Health Policy Update Episodes
466
March 6, 2025
857: Mathematical Models + PH, States Address Rural Healthcare Issues
Dr. Spencer Fox, assistant professor at the University of Georgia, explains how a new course on mathematical models could help public health professionals; Dr. Lana McKinney, ASTHO senior policy analyst on the State Health Policy team, tells us how...
Guests: Lana McKinney PhD , Spencer Fox PhD
453
Feb. 14, 2025
844: Data Modernization Citizens Can Use, Indoor Air Quality
Wesley Kortuem, data analytics section lead at the Arizona Department of Health Services, explains how his team created a comprehensive public health data portal; Abraham Kulungara, senior director for Environmental Health at ASTHO, updates us on the...
Guests: Abraham Kulungara, MPH , Wesley Kortuem
447
Feb. 6, 2025
838: Oregon’s Bold Health Goals, Food Deserts
Dr. Sejal Hathi, director of the Oregon Health Authority, tells us that to achieve Oregon’s bold health goals we have to work together; Beth Giambrone, ASTHO senior analyst for State Health Policy, explains how some states are addressing food...
Guests: Beth Giambrone, MPP , Sejal Hathi MD MBA
438
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 Deehr MSW , Catherine Jones, MPH
409
Nov. 27, 2024
800: Hemp’s Hazy Status, Climate Change Impacts Health Equity
Christina Severin, ASTHO’s director of Public Health Law, dives into the ins and outs of the status of hemp; Linda Helland, manager of California’s Climate Change and Health Equity Branch at the California Department of Public Health, tells us...
284
May 30, 2024
675: Latest Tobacco Concerns, Overdose Data Brings Mixed Results
John Bowman, executive vice president for U.S. Tobacco Programs at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, sounds the alarm about the tobacco industry’s relentless drive to encourage young people to use their products; Kayley Humm, ASTHO senior analyst...
123
Sept. 27, 2023
512: Court Cases Impacting Public Health, Helping PH Managers
Christina Severin, ASTHO’s Director of Public Health Law, outlines upcoming Supreme Court cases that will impact public health; Susan Donnelly, Workforce Director at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, shares the work her team is doing to...
77
July 24, 2023
466: New Workforce Recommendations, Community Health Worker Policy Discussion
Omar Khalid, ASTHO’s Director of Workforce, explains new strategies for enhancing workforce well-being and retention; Brianna Gorman, ASTHO’s Clinical to Community Connections team member, says community health workers are a key connection between...
Guests: Omar Khalid , Brianna Gorman, MPH
69
July 12, 2023
458: Indiana Invests in Local PH, Youth Mental Health Webinar
Pam Pontones, Deputy Health Commissioner of Local Public Health Services for the Indiana State Department of Health, shares Indiana’s plan to invest in local health departments to address community health needs; Ioana Ungureanu, ASTHO's Senior Analyst for...
Guests: Ioana Ungureanu MPH , Pam Pontones MA
59
June 26, 2023
448: Vital Records Accreditation Matters, Therapeutic Psilocybin Programs Gain Traction
Mariah Pokorny, Director of Accreditation & Reporting for the South Dakota Department Of Health, explains the importance of vital records and health statistics accreditation; Chantell Reed, Interim Deputy Director Of Operations at the Multnomah County...
50
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: JoAnne Deehr MSW , Alex Kearly, MPH
45
June 5, 2023
434: Mpox Concerns, Newborn Screening Policies
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Deputy Coordinator of the Mpox National Response for the White House, shares steps public health leaders can take to protect against a potential rise in Mpox cases; Christina Severin, Director of Public Health Law at ASTHO,...
37
May 23, 2023
426: Medicaid for Post-Partum People, Women’s Health Policy Statement
Sowmya Kuruganti, ASTHO Public Health Analyst, explains how Medicaid expansion could increase access to care for postpartum people; Sanaa Akbarali, ASTHO Senior Director of Maternal and Infant Health, says a renewed ASTHO policy statement addresses...
Guests: Sanaa Akbarali, MPH , Sowmya Kuruganti MPH
26
May 8, 2023
415: Burnout Advice, Policy Wins
Jennifer Moss, author of The Burnout Epidemic, says self-care alone is not a solution to employee fatigue; Moss will speak at ASTHO’s TechXpo and Futures Forum later this month, where online tickets remain available; Maggie Davis, ASTHO’s Director...
Guests: Maggie Davis JD MA , Jennifer Moss
21
May 1, 2023
410: Early Legislative Actions, Implement Data Systems Now
Maggie Davis, ASTHO Director of State Health Policy, discusses policies that have been considered or approved across the country since January; Dr. Gabriel Seidman, Director of Policy at the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative...
19
April 27, 2023
408: Childhood Toxic Stress, Encouraging Exercise
Dr. Nathaniel Harnett, Assistant Professor at The Harvard Medical School, discusses findings from his study connecting early childhood stress to mental health problems; Dr. Alison Cuellar, Chair of the Community Preventive Services Task Force and a...
Guests: Nathaniel Harnett PhD , Alison Cuellar, PhD
269
March 27, 2023
385: ASTHO Budget Pitch, Workforce Policy Approaches
Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO President and Alaska Chief Medical Officer, testifies before a House appropriations subcommittee in Washington D.C. seeking sustainable and flexible public health funding; Maggie Davis, ASTHO’s Director of State Health Policy,...
Guests: Anne Zink, MD, FACEP , Maggie Davis JD MA
264
March 20, 2023
380: Immunization Exemption Strategies, Island Area Funding Pitch
Heather Tomlinson, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Immunizations, reminds us in an ASTHO blog article that there are strategies to reduce the impact of non-medical immunization exemptions; the CDC has added COVID-19 vaccinations to its immunization schedule...
Guests: Gaafar Uherbelau , Heather Tomlinson MPH
254
March 6, 2023
370: ASTHO Leaders Convene, Flavored Tobacco Legislation
Amber Williams, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Leadership & Organizational Performance, says ASTHO members have a busy schedule of meetings with Biden Administration and Congressional officials in Washington, D.C. this week; Parker Beene, ASTHO...
Guests: Amber Williams, MS , Parker Beene
249
Feb. 27, 2023
365: “Unacceptable” Maternal Mortality Rates, Mounting a Vaccination Defense
Dr. Daniel Edney, State Health Officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health, has studied the data in Mississippi’s latest Maternal Mortality Report and says the rates are unacceptable; Heather Tomlinson, ASTHO Senior Analyst for...
Guests: Daniel Edney, MD , Heather Tomlinson MPH
245
Feb. 21, 2023
361: RSV Immunization Considered, Making CPR and AEDs More Common
Dr. Christopher Rizzo, Senior U.S. Medical Director for Sanofi, is working on a passive immunization for RSV that could help protect young infants from the virus; Lana McKinney, ASTHO Senior Policy Analyst for State Health Policy, encourages ASTHO...
Guests: Christopher Rizzo MD , Lana McKinney PhD
234
Feb. 6, 2023
351: A Reporter’s Drug Strategy, Childcare is Public Health
Julie Wernau, Health and Science Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, has spent the last year reporting on the opioid crisis and offers some advice for public health; Shannon Vance, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Family & Child Health, says the difficulty...
Guests: Julie Wernau , Shannon Vance MPH
229
Jan. 30, 2023
346: Federal Budget Partners, Rural Telehealth Strategies
Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, is keeping an eye on the budget wrangling taking place on Capitol Hill; Ashley Cram, with ASTHO, explains how ASTHO members are working to help people in rural...
Guests: Carolyn Mullen , Ashley Cram, MPH
224
Jan. 23, 2023
341: Investing in PH, Protecting Children
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Dean of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, says there's still a need for sustained investment in public health three years after the pandemic; Beth Giambrone, ASTHO Senior Analyst for State Health Policy, explains...
Guests: Nancy Messonnier MD , Beth Giambrone, MPP