Government Relations Episodes

801: Take Control of Your Birth Control Program, Lame Duck Priorities
Dec. 2, 2024

801: Take Control of Your Birth Control Program, Lame Duck Priorities

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the State of Michigan, discusses the launch of the Take Control of Your Birth Control program; Catherine Jones, ASTHO senior analyst for Government Affairs, tells us what the priorities are for the...
Guests: Natasha Bagdasarian MD MPH , Catherine Jones MPH
775: Long COVID Policies, H5N1 Talking Points
Oct. 22, 2024

775: Long COVID Policies, H5N1 Talking Points

Catherine Murphy, Government Affairs analyst at ASTHO, previews a new blog article that details federal efforts for Long COVID; Ewa King, PhD, chief program officer at the Association of Public Health Laboratories, details a new online resource for...
Guests: Catherine Murphy , Ewa King PhD MSE
684: Epidemiology Competencies Toolkit, Advancing Vaccine Equity
June 12, 2024

684: Epidemiology Competencies Toolkit, Advancing Vaccine Equity

Sarah Auer, program analyst for the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, tells us about the Applied Epidemiology Competencies toolkit; Lillie Seels, director of Practice Transformation at the National Community Action Partnership, says...
Guests: Lillie Seels , Jon Junior Calvo MPA , Sarah Auer, MPH, CHES®
646: Climate Health Training, Updated PFAS Provider Guidance
April 18, 2024

646: Climate Health Training, Updated PFAS Provider Guidance

Ben Fulgencio-Turner, director of the Climate for Health Program at ecoAmerica, discusses a new ASTHO training program that connects the impacts of climate change to public health; Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, tells the news site...
Guests: Marcus Plescia MD MPH , Aaron Bernstein MD MPH , Ben Fulgencio-Turner MPP
617: Social Media Oversight, Spending Deadline Concerns
March 8, 2024

617: Social Media Oversight, Spending Deadline Concerns

Dr. Matthew Biel, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Georgetown University Medical Center, worries about the impact of social media on young people; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO senior vice president for Government Affairs and Public Relations, says...
Guests: Carolyn Mullen , Matthew Biel MD MSc
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...
Guests: Joseph Kanter MD MPH , Steven Stack MD
588: Legislation to Manage A-I, Congress Discusses Workforce Issues
Jan. 26, 2024

588: Legislation to Manage A-I, Congress Discusses Workforce Issues

Catherine Jones, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Government Affairs, says there are discussions underway to ensure the AI is managed properly; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO Senior Director for Government Affairs, tells us Congress remains busy as January nears an...
Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma , Catherine Jones MPH , Lindsay Weaver MD
579: Tracking Congressional Deadlines, King’s Message Mirrors PH Concerns
Jan. 12, 2024

579: Tracking Congressional Deadlines, King’s Message Mirrors PH Concerns

Kyle Gasaway, ASTHO communications manager for the Leadership and Learning Unit, talks about the very successful Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health program; Jeffrey Ekoma, senior director for Government Affairs, is monitoring progress on...
Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma , Kyle Gasaway , Melissa Lewis MPH
547: Listening and Data in Native Communities, Congress Meets a Deadline
Nov. 17, 2023

547: Listening and Data in Native Communities, Congress Meets a Deadline

Melissa Magstadt, secretary of health for the South Dakota Department of Health, outlines how she works with nine sovereign nations in her state; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO senior vice president for Government Affairs and Public Relations, tells us about...
Guests: Esther Muña PhD MHA FACHE , Carolyn Mullen , Melissa Magstadt CNP MBA , Jared Shoultz MA
540: How to Hire a Public Health Nurse, Roundtables Get Lawmakers Talking
Nov. 7, 2023

540: How to Hire a Public Health Nurse, Roundtables Get Lawmakers Talking

Dr. Robert Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, says local agency partnerships are key to the success of new public health performance standards; Allison Nickrent, director of governmental affairs at the Illinois...
Guests: Robert Goldstein MD PhD , Allison Nickrent
538: One Health Simplified, Shutdown Potential
Nov. 3, 2023

538: One Health Simplified, Shutdown Potential

Dr. Karen Smith, Former California Public Health Officer, discusses how agencies can begin their One Health approach; an ASTHO report outlines how Idaho and New Jersey are taking a One Health approach to address environmental health concerns; Jeffrey...
Guests: Mark Levine MD , Jeffrey Ekoma , Karen Smith MD
533: ASTHO President Seeks Common Ground, Congress Moving Again
Oct. 27, 2023

533: ASTHO President Seeks Common Ground, Congress Moving Again

Dr. Steven Stack, ASTHO’s New President and Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, wants to find common ground to push public health forward in his new role; Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health...
Guests: Carolyn Mullen , Georges Benjamin MD , Steven Stack MD
499: Equity Strategies Cohort Forming, Federal Shutdown Looms
Sept. 8, 2023

499: Equity Strategies Cohort Forming, Federal Shutdown Looms

Jessica Fepelstein, ASTHO Analyst of State and Community Engagement, explains the work the ASTHO Strategies to Repair Equity and Transform Community Health (STRETCH) Initiative is doing to promote health equity; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice...
Guests: Carolyn Mullen , Alicia Justice MPH , Jessica Fepelstein
470: Mental Health Rulemaking, Senate Version of PH Spending
July 28, 2023

470: Mental Health Rulemaking, Senate Version of PH Spending

Alison Maffey, ASTHO’s Vice President of Social and Behavioral Health, explains the impact of President Biden’s proposed rule to make it easier to access in-network mental health care; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Government...
Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma , Alison Maffey
450: A Call for Data, Lead Poisoning Prevention
June 28, 2023

450: A Call for Data, Lead Poisoning Prevention

Dr. Janelle Palacios, Nurse Midwife and Researcher at Kaiser Permanente, says we need better data on the health challenges facing American Indian and Alaska Native mothers and their babies; Dr. Clifford Mitchell, Director of the Environmental Health...
Guests: Palina Louangketh DSL MHS , Janelle Palacios PhD CNM , Clifford Mitchell MD MPH
445: Pride Month Lessons, DELPH Graduate
June 21, 2023

445: Pride Month Lessons, DELPH Graduate

Dr. Stephen Lee, Executive Director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, shares advice for building public health programs for the LGBTQ+ community; Heather Pangelinan, Director of Public Health Services at Commonwealth...
Guests: Wayne Cascio MD , Stephen Lee MD , Heather Pangelinan
442: Telling Public Health Stories, RSV Vaccine Reaction
June 15, 2023

442: Telling Public Health Stories, RSV Vaccine Reaction

Dr. Edward Ehlinger, former chair of the HHS Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality, says public health needs to look beyond numbers to best serve American Indian and Alaska Native mothers and their babies; Dr. Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge,...
Guests: Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge MD MPH , Edward Ehlinger MD MSPH , Alice Schenall MPH
441: Learning to Advocate, Responsible Data Use
June 14, 2023

441: Learning to Advocate, Responsible Data Use

Dr. Susan Polan, Associate Executive Director for Public Affairs and Advocacy with the American Public Health Association, says the Policy Action Institute meeting will help public health officials address challenges; Dr. Brannon Traxler, Director of...
Guests: Brannon Traxler MD MPH , Susan Polan PhD
439: Congenital Syphilis Strategies, Medicaid Demonstration Projects
June 12, 2023

439: Congenital Syphilis Strategies, Medicaid Demonstration Projects

JoAnne McClure, ASTHO Senior Analyst for State Health Policy, details a new report written to help public health leaders address rising rates of congenital syphilis; Alex Kearly, ASTHO’s Director of Medicaid and Value-Based Payment, breaks down...
Guests: Alex Kearly MPH , JoAnne McClure MSW
366: Public Health Roadblocks, New Workforce Resource
Feb. 28, 2023

366: Public Health Roadblocks, New Workforce Resource

Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Dean of the John D. Bower School of Population Health at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, writes about problems impacting public health, such as underfunding, bureaucracy, and inadequate administrative support, in an...
Guests: Thomas Dobbs MD MPH , Omar Khalid
85: Public Health on Capitol Hill
Dec. 15, 2021

85: Public Health on Capitol Hill

Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, analyzes the Build Back Better Act and looks ahead to the possibility of another continuing resolution in February; Dr. Nicole Alexander Scott, Director of the...
Guests: Carolyn Mullen , Nicole Alexander-Scott MD MPH , Katie Lamansky
65: Caring for Veterans
Nov. 10, 2021

65: Caring for Veterans

Sen. Kalani Kaneko of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, himself a former health official, shares how military veterans from the freely associated states aligned with the U.S. cannot access their health benefits if they decide to live on the...
Guests: Courtney Anderson MPH , Lee Norman MD MHS MBA , Kalani Kaneko , Mylynn Tufte
64: Vaccine Incentives Explained
Nov. 9, 2021

64: Vaccine Incentives Explained

Kimberly Hood, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Public Health at the Louisiana Department of Health, explains why the state expanded its COVID-19 vaccine incentive program to include payments for kids who get the new pediatric vaccine; Sami Jo...
Guests: Kimberly Hood MD , Sami Jo Freeman
39: Territories Avoid Medicaid Cliff
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...
Guests: Joseph Kanter MD MPH , Carolyn McCoy MPH