Needs Assessment Episodes

If the United States brought home a report card on maternal and infant health, it would need a serious parent–teacher conference. In this episode, Dr. Michael Warren, chief medical and health officer at March of Dimes, breaks down their 2025 Report Card on birth outcomes, and the headline is hard to ignore: the nation earns a D+ for preterm birth, with half of states receiving a D or F. But this isn’t just about grades. It’s about what’s driving poor outcomes and what public health leaders can actually do about it. Warren, a former state and federal public health leader, also shares how officials can use the report card as more than a headline, but as a tool to build urgency, strengthen partnerships across maternal health, chronic disease, and Medicaid, and push forward policy and funding priorities.

Heidi Hedberg, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and an ASTHO Member, describes Alaska's Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan; Julia Greenspan, director of Infectious Disease Infrastructure and Policy at ASTHO, explains...