Legislative Prospectus Series Episodes

On today's episode, Beth Giambrone discusses ASTHO’s mid-session update, reviewing the current public health trends emerging in state legislatures.

New CDC surveillance data show encouraging declines in several sexually transmitted infections—but a troubling increase in syphilis among newborns. In this episode, the Director of the Division of STD Prevention at CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Dr. Bradley Stoner, breaks down the key takeaways from the 2024 Provisional STI Surveillance report, including declines in chlamydia, gonorrhea, and primary and secondary syphilis, alongside the continued rise in congenital syphilis.

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 discuss the creation of a new public health emergency funding safety net and the difficult decisions leaders face when planning amid constant uncertainty. Later, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Public Health Infrastructure, Brian Lentes, breaks down key federal funding streams, governance models, and practical steps states can take to stabilize infrastructure, modernize data systems, and support the public health workforce.

In this episode, we continue our Legislative Prospectus Series, examining public health trends in policy going into 2026 with Meredith Allen, vice president for health security at ASTHO. She’ll discuss the critical role immunizations play in preventing the spread of disease and protecting communities nationwide.

As part of our state health policy portfolio, ASTHO releases an annual Legislative Prospectus Series: policy briefs summarizing state and territorial legislation that impacts public health. Today, Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO’s CEO, will summarize the 2026 series, identify trends in public health law for the next year, and provide a high-level overview for public health professionals and policymakers in time for upcoming legislative sessions.

Mia Christopher, research epidemiologist at RTI International, explains how the Opioid Overdose Community Decision Tool could benefit public health; Lexa Giragosian, ASTHO senior analyst for Maternal and Infant Health, tells us why she believes her...

Dr. Sejal Hathi, director of the Oregon Health Authority and an ASTHO Member, explains her state’s bold initiative to eliminate health inequities; Kelsey Tillema, ASTHO senior workforce analyst, tells us about a new resource ASTHO has to support...

Patricia Tilley, associate commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and an ASTHO member, discusses New Hampshire’s Mission Zero; Dr. Stephen Lee, the executive director of the National Alliance of State and...

Jeffrey Stover, chief of staff at the Virginia Department of Health, details the successful VDH Internship Academy made possible by the Public Health Infrastructure (PHIG) Grant; Kristina Herrera, agency manager for the Tuolumne County Department of Public Health in...

Melissa Magstadt, secretary of health in the South Dakota Department of Health, tells us how the state is using a recently awarded maternal health innovation grant; Maggie Davis, ASTHO director of State Health Policy, previews legislative trends for...

Dr. Debra Bogen, secretary of health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and an ASTHO Member, discusses ASTHO’s Maternal and Childhood Health Legislative Prospectus; Dr. Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Disease Society of America, tells us how...

Lindsey Myers, ASTHO vice president for Public Health Workforce and Infrastructure, discusses the need to bolster the public health workforce to better serve everyone; Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association,...

Dr. Robert Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and an ASTHO Member, discusses the containment and prevention of the spread of infectious disease as part of ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus Series; Allyson...

Dr. James McDonald, commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, discusses substance misuse and overdose prevention as part of ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus Series; Dr. Lindsey Kato, director for the Division of Public Health with the...

Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, emphasizes the importance of gathering data in Public Health to react to any issues as we continue ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus Series; Debra Johnson, the director of the...

Dr. Karen Remley, ASTHO alum and director for the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the CDC, says early detection of birth defects is a focus in January; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO immediate past president and chief medical...

Dr. David Newman-Toker, director, Division of Neuro-Visual & Vestibular Disorders, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, discusses his time with House members talking about the bias and privacy issues involved with artificial intelligence; Dana Moore, deputy director for the Center for...

Lillian Colasurdo, ASTHO director of Public Health Law and Data Sharing, discusses work to protect consumer data gathered from a growing number of health-related transactions; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, reacts to the legislative prospectus series that he...

Dr. Jerome Adams, the 20th U.S. surgeon general and current executive director of Health Equity Initiatives at Purdue University, who was the Surgeon General during the pandemic discusses his new book; Maggie Davis, ASTHO director of State Health...

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...

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...

Cara Biddlecom, interim state health official at the Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division, talks about the launch of the first-ever state-sponsored psilocybin therapy program; Amani Echols, policy and government affairs manager for the...

Dr. Barbara Wallace, director of the Division of Chronic Disease Prevention at the New York State Department of Health, discusses various strategies to curb tobacco use; Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, worries that too many sick...

Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, outlines the continued challenges to public health legal authority; Maggie Davis, ASTHO director of State Health Policy, discusses a big win for Indiana as funding for public...