Medicaid Episodes

637: Silos Hamper Reproductive Health Work, Quitline Expands
April 5, 2024

637: Silos Hamper Reproductive Health Work, Quitline Expands

Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, says silos can hinder access to reproductive and sexual health care; Dr. Daniel Edney, state health officer for the Mississippi State Department of...
634: Lead Initiatives Benefit Colorado Kids, PH Infrastructure Gets Boost
April 2, 2024

634: Lead Initiatives Benefit Colorado Kids, PH Infrastructure Gets Boost

Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and an ASTHO member, tells us healthy neighborhoods are the focus on day two of National Public Health Week; Dr. Nizar Wehbi, North Dakota State Health...
619: Review Food Safety Policies, New Misinformation Toolkit
March 12, 2024

619: Review Food Safety Policies, New Misinformation Toolkit

Dr. Susan Kansagra, assistant secretary for public health in North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services and an ASTHO member, tells us how the tenacity of one inspector caused an investigation that uncovered lead-contaminated applesauce packets in North Carolina; Dr. Tara Kirk...
612: Capitol Hill Conversations, Tracking Carbon Monoxide Dangers
March 1, 2024

612: Capitol Hill Conversations, Tracking Carbon Monoxide Dangers

Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director for Government Affairs, tells us how Hill day went this week; Stephanie Moraga-McHaley, program manager for the New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking program, says the number of carbon monoxide poisoning...
611: Harm Reduction Strategies, A Recruiter Calls Mike Fraser
Feb. 29, 2024

611: Harm Reduction Strategies, A Recruiter Calls Mike Fraser

Dr. Kaitlan Baston, ASTHO Member and acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, discusses a new law in New Jersey that decriminalizes many harm reduction supplies; Andra Samoa, a Department of Health consultant and liaison, wants...
610: Island Members Visit Capitol Hill, Campaign Recruits New Public Health Nurses
Feb. 28, 2024

610: Island Members Visit Capitol Hill, Campaign Recruits New Public Health Nurses

Gaafar Uherbelau, Minister of Health for the Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services, tells us his priorities in Washington D.C. for ASTHO’s Spring Meeting; this week, the third cohort of public health professionals in the Diverse Executives...
596: Environmental Health Careers, Providers Don’t Feel Equipped to Treat Harmful Algal Blooms
Feb. 7, 2024

596: Environmental Health Careers, Providers Don’t Feel Equipped to Treat Harmful Algal Blooms

Larry Michael, State Environmental Health Director at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, tells us about the many public health careers available to people interested in science and public service; Marissa Vigar, Health...
592: Teamwork Helps Contain Measles Outbreak, How to Reduce Stigma Related to Opioid Therapy
Feb. 1, 2024

592: Teamwork Helps Contain Measles Outbreak, How to Reduce Stigma Related to Opioid Therapy

Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, Philadelphia Health Commissioner, discusses a measles outbreak that was detected in the city in early December; Grace DeLeon, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Overdose Preparedness and Response, tells us about an ASTHO report to help...
581: Policies Connect Health Care and PH Funding Tips
Jan. 17, 2024

581: Policies Connect Health Care and PH Funding Tips

Brianna Gorman, ASTHO analyst for Performance Excellence, explains ways to connect public health and health care in communities; Dr. Lindsay Weaver, ASTHO member and state health commissioner for the Indiana Department of Health, tells us how Indiana...
568: Equity Policies Improve Health for All, Apprenticeship Program Builds the Workforce
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...
559: Policy Ideas Address Maternal Morbidity, Investment in the 9-8-8 Hotline
Dec. 7, 2023

559: Policy Ideas Address Maternal Morbidity, Investment in the 9-8-8 Hotline

Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, examines the third edition of the state’s maternal morbidity and mortality report; Dr. Umair Shah, secretary of health for the Washington State Department of Health, discusses...
558: A Call to Expand Naloxone Availability, Policies to Solve Maternity Care Deserts
Dec. 6, 2023

558: A Call to Expand Naloxone Availability, Policies to Solve Maternity Care Deserts

ASTHO President and Kentucky Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack says easier access to naloxone could help prevent many overdose deaths; former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams says naloxone should be as easy to find as AED devices that prevent...
553: States Lead Equity Initiatives, ASTHO Tunes Medicaid Parity Policy
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...
551: New Website Examines Public Health Priorities, Advocacy Drives Alzheimer’s Policy
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...
545: Medicaid and Public Health Collaborate, Covey’s Parting Advice
Nov. 15, 2023

545: Medicaid and Public Health Collaborate, Covey’s Parting Advice

Dr. Shannon Dowler, chief medical officer for North Carolina Medicaid, says healthcare gets better when state Medicaid and public health agencies take the time to understand each other; Dr. Matthew Christiansen, state health officer for the West...
541: Syphilis Needs a Campaign, Expand Your Community Health Worker Force
Nov. 8, 2023

541: Syphilis Needs a Campaign, Expand Your Community Health Worker Force

Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO past president and Alaska chief medical officer, raises the alarm on the need for new attention to the rising number of syphilis cases in the U.S.; Stephanie Doyle, deputy director for the Bureau of Family Health and...
539: Mental Health in Tribal Communities, Working With Medicaid Partners
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...
537: Presidential Reflections, Medicaid Successes
Nov. 2, 2023

537: Presidential Reflections, Medicaid Successes

Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska Chief Medical Officer and ASTHO Immediate Past President, reflects on her time at the head of the organization; Dr. Susan Kansagra (SHO-NC), North Carolina Assistant Public Health Secretary, says her agency...
534: Alliance to Solve Substance Use, Advice to Prevent Falls
Oct. 30, 2023

534: Alliance to Solve Substance Use, Advice to Prevent Falls

Dr. Cathy Slemp, Former State Health Officer for the WV Department of Health and Human Resources and now Co-Chair of the West Virginia Hope in Action Alliance, says the alliance is a group that builds collaborations focused on substance use concerns...
528: Flexible Climate Funding, New Federal Budget Deadline
Oct. 20, 2023

528: Flexible Climate Funding, New Federal Budget Deadline

State Public Health Officials Dr. Umair Shah, Dr. Joseph Kanter, and Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, discuss the public health impacts of climate change; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, discusses hot...
508: Healthy Aging Challenges, Supporting Maternal Mental Health
Sept. 21, 2023

508: Healthy Aging Challenges, Supporting Maternal Mental Health

Dr. Puja Seth, the Healthy Aging Branch Chief at the CDC, shares a new state-focused program that aims to address dementia; Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, the Deputy Secretary of Public Health at the Maryland Department of Health, explains that policy...
462: New Power Emergency Toolkit, Fresh Guidelines for Older Adults
July 18, 2023

462: New Power Emergency Toolkit, Fresh Guidelines for Older Adults

Eric Cote, Founder of Power Outage Partners and ASTHO Consultant, explains a new tool kit that addresses the risk of power outages for those using life support devices; Dr. Katrina Piercy, Director of the Division of Prevention Science in the Office...
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...
426: Medicaid for Post-Partum People, Women’s Health Policy Statement
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...