Public Health Data And Technology Episodes

On today's episode, ASTHO's Ari Whiteman discusses the growing importance of AI literacy across the public health field, for the current workforce and incoming professionals.

Today: Ben Lopman, professor at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, discusses the new Vaccine Impact Map. Later, Bryan Patenaude, associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, breaks down the financial realities of measles outbreaks and why even relatively small outbreaks can carry massive costs.

On today's episode, Umair Shah, chief medical officer at Jaan Health and the AI-powered care management platform, Phamily, discusses the future of proactive healthcare and the role AI can play in connecting patients, providers, and public health systems.

On today's episode, Conlin Bass, health systems suicide prevention manager for the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention, explains Colorado’s comprehensive, data-driven strategy focused on reaching people before they hit a breaking point.

Today, we’ll hear about a new platform, PopHIVE, aiming to unlock the full potential of population health data with insights from Anne Zink, ASTHO past president and a senior fellow at the Yale School of Public Health, and Jen Layden, senior vice president of population health and innovation at ASTHO.

On today's episode, CDC's Jason Asher joins us to explain how new data tools are transforming detection and response to infectious diseases.

In this episode, ASTHO's JoAnne Deehr highlights ASTHO’s Policy Institute for STI and Infectious Disease Prevention and its offerings to state health agencies and public health professionals.

On today's episode, Justa Encarnacion, ASTHO member and commissioner of health for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health, shared how island jurisdictions are tackling some of the nation’s toughest health challenges using real-time data, advanced training, and wastewater surveillance.

What if public health agencies could access better, faster, and more complete data without giving up control? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jen Layden, senior vice president of population and innovation at ASTHO, to explore the new Public Health Data Consortium and what it means for the future of public health decision-making. Dr. Layden explains how this unique public–private partnership is designed to improve data access, quality, and analytics while keeping governance firmly in the ha...

What does the public health workforce need to stay engaged, supported, and committed, and how can leaders act on those insights? Heather Krasna, associate dean of career and professional development at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, joins us to break down new research on what younger public health workers value most at work.  She explains why flexible schedules, remote or hybrid options, professional development, student loan repayment, and family-friendly benefits are increasingly important for retention, and how agencies can think creatively when salary increases aren’t always possible. Then, Omar Khalid, director of workforce at ASTHO, walks through key findings from the 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), the only nationally representative survey of the governmental public health workforce.

How do states turn public health messaging into real behavior change and how do the places we live shape our health every day? In this episode, Dr. Steven Stack, secretary of Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, discusses the 'Our Healthy Kentucky Home' campaign and what it takes to move beyond awareness to action. Dr. Stack, an ASTHO member and former ASTHO president, shares how Kentucky is using simple, achievable goals—eat healthier, move more, and stay socially connected—along with clear calls to action, trusted partners, and data-driven refinements to engage residents and build long-term, sustainable health improvements. Then, Clint Grant, director of healthy community design, chronic disease, and health improvement at ASTHO joins us to explore the growing role of healthy community design in public health. From transportation and road safety to green space and mobility, Grant explains how decisions about streets, sidewalks, and transit are some of the most powerful,…

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.

For the first time, all eight U.S. territories and freely associated states have been included in PH-WINS, or the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey. Rachel Hare Bork joins the show to discuss how this landmark pilot effort came together, why it took extensive travel and collaboration to make it happen, and what the results reveal about the public health workforce across the islands.

In today's PHIG Impact Report, Patricia Tilley, ASTHO member and associate commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, details the critical needs the Public Health Infrastructure Grant has helped address in her state.

New research out of New York shows that naloxone didn’t just save more than 6,500 lives in two years—it delivered one of the most dramatic returns on investment in public health. In this episode, Dr. James McDonald, ASTHO member and commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, breaks down the first statewide health-economic evaluation of naloxone administration.

As part of our spotlight series on artificial intelligence in public health, today’s episode explores the BEACON Portal—a groundbreaking collaboration between Google and the state of Illinois designed to streamline access to behavioral health services for children and families. Dr. Dana Weiner, chief officer for children’s behavioral health transformation in the Illinois Governor’s Office, and Julia Strehlow, senior advisor at the Illinois Department of Public Health, discuss how BEACON centralizes information for families...

On this Public Health Thank You Day, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Susan Kansagra, joins us to share encouraging news from the front lines of public health. Thanks to increased partnerships with birthing hospitals and the rollout of monoclonal antibodies for infants and the maternal RSV vaccine, infant RSV hospitalizations dropped nearly 30–40% last season, one of the most significant improvements in years. Dr. Kansagra also discusses a major decline in overdose deaths, driven by expanded community partnerships, naloxone distribution, peer support specialists, and innovative response programs...

In this episode, health leaders from Iowa, Maine and Mississippi share their strategies for revitalizing rural healthcare. We hear excerpts from an ASTHO media briefing featuring ASTHO members as they address the urgent challenges facing millions of rural Americans, including healthcare provider shortages, transportation inadequacies, and significant health disparities. The discussion highlights collaborative, evidence-based initiatives designed to ensure the long-term sustainability and quality of rural care.

Jim Daniel, Public Health Leader for State and Local Government at Amazon Web Services, examines AI usage in public health. HIMSS Web Page: Innovative Approaches to Public Health: Generative AI as a Transformative Tool AWS Web Page: Transforming electronic case reports with generative AI: Unlocking faster public health responses AWS Web Page: Scalable intelligent document processing using Amazon Bedrock ASTHO Web Page: Innovation Advisory Council

Dr. Novneet Sahu, deputy commissioner for public health at the New Jersey Department of Health, discusses his state’s multi-pronged strategy to improve vaccine access and address vaccine confidence in response to a national rise in pediatric flu deaths; Thaddeus Pham, viral hepatitis prevention coordinator at the Hawaii Department of Health, explains...

Michelle Hale, preparedness program director with the Office of Preparedness and Response at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, shares what her state learned about responding to critical public health challenges amid a surge of wildfires in the state; Catherine Murphy, senior analyst of government affairs at ASTHO, discusses the Federal Health Policy Update she authored...

Alfarena McGinty, Marion County coroner in Indianapolis, Indiana, explains how her department’s investment in Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) has improved the efficiency and interoperability of timely mortality data; Amanda Jones, data modernization director at the Vermont Department of Health, discusses why her department created a Data Modernization Advisory Committee to promote cultural change and foster excitement around new technologies; ASTHO is now accepting applications...

Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, joins the show for the first time as ASTHO’s president to discuss her plans for the new term; Dr. Karen Hacker, health policy fellow at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, co-authored an article...

In this special episode of Public Health Review Morning Edition, Eric Whitworth, CEO of InductiveHealth, discusses the importance of scalable data surveillance systems and how taking a broader approach to modernization can benefit health departments.