply the message of World Heart Day in their jurisdictions;  Joanne...
Sept. 28, 2021

35: Medicaid Cliff Nears

Karl Ensign, ASTHO’s Vice President for Territorial Support, discusses the potential for Congressional action to approve enhanced financial support for Medicaid services in the U.S. Territories, as a Thursday deadline nears; Dr. Joseph Kanter,...
Sept. 24, 2021

33: Booster Votes Explained

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia explains several votes taken by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Thursday, including one against COVID-19 booster shots for people with occupational or institutional risks; Dr. Ed...
Sept. 22, 2021

31: Booster Shot Debate

Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer and ASTHO President-elect, considers the potential for COVID-19 booster shots for some populations; Nick Porter, ASTHO’s Director for Environmental Health, explains how members can benefit from a new...
Sept. 20, 2021

29: Vaccinating Neighborhoods

Haley Burrous, an analyst on ASTHO’s preparedness team, explains a positive side effect of Mississippi’s in-home vaccination program; Adrienne Williams, a disability specialist working with the Mississippi State Department of Health, talks about...
Sept. 17, 2021

28: Supporting the Public Health Workforce

Dr. Norman Oliver, Virginia’s Health Commissioner, discusses the approach states and territories should take to funding for the public health workforce; ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia reacts to a new CDC/Trust for America’s Health...
Sept. 16, 2021

27: New COVID-19 Contact Tracing Info

Amelia Poulin, an ASTHO Senior Analyst for Infectious Disease Outbreak Response and Recovery, details an expanded contact tracing training curriculum for case investigators and teams doing COVID-19 work; CDC’s Dr. Lisa Grohskopf and Joynetta Kelly...
Sept. 13, 2021

24: Reaction to the COVID-19 Strategy

ASTHO CEO Michael Fraser shares member feedback about President Biden’s new COVID-19 strategy; Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi’s State Health Officer, explains the pandemic’s impact on the nation’s hospitals; ASTHO issues a revised COVID-19...
Sept. 10, 2021

23: The President’s COVID-19 Strategy

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, reacts to President Biden’s new COVID-19 strategy; Dr. Norman Oliver, Virginia’s Health Commissioner, discusses the network ready to administer COVID-19 booster shots; Robin Matthies, ASTHO’s...
Sept. 3, 2021

19: COVID-19 News Conference

State health officials held a virtual news conference with journalists Thursday to address the latest in the public health response to COVID-19. Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr....