Public Health Infrastructure Episodes

What do infection prevention in dialysis clinics and hurricane response in the Caribbean have in common? More than you might think. This episode explores how culture, leadership, and coordination shape health outcomes, whether in a treatment chair or a disaster zone. First, Shalini Nair, a senior analyst of infectious disease at ASTHO, breaks down the growing concern around dialysis-related infections and what CDC’s Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition is doing to address it. She shares frontline-informed strategies that health departments and facilities can use right now: building a “see it, say it” culture of safety, using short, role-specific training and real-time coaching, and ensuring visible leadership support that reinforces infection prevention as everyone’s responsibility. Then, the focus shifts to disaster response with Maggie Nilz, senior analyst of preparedness at ASTHO, and a volunteer with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization.

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, ASTHO member and Michigan Department of Health & Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian breaks down a major development in national vaccine policy: the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP’s) decision to narrow its guidance on the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns.

In this episode: how telehealth has evolved from a pandemic-era necessity into a powerful tool for improving access to health care. ASTHO senior analyst Ashley Cram breaks down the different types of telehealth, from video visits and audio-only consultations to remote patient monitoring, and why each plays an essential role for patients facing challenges like provider shortages, transportation barriers, or limited broadband access. Also, State Epidemiologist Tracy Miller explains how a partnership with North Dakota State University created a student assistantship program that gives MPH students hands-on experience, builds leadership skills among early career staff, and strengthens public health capacity. She shares lessons learned, how the model evolved, and why it could be a blueprint for other states and health departments looking to grow the next generation of public health professionals.

Scott Murakami, PHIG workforce director and principal investigator with the Hawaii State Department of Health, shares how his department is utilizing Public Health Infrastructure Grant funds to support the state’s public health workforce; Melissa Touma, director of the public health infrastructure program at ASTHO, discusses...

In this special episode of Public Health Review Morning Edition, Julie Sullivan, principal at BerryDunn, discusses how public health agencies can partner with Medicaid to share data and obtain needed resources while saving funds.

Dr. Arti Barnes, chief medical officer at the Illinois Department of Public Health, describes how her agency is working collaboratively with other state departments to enhance access to pediatric vaccinations; Jeffrey Ekoma, senior director of government affairs at ASTHO, discusses changes to the CDC, this month’s federal funding deadline...

Former ASTHO president Dr. Anne Zink, senior clinical fellow at Yale University and practicing emergency medicine physician, shares how PopHIVE, an interactive database of de-identified, population-level health data, can help public health providers navigate health trends in their respective jurisdictions...

Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, outlines the recent recall of Bicillin; Marie Stratton, Overdose Data to Action program manager at the Maryland Department of Health, explains...

Kathy Jorgensen, board member for the National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs, explains why it’s essential to account for animals in all emergency planning; Jeffrey Ekoma, senior director of government affairs at ASTHO, discusses HHS nominations, rescissions, and more...

Catherine Murphy, government affairs analyst at ASTHO, describes the impact of potential cuts to federally funded public health preparedness programs in a new Federal Health Policy Update; Monique Farmer, president of Avant Solutions, shares what she’ll be discussing in today’s ASTHO webinar on public health communication strategies...

This special episode of Public Health Review Morning Edition revisits a popular episode from June 3, 2025. Autumn Watson, Public Health Organizational Development Director for the Mecklenburg County Public Health Department, explains how PHIG is being used at the local level in this PHIG Impact Report. This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT P...

This special episode of Public Health Review Morning Edition revisits a popular episode from May 13, 2025. In this installment of the 'PHIG Impact Report,' Esther Muña, chief executive officer of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation and Territorial Health Official for the Northern Mariana Islands, explains how their Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) funds allowed them to improve security and integrate care...

In today's installment of the 'PHIG Impact Report,' Esther Muña, Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation and Territorial Health Official for the Northern Mariana Islands, explains how their Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) funds allowed them to improve...

Dr. Allison Arwady, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the CDC, tells us about historic progress in the field of overdose prevention; Catherine Murphy, ASTHO government affairs analyst, discusses the advocacy effort...

Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and Alabama state health officer, testified before Congress about the needs of Public Health; Emi Chutaro, the executive director of the Pacific Island Health Officers Association, recently spoke to leaders on Capitol...

Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, offers an update on funding after a flurry of activity; Martha Hagen, consultant nutritionist with the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists, explains the cultural focus of new transition...

Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner of health for the State of Vermont and an ASTHO Member, looks back on his time as commissioner as he gets ready to depart his post; Melissa Touma, ASTHO director of the Public Health Infrastructure Program, tells us how a...

Dr. Bradley Stoner, director of the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC, reports the findings in the latest STI Surveillance report; Katherine Feldman, chief performance Officer at the Maryland Department of Health, details the success of...

Heidi Hedberg, commissioner for the Alaska Department of Health and an ASTHO member, tells us about Alaska's Youth Behavioral Health Roadmap; Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, former ASTHO member and the newest president and CEO of the Public Health Accreditation...

Wesley Kortuem, data analytics section lead at the Arizona Department of Health Services, explains how his team created a comprehensive public health data portal; Abraham Kulungara, senior director for Environmental Health at ASTHO, updates us on the...

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...

Sharon Gilmartin, the new executive director of Safe States Alliance, discusses her new position and her goals for the organization; John Auerbach, senior vice president for public health at ICF and a speaker at the upcoming STRETCH 2.0 national convening,...

Dr. Russell Dunkel, president of the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, tells us why dental health is so important to public health; Keith A. James, program manager for Workforce Development and Health Equity for the U.S. Virgin...