Public Health Education Episodes
June 16, 2026
1147: PHIG Impact Report: How South Carolina Is Building a Stronger Workforce
On today's PHIG Impact Report, Karla Buru from the South Carolina Department of Public Health discusses the agency’s Supplemental Tuition Assistance Program (STAP), an innovative workforce development initiative designed to support employee development, retention, and leadership.
Guest: Karla Buru, DrPH, MPH, MSW
May 20, 2026
1130: From Recruitment to Retention: Strengthening the Public Health Workforce
On today's episode, ASTHO'S Brianna Gorman discusses ASTHO’s new Workforce Employee Experience Implementation Tool. Later, LaShonda Freeman with the South Carolina Department of Public Health discusses South Carolina’s Supplemental Tuition Assistance Policy Program (STAP).
Guests: Brianna Gorman, MPH , LaShonda Freeman, MA, APM
May 18, 2026
1128: Building the Future of Public Health Through Communication and Classrooms
On today's episode, the de Beaumont Foundation's Amanda Kwong discusses why effective public health communications go far beyond public awareness campaigns. Later, ASTHO's Ashley Nanthavongsa-Mosley highlights innovative efforts to introduce public health education into K-12 schools.
April 21, 2026
1110: Building Better Food Systems: Inside Rhode Island’s Food Policy Council
On today's episode, Nessa Richman from the Rhode Island Food Policy Council discusses how the Council brings diverse stakeholders together to tackle complex food challenges.
Guest: Nessa Richman, MPP
Dec. 18, 2025
1045: Bringing Island Voices Into the Data: Inside the First PH WINS Territories Survey
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.
Guest: Rachel Hare Bork PhD
Dec. 15, 2025
1042: Naloxone’s Impact: Inside New York’s Landmark Study on Lives Saved and Dollars Returned
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.
Guest: James McDonald, MD, MPH
Dec. 11, 2025
1041: Protecting Newborns: Guidance for the Hepatitis B Vaccine Matters Now More Than Ever
In this episode, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health and ASTHO member Dr. Debra Bogen joins us to break down a major change in national vaccine guidance, and why it has sparked concern among pediatric and public health leaders.
Guest: Debra Bogen, MD, FAAP
Oct. 30, 2025
1022: AI Assists Data Infrastructure, AmeriCorps Program Helps Rural Population Needs
Lisa Bari, Vice President of Policy and Partnerships at Innovaccer, shares how public health departments can become better prepared to use AI by addressing their underlying data infrastructure; Angela Davis, Project Coordinator with the Montana Office of Rural Health and Area Health Education Center at Montana State University, explains how they developed a statewide AmeriCorps program grounded in health to address the population health needs of the highly rural state; a new ASTHO State Health P...
Guests: Lisa Bari MBA MPH , Angela Davis, MPA
419
Oct. 20, 2025
1014: PHF Technical Assistance, Island Area Relationships
Helen Linda, public health workforce development coordinator at the Vermont Department of Health, explains the value of academic health departments and shares how she worked with the Public Health Foundation to assess the current state of her agency’s experiential learning environment; Emman Parian, immunization program manager for the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation of the Northern Mariana Islands, discusses...
Guests: Emman Parian MPH , Helen Linda MLIS
417
Oct. 16, 2025
1012: Public Health’s 40 Under 40, Litigation Round-up
Amelia Poulin, assistant director of emerging infectious disease at ASTHO, discusses how she was recently recognized as an honoree of de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 under 40 in Public Health awards; Christina Severin, director of public health law at ASTHO, breaks down her recent Health Policy Update,...
413
Oct. 9, 2025
1008: Infant Mortality PH Emergency, Chagas Disease
Dr. Daniel Edney, state health officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health and ASTHO member, shares how his state declared infant mortality a public health emergency to offer services across the state more rapidly; Bonny Mayes, epidemiologist with the Texas Department of State Health Services, discusses the article she co-authored...
Guests: Daniel Edney MD , Bonny Mayes, MA
411
Oct. 7, 2025
1006: PHIG Funding The Future Workforce
In today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, Celeste Jorge, epidemiologist and evaluator with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, discusses how her department is using the Public Health Infrastructure Grant.
Guest: Celeste Jorge MPH
407
Oct. 1, 2025
1002: Upgraded Contract Tracking, Supporting Brain Health
Alfredo Ramirez, director of the Operation Analysis Office at the Tennessee Department of Health, explains how his department expanded its contract tracking system to enhance efficiency and manage grants across their life cycle; Kellie Waugh, analyst for health improvement and healthy aging at ASTHO,...
Guests: Kellie Waugh MPH , Alfredo Ramirez
399
Sept. 19, 2025
994: Healthy Aging Tactics, PH Funding on the Hill
JW Randolph, deputy commissioner at the Tennessee Department of Health, shares how his state’s new Office for Healthy Aging has been successful in coordinating statewide efforts to care for Tennessee’s aging communities; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO’s senior director for government affairs, provides an update on funding for the federal government in this week’s View From Washington, D.C. report...
Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma, MBA, MS , JW Randolph MPH
396
Sept. 16, 2025
991: PHIG Funding + Interoperable Systems
In today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, Dr. Edward Simmer, ASTHO member and the interim director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health, discusses how his department is using the Public Health Infrastructure Grant.
Guest: Edward Simmer MD MPH
382
Aug. 26, 2025
977: CDC Mental Health Data Channel, PH Education Goals
Dr. Kayla Anderson, senior advisor for mental health and adverse childhood experiences in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, shares how the CDC’s new Mental Health Data Channel streamlines access to essential data and resources that often become siloed by different sources; Dr. Scott Rivkees, dean of education at the School of Public Health at Brown University...
Guests: Scott Rivkees MD , Kayla Anderson PhD
378
Aug. 20, 2025
973: Never A Bother Campaign, Expanding Academic Partnerships
Darcy Pickens, program coordinator for the office of suicide prevention at the California Department of Public Health, explains how the state’s “Never a Bother” youth suicide prevention campaign collaborated with youth to develop a campaign tailored to their needs; Courtney Dezendorf, director for the office of practice and learning at the Texas Department of State Health Services...
373
Aug. 13, 2025
968: Long COVID Education, Shah Addresses Public Health Leaders
Dr. Michelle Morse, acting commissioner and chief medical officer for the New York City Health Department, explains how the city’s new video series aims to help educate communities about the impact of Long COVID; Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO alum and former principal deputy director at the CDC, discusses the focus of this year’s Executive Leadership Forum, and what he hopes to teach future public health professionals in his new role as a professor at Colby College; Emman Parian, immunization program manager at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation of the Northern Mariana Islands...
372
Aug. 12, 2025
967: Healthcare-Associated Infection Response, Public Cannabis Education
Dr. James Lewis, health officer for the Snohomish County Health Department in Washington State, explains how data can help quicken healthcare-assosciated infection response; Lyla Hunt, deputy director of public health and education at the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, tells us...
Guests: James Lewis MD MPH , Lyla Hunt MPH
364
July 29, 2025
957: Your Local Epidemiologist, Behavioral Health Commission
Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and CEO of Your Local Epidemiologist, shares how her public health newsletter helps to educate readers about the policies and science impacting public health today; Tracy Gruber, executive director of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services...
Guests: Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH , Tracy Gruber JD
363
July 28, 2025
956: Suicide Prevention Legal Mapping, Applied Public Health Training
Ali Maffey, vice president of social and behavioral health at ASTHO, explains how ASTHO’s new legal map assists with suicide prevention infrastructure; Noell Stone, practicum and capstone director at the University of New Mexico’s College of Population Health...
Guests: Ali Maffey, MSW , Noell Stone MPH
July 21, 2025
951: Food Safety Efforts, Long COVID Awareness
Dr. Vanessa Coffman, Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, shares how the organization’s new Food Safety Culture Toolkit can help public health officials strengthen food safety efforts; Dr. Michelle Morse, Acting Commissioner for the New York City Health Department, explains how their new series, “Living with Long COVID,” is helping to educate New Yorkers about the illness; ASTHO will host a webinar on Thursday, July 24th, about effective communication strategies to enhance public health messaging; ASTHO has developed resources to help jurisdictions implement upstream policies that prevent adverse childhood experiences; and next Wednesday, July 23rd, the second session of the Accelerate series in ASTHO’s Ignite, Accelerate, and Activate online workshop will take place to discuss conflict and collaboration.
Guests: Vanessa Coffman PhD , Michelle Morse MD MPH
357
July 18, 2025
950: Food Code Adoption, Public Health Impacts on Overdose
Aileen Benavente-Pangelinan, environmental health program manager at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, describes how the new food code adopted by the Northern Mariana Islands will improve public health safety; Jessica Hulsey, founder and CEO of the Addiction Policy Forum, explains...
Guests: Aileen Benavente-Pangelinan , Jessica Hulsey
354
July 15, 2025
947: PH Workforce Survey, STI Education Credits
Dr. Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, shares how the 2024 PH WINS survey can help state and local health departments develop more strategic workforce development plans; Dr. David Spach, editor-in-chief of the National STD Curriculum...
Guests: Brian Castrucci, DrPh, MA , David Spach MD