Public Health Episodes

Nov. 16, 2021

68: Leading with Gratitude

Mylynn Tufte, North Dakota’s former state health official, explains the power of gratitude in advance of her Insight and Inspiration talk on Thursday, Nov. 18; Rhea Farberman, Director of Strategic Communications and Policy Research at the Trust for...
Nov. 10, 2021

65: Caring for Veterans

Sen. Kalani Kaneko of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, himself a former health official, shares how military veterans from the freely associated states aligned with the U.S. cannot access their health benefits if they decide to live on the...
Nov. 3, 2021

60: Vaccinating Pregnant People

Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana’s State Health Commissioner, discusses the complex task of vaccinating hesitant pregnant people against COVID-19; ASTHO releases advice from community groups gathered to explore possible responses to vaccine misinformation...
Oct. 29, 2021

57: COVID Tricks on Halloween

Dr. Brian Castrucci, President and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, explains how public health departments can use upcoming data from the PH Wins workforce study fielded by his organization and ASTHO; Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, Director of the Ohio...
Oct. 26, 2021

54: PH Workforce Crisis

Dr. Brian Castrucci, President and CEO of the non-profit de Beaumont Foundation, considers the public health workforce crisis; Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana’s State Health Commissioner, says public health departments can help reduce stigma for pregnant...
Oct. 22, 2021

52: New York Times PH Survey – Pt 2

New York Times journalist Danielle Ivory details the feedback she and her team received from public health professionals responding to the newspaper’s survey about their work during the pandemic; ASTHO Board Member and former Minnesota health...
Oct. 21, 2021

51: New York Times PH Survey

Danielle Ivory, a journalist for the New York Times, explains the results of the newspaper’s survey of hundreds of local public health departments; Senate budgeteers release FY 22 Appropriations bills, including a historic increase in funding for...
Oct. 14, 2021

46: New FDA Booster Shot Debate

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia forecasts this week’s FDA discussions about the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster shots; ASTHO President Elect Dr. Anne Zink explains the importance of recognizing small victories even...
Oct. 13, 2021

45: Infection Control Funding

Janet Hamilton, Executive Director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists explains how $2 billion in CDC funds will help hospitals and healthcare facilities fight infections; Jonathan Wolfe, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Content...
Oct. 5, 2021

40: Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines

Dr. Jose Romero, a pediatrician and Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health, discusses COVID-19 vaccines for kids and parental hesitancy; ASTHO leaders discuss the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) process during a national workshop...
Sept. 30, 2021

37: Workforce Reforms Pitched

Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health Officer and Medical Director, calls on Congress to take steps to address urgent public health workforce needs; Dr. Umair Shah, Secretary of Health for Washington state, reminds public health leaders to...
Sept. 27, 2021

34: Public Health Workforce Survey Launched

Joanne Pearsol, ASTHO’s Director of Leadership and Workforce, discusses the impact the COVID-19 pandemic might have on the results of the latest PHWins survey now in the field; Dr. Ed Ehlinger, Minnesota’s former state health commissioner,...
Sept. 24, 2021

33: Booster Votes Explained

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia explains several votes taken by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Thursday, including one against COVID-19 booster shots for people with occupational or institutional risks; Dr. Ed...
Sept. 16, 2021

27: New COVID-19 Contact Tracing Info

Amelia Poulin, an ASTHO Senior Analyst for Infectious Disease Outbreak Response and Recovery, details an expanded contact tracing training curriculum for case investigators and teams doing COVID-19 work; CDC’s Dr. Lisa Grohskopf and Joynetta Kelly...
Sept. 15, 2021

26: Congressional Priorities

Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, outlines Congressional priorities as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill; Dr. Lisa Grohskopf, with the CDC’s Influenza Division, discusses the safety of flu...
Sept. 14, 2021

25: FDA’s E-Cigarette Review

Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO’s Director of Government Affairs, discusses the FDA’s move to delay a decision on marketing applications for some flavored e-cigarette products; Melissa McGrath, Chief of Staff for the Council of Chief State School Officers,...
Sept. 13, 2021

24: Reaction to the COVID-19 Strategy

ASTHO CEO Michael Fraser shares member feedback about President Biden’s new COVID-19 strategy; Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi’s State Health Officer, explains the pandemic’s impact on the nation’s hospitals; ASTHO issues a revised COVID-19...
Sept. 10, 2021

23: The President’s COVID-19 Strategy

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, reacts to President Biden’s new COVID-19 strategy; Dr. Norman Oliver, Virginia’s Health Commissioner, discusses the network ready to administer COVID-19 booster shots; Robin Matthies, ASTHO’s...
Sept. 8, 2021

21: New Guide to Inclusive Communications

Booker Daniels, with the CDC’s Division of Public Affairs, details a new online resource to help public health professionals improve their inclusive communication skills; Kerry Wyss, ASTHO’s Director of Environmental Health, shares information...
Sept. 7, 2021

20: 9/11 Preparedness Lessons

Lisa Peterson, ASTHO’s Director of Health and Homeland Security, reviews plans for Thursday’s event to examine preparedness twenty years after 9/11; and Dr. Pritesh Gandhi, Chief Medical Officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and...
Sept. 3, 2021

19: COVID-19 News Conference

State health officials held a virtual news conference with journalists Thursday to address the latest in the public health response to COVID-19. Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr....
Sept. 2, 2021

18: Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Facts

Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama’s State Health Officer, urges residents to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus; Meredith Allen, ASTHO’s Vice President of Health Security, tells states and territories five things they need to know about the...
Aug. 31, 2021

16: Overdose Awareness and Action

Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont’s Commissioner of Health, outlines steps states and territories can take to address the alarming rise in the number of overdose deaths in the United States; Luke Tomsha, founder of The Perfectly Flawed Foundation, tells...
Aug. 30, 2021

15: CDC Domestic Travel Guidance

Dr. Kristina Angelo, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC, tells ASTHO members how they can help get the word out about the revised recommendations for domestic travelers; Cassandra Thompson, ASTHO’s Director of Preparedness and Disability...