Public Health Policy Episodes

On today's episode, Catherine Jones, senior analyst of Government Affairs at ASTHO, breaks down the importance of federal preparedness in strengthening public health.

Epidemiologist and Program Manager for Washington State's Wastewater-based Epidemiology Program Breanna McArdle,sits down with ASTHO and discusses how wastewater surveillance offers important data that fills in public health gaps. She also touches on the ethical and privacy concerns that come with wastewater surveillance, and the importance of collaboration in creating healthier futures.

On today's episode, Beth Giambrone discusses ASTHO’s mid-session update, reviewing the current public health trends emerging in state legislatures.

On today's episode, ASTHO’s Andy Baker-White explains why Immunization Information Systems are essential to modern public health, and what lawmakers and the public should understand as policy debates continue.

On today's episode, Lindsey Myers, ASTHO vice president for public health workforce and infrastructure, discusses the Insight and Inspiration webinar series featuring bestselling author Dan Heath and why his books resonate with public health professionals navigating today’s complex environment.

On today's episode, Melissa Sever from the Public Health Accreditation Board tells us about the Strengthening Public Health Workforce Capacity in Island Jurisdictions Project and the unique workforce challenges facing island jurisdictions.

In this episode, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Population Health and Innovation, Jen Layden, discusses the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, or HIMSS, conference and the real public health progress happening across the country and the persistent challenges that remain.

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.

In this National Public Health Week conversation about community leadership and tobacco control, Josh Berry, director, chronic disease risk factors, at ASTHO, breaks down how state and territorial programs partner with trusted, on-the-ground community organizations to reach at-risk populations and drive real impact. These long-standing relationships aren’t just helpful, they’re essential to building credibility and delivering results where they matter most. But the landscape is shifting. With the elimination of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health and growing uncertainty around funding, programs across the country are being forced to adapt and do more with less while trying to maintain core services like quitlines, surveillance, and policy engagement.

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.

In today's episode, hear updates from ASTHO's Spring Leadership Forum. ASTHO member Natasha Bagdasarian shares how bipartisan conversations with members of Congress revealed a shared commitment to healthier communities. Plus, ASTHO's Carolyn Mullen provides a behind-the-scenes look at meetings with lawmakers during Hill Day.

Today, two conversations highlight how policy shapes public health, both in communities and on Capitol Hill. First, Beth Giambrone, senior analyst for state health policy at ASTHO, explains how states are rethinking their approach to hypertension. From telehealth and remote blood pressure monitoring to expanded insurance coverage, policymakers are leveraging new technology to improve heart health across the lifespan. Later, Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO’s senior director of government affairs, shares wha...

On today's episode, ASTHO member Brannon Traxler shares the latest on South Carolina’s measles outbreak response. Then, ASTHO's Heather Tomlinson breaks down the growing presence of kratom in the U.S.

On today's episode, Breanca Merritt from Trust for America’s Health discusses a new report that tracks how states are adopting evidence-based policies to improve health and reduce costs, amid a constantly changing political and fiscal environment.

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.

What does it take for states to expand access to substance use disorder treatment and build stronger, more sustainable partnerships between Medicaid and public health?  In Massachusetts, leaders changed policies around provider models to increase access to care for opioid use disorder: Frances McGaffey, manager of the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts, explains how pairing providers with dedicated nursing support has helped remove barriers to prescribing buprenorphine, expand the addiction workforce, and dramatically increase access to care. Then, Cory Caldwell, senior policy analyst at the National Association of Medicaid Directors, discusses the new 'Medicaid Leaders Playbook for Building Public Health Partnerships,' developed in collaboration with ASTHO.

As behavioral health and overdose crises continue to strain health systems, states are rethinking how and where care is delivered. In this episode, Dr. Jerome Larkin, the director of the Rhode Island Department of Health and an ASTHO member, explains how youth-focused mobile response and stabilization services provide rapid, in-home crisis care and keep children out of emergency departments and reduce the need for hospitalization. The conversation explores why Rhode Island moved to require insurance coverage for these services and how states can sustain them amid funding uncertainty. Later, ASTHO Senior Director of Overdose Prevention, Richa Ranade, discusses the evolving policy landscape around naloxone, including efforts to expand access in schools, libraries, and other public spaces to prevent overdose deaths.

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, we continue our Legislative Prospectus Series, examining public health trends in policy going into 2026 with Meredith Allen, vice president for health security at ASTHO. She’ll discuss the critical role immunizations play in preventing the spread of disease and protecting communities nationwide.

As part of our state health policy portfolio, ASTHO releases an annual Legislative Prospectus Series: policy briefs summarizing state and territorial legislation that impacts public health. Today, Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO’s CEO, will summarize the 2026 series, identify trends in public health law for the next year, and provide a high-level overview for public health professionals and policymakers in time for upcoming legislative sessions.

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.

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.

ASTHO's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Susan Kansagra, joins us for a candid conversation about the state of public health today. She reflects on her unexpected path into the field, the urgent need to rebuild public trust, and why communicating the everyday value of public health is more critical than ever. Dr. Kansagra also explores how social media, new messengers, and emerging tools like AI can help reshape engagement, boost impact, and energize a workforce facing growing pressure. A motivating reminder that public health is a marathon, not a sprint, and that meaningful progress takes time, partnership, and persistence.

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.