Health Equity Episodes

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...
Jan. 8, 2024

575: New CMS Program, Public Health Funding Deadlines

Tequila Terry, director of State Innovation and Population Health at the CMS Innovation Center, discusses a new approach to health care costs and population health; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO senior vice president for Government Affairs and Public...
Jan. 5, 2024

574: Tracking Respiratory Illness, Congressional Deadlines Loom

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, is tracking reports of respiratory illness across the U.S.; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO senior vice president for Government Affairs and Public Relations, discusses a federal funding deadline that is quickly...
Dec. 20, 2023

568: Equity Policies Improve Health for All, Apprenticeship Program Builds the Workforce

Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, deputy secretary of Public Health for the Maryland Department of Health, says his state has been able to engage bold policies to help people and address health inequities; Dr. Mondi Mason, workforce manager with the Denver...
Dec. 18, 2023

566: Policies to Curb Sexually Transmitted Infections, Xylazine Regulation and Testing

Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO immediate past president and chief medical officer for the Alaska Department of Health, says policies can help address the fact that the number of babies born with syphilis is ten times higher than in 2012; JoAnne McClure, ASTHO...
Dec. 8, 2023

560: Businesses Supporting Public Health, Guide Helps Agencies with Antibiotic Stewardship

Dr. Jerome Adams, former United States Surgeon General, says businesses learned from the pandemic that public health is a worthy investment; Destani Bizune, an epidemiologist in the Office of Antibiotic Stewardship at the CDC, discusses the CDC’s...
Nov. 30, 2023

554: Ending Structural Racism, New Book on Public Health Strategy

Dr. Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge, senior vice president, Health Equity and Diversity Initiatives, ASTHO outlines the organization’s updated policy statement on structural racism in public health; Dr. Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de...
Nov. 29, 2023

553: States Lead Equity Initiatives, ASTHO Tunes Medicaid Parity Policy

Jessica Fepelstein, analyst, State and Community Engagement, ASTHO, explains the health equity core concepts work that is happening as part of the STRETCH Initiative; Dr. Esther Muna, chief executive officer and territorial health official for the...
Nov. 27, 2023

551: New Website Examines Public Health Priorities, Advocacy Drives Alzheimer’s Policy

Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer, ASTHO, examines ASTHO’s new webpage with a collection of evidence-based technical packages covering key public health concerns; J.T. Lane, senior vice president, Population Health and Innovation, ASTHO...
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...
Nov. 14, 2023

544: New ASTHO Resource Center, How to Build External Trust

Brian Lentes, senior director of Public Health Infrastructure, ASTHO, discusses the supports offered by the ASTHO STAR Center; Stephen Covey, a well-known author, says leaders first need to build trust within the public health agency before expanding...
Nov. 13, 2023

543: Rural Health Equity, Covey’s Advice for Building Trust

Dr. Somava Saha, President and CEO of Well-being and Equity in the World, discusses the importance of National Rural Health Day; Stephen Covey, a well-known author, had a message for ASTHO when he joined members at a meeting in Washington D.C. in late...
Nov. 9, 2023

542: Veterans Face Health Disparities, Island Areas Examine Indirect Cost Rates

Charity Menefee, lieutenant colonel and public health officer in the Tennessee Air National Guard and the director of the Division of Public Health at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, highlights the connections between her public...
Nov. 6, 2023

539: Mental Health in Tribal Communities, Working With Medicaid Partners

Kaleb Roedel, News Reporter at KUNR Public Radio, reacts to a recent Pew survey that documents extremely high suicide rates among Native Americans and Alaska Natives; and Stephanie Doyle, Deputy Director for the Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition...
Oct. 31, 2023

535: Community Engagement Fosters Equity, Legislative Testimony Tips

Jade Ramsdell, Performance Improvement Director with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, says community engagement leads to more inclusive decision-making; Lorrin Kim, Chief Policy Officer and Legislative Coordinator for the Hawaii...