Emergency Preparedness Episodes

Cyberattacks aren’t just an IT problem; they’re a potential public health emergency. ASTHO Senior Analyst for Preparedness, Maggie Nilz, explains how cyber disruptions are reshaping the foundation of public health systems. She explains how increasingly interconnected digital infrastructure has made…

When overdose cases suddenly spike, every second counts. In this episode, Jessica Pough, director of overdose preparedness and response at ASTHO, talks about a new tool designed to help communities prepare before a crisis hits. The “Overdose Spike Preparedness Exercise: Tabletop in a Box” gives sta…

How do public health officials detect emerging viruses before they spread widely across the U.S.? Heather Reese, genomic epidemiology and preparedness team lead at CDC, tells us about the Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance (TGS) program: a cutting-edge effort that turns international travel into a…

What does it take to build a resilient public health system? Keshana Owens-Cody, director of the Office of Public Health Infrastructure at the New York State Department of Health, talks about incorporating core competencies i...

Public health agencies across the country face a growing workforce shortage—but Missouri is tackling the challenge head-on. On today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, we explore how Missouri internship programs are bui...

Today, two conversations highlight how policy shapes public health, both in communities and on Capitol Hill. First, Beth Giambrone, senior analyst for state health policy at ASTHO, explains how states are rethinking their app...

How can public health detect invisible threats before they become crises? In this episode, we explore two powerful approaches shaping the future of preparedness: wastewater surveillance and radiological emergency response. Fi...

What do infection prevention in dialysis clinics and hurricane response in the Caribbean have in common? More than you might think. This episode explores how culture, leadership, and coordination shape health outcomes, whether in a treatment chair or a disaster zone. First, Shalini Nair, a senior a…

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 Co…

Wildfire smoke is no longer a rare emergency; it’s a predictable, climate-driven public health threat. In this episode, Gabriela Goldfarb, environmental public health section manager for the Oregon Health Authority's Public Health Division, tells us why health agencies must begin outreach and coord…

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 dis…

In today's PHIG Impact Report, Patricia Tilley, ASTHO member and associate commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, details the critical needs the Public Health Infrastructure Grant has helped address in her state.

Kentucky is experiencing its largest spike in whooping cough cases since 2012, an alarming rise that has already claimed the lives of three infants in the past year. In this episode, Dr. Steven Stack, secretary of Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, joins us to unpack what’s driving …

On today’s Best Of PHRME episode, we revisit an interview with ASTHO's Jennifer Layden, senior vice president for population health and innovation, who discusses how states are advancing data modernization and building creative partnerships to strengthen public health.

Dr. Novneet Sahu, deputy commissioner for public health at the New Jersey Department of Health, discusses his state’s multi-pronged strategy to improve vaccine access and address vaccine confidence in response to a national rise in pediatric flu deaths; Thaddeus Pham, viral hepatitis prevention coo…

Michelle Hale, preparedness program director with the Office of Preparedness and Response at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, shares what her state learned about responding to critical public health challenges amid a surge of wildfires in the state; Catherine Murphy, senior analyst…

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 H…

Francesca Provenzano, public health section chief of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, discusses themes and insights from her term as chair of ASTHO’s Director of Public Health Preparedness Peer Network; Dr. Sara Collins, senior …

Rachel Lehman, acting director of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)’s Technical Resources Assistance Center and Information Exchange (TRACIE), celebrates 10 years of the Center’s existence and discusses how it provides states and territories with timely information a…

Dr. Gen Meredith, associate professor with the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health at Cornell University, associate director of the Master of Public Health program, and director of Cornell’s Health Impact Score, explains how their new Public Health Strategic Skills Guide can help professional…

Kim Martin, director of immunization at ASTHO, recaps the recent ACIP meeting that took place and discusses the conversation’s potential impacts on public health; Veronica Bryant, emergency preparedness and outbreak coordinator for North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' environment…

Andy Baker-White, ASTHO’s senior director for state health policy, provides an update on the legislative actions states are taking across the country to ensure continued vaccination access within their jurisdictions; Captain Artensie Flowers, director of the division of regional operations with the…

JW Randolph, deputy commissioner at the Tennessee Department of Health, shares how his state’s new Office for Healthy Aging has been successful in coordinating statewide efforts to care for Tennessee’s aging communities; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO’s senior director for government affairs, provides an upd…

Shalini Nair, senior analyst for infectious disease at ASTHO, tells public health professionals everything they need to know about New World screwworm (NWS), and what to do if their state experiences a case; Maggie Nilz, senior analyst for preparedness at ASTHO, shares information from a new Health…