Federal Government Affairs Episodes

May 30, 2025

917: World No Tobacco Day, One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Brian King, executive vice president for U.S. programs at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, explains how state and local programs are the lifeblood of tobacco prevention; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO's senior director for government affairs, updates us...

Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma , Brian King PhD MPH

May 28, 2025

915: Healthy Aging, New Federal Health Policy Update

Danny Staley, ASTHO senior vice president for public health programs and practice, details the recent Healthy Brain Initiative Summit where he presented a keynote presentation; Catherine Murphy, ASTHO government affairs analyst, explains...

Guests: Danny Staley MS , Catherine Murphy

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...

Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma , Sameer Vohra MD JD MA FAAP

May 9, 2025

903: New Lab Speeds Newborn Screening, Capitol Hill Efforts

Deputy secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Ashley Goss, shares how her agency’s new health and environment laboratories are transforming public health response with expanded laboratory capabilities; Get to know ASTHO's Catherine Murphy...

Guests: Catherine Murphy , Ashley Goss MBA

May 6, 2025

900: How ASTHO Provides Value, Crisis Comms Webinar

Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director for government affairs, explains how he came to ASTHO and how his team provides value for members in today's "Get to Know ASTHO" segment; K. "Vish" Viswanath, professor of health communication at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public...

Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma , K. "Vish" Viswanath PhD

May 2, 2025

898: Community Crisis Centers, Congress Back In Session

Kelly Crosbie, director of the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, tells us about the community crisis center initiative in her state; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO's senior vice president of...

Guests: Carolyn Mullen , Kelly Crosbie MSW LCSW

April 30, 2025

896: Get To Know ASTHO, PH in the Classroom

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, begins the new “Get To Know ASTHO” series, which will highlight different experts at ASTHO; Madison Yerges, section supervisor for the student education section at the Center for Foundational Health, part of the...

Guests: Joseph Kanter MD MPH , Madison Yerges MPH MHA

April 17, 2025

887: Keep America Safe Coalition, Puerto Rico Health Priorities

Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of the Safe States Alliance, tells us about the Keep America Safe Coalition; Dr. Victor Ramos, secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Health and an ASTHO member, breaks down the health priorities for Puerto...

Guests: Sharon Gilmartin MPH , Victor Ramos MD

Jan. 24, 2025

829: Overdose Prevention in the Justice System, Fentanyl Crisis Federal Action

JoAnne McClure, senior analyst on ASTHO’s State Health Policy Team, discusses a new ASTHO Health Policy Update that centers on the need for more overdose prevention supports for those in the criminal justice system; Catherine Jones, ASTHO Government...

Guests: JoAnne McClure MSW , Catherine Jones MPH

Jan. 22, 2025

827: Alpha-Gal Syndrome Interest, New Congress Priorities

Courtney Anderson, a director with ASTHO’s Environmental Health Team, discusses a blog article on alpha-gal syndrome that was one of ASTHO’s most popular resources of 2024; Catherine Murphy, government affairs analyst for ASTHO, uses past...

Guests: Courtney Anderson MPH , Catherine Murphy

Jan. 17, 2025

825: National Day of Racial Healing, New Administration Early Priorities

Natasha Harper-Levy, director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at ASTHO, tells us the importance of racial healing as we get ready to celebrate the National Day of Racial Healing; an ASTHO blog article dives into how you can integrate race and...

Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma , Natasha Harper-Levy

Dec. 6, 2024

805: Lame Duck Priority Preview, National Influenza Vaccination Week

Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director for Government Affairs, tells us what to expect from Congress as the year wraps up; Dr. Brendan Jackson, director of the Office of Readiness, Response, and Operations for the CDC's National Center for Immunization...

Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma , Brendan Jackson MD MPH

March 15, 2024

622: High Food Costs Hurt WIC, Proposed Budget Breakdown

Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health and ASTHO Member, recalls his recent visit to Congress a few weeks ago; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director for Government Affairs, says ASTHO continues to talk with...

Guests: Scott Harris MD MPH FACP FIDSA , Jeffrey Ekoma , Susan Kansagra MD MBA

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...

Guests: Joseph Kanter MD MPH , Steven Stack MD

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...

Guests: Arthur San Agustin MHR , Moses Pretrick , Manisha Juthani MD