School Programs Episodes

1072: From Rural Dollars to Dinner Plates: Turning Big Federal Policy Into Real Health Gains
Feb. 19, 2026

1072: From Rural Dollars to Dinner Plates: Turning Big Federal Policy Into Real Health Gains

Major federal investments and national guidance can shape the future of public health, but only if states can turn policy into practice. This episode looks at two sweeping developments and the on-the-groundwork required to make them matter. First, Chris Salyers, director of programs and evaluation …
1068: Health Beyond Healthcare: How States Are Advancing Smart Policies in Tough Times
Feb. 12, 2026

1068: Health Beyond Healthcare: How States Are Advancing Smart Policies in Tough Times

What do school meals, housing, paid leave, and pre-K have to do with public health? According to Trust for America’s Health: everything. In this episode, Breanca Merritt, director of policy at Trust for America’s Health, breaks down a new report titled 'Promoting Health and Cost Control in States (…
1051: Meeting People Where They Are: Mobile Crisis Response and Expanding Access to Naloxone
Jan. 13, 2026

1051: Meeting People Where They Are: Mobile Crisis Response and Expanding Access to Naloxone

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 stabilizat…
1041: Protecting Newborns: Guidance for the Hepatitis B Vaccine Matters Now More Than Ever
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.
1016: Harris Reflects on Presidential Term, TFAH Obesity Report
Oct. 22, 2025

1016: Harris Reflects on Presidential Term, TFAH Obesity Report

ASTHO immediate past president Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health, reflects on his time as president as he closes out his term; Dr. Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer at ASTHO, served as a panelist during a press briefing for Trust for America’s H…
1000: Rural Health Transformation Program, Youth Suicide Rates
Sept. 29, 2025

1000: Rural Health Transformation Program, Youth Suicide Rates

Catherine Jones, senior analyst of government affairs at ASTHO, breaks down what states need to know about the application for the Rural Health Transformation Program, and discusses ASTHO’s recent partnership with Cornerstone Government Affairs to host two expert panels on the subject; Dr. Lena Hei…
944: State Activity on Food Dyes, PH collaboration
July 10, 2025

944: State Activity on Food Dyes, PH collaboration

Kristen Rogers, a jounalist for CNN Wellness, explains why synthetic food dyes are being banned by states across the country and how each state is taking action; Felicia Quintana-Zinn, associate director of health data with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, discusses...
916: MAHA Report, School-Based Health Programs
May 29, 2025

916: MAHA Report, School-Based Health Programs

Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, offers details on the Make America Healthy Again report; Lexa Giragosian, ASTHO senior analyst for maternal and infant health, tells us about an ASTHO brief that zeroes in on adolescent health...
Ep 904: Childhood Obesity Report, States Act on Food Dyes
May 12, 2025

Ep 904: Childhood Obesity Report, States Act on Food Dyes

Rita Condon, program manager for obesity, nutrition, and physical activity with the New Mexico Department of Health, discusses the agency’s annual Childhood Obesity Update and the new initiatives in place to promote healthy eating; Andy Baker-White, senior director for state health policy...
865: PHIG Funds Help Create New Office
March 18, 2025

865: PHIG Funds Help Create New Office

Dr. Puthiery Va, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, explains how PHIG has helped Maine create a new Office of Violence Prevention in the latest PHIG Impact Report.
864: Impressive Vaccination Rates, Changing Immunization Conversation
March 17, 2025

864: Impressive Vaccination Rates, Changing Immunization Conversation

Dr. Jerome Larkin, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health and an ASTHO Member, explains how his state achieved such impressive vaccination rates; Dr. Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge, ASTHO's senior vice president of Health Initiatives...
834: AI & PH Comms, HPAI Symposium Still Relevant
Jan. 31, 2025

834: AI & PH Comms, HPAI Symposium Still Relevant

Robert Jennings, executive director of the National Public Health Information Coalition, is currently working on guidelines for AI use in public health communications; Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and the state health officer for the Alabama...
810: Maternal and Childhood Health Prospectus, Pertussis Persists
Dec. 13, 2024

810: Maternal and Childhood Health Prospectus, Pertussis Persists

Dr. Debra Bogen, secretary of health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and an ASTHO Member, discusses ASTHO’s Maternal and Childhood Health Legislative Prospectus; Dr. Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Disease Society of America, tells us how...
808: Infectious Disease Legislative Prospectus, Fifth DELPH Cohort Begins
Dec. 11, 2024

808: Infectious Disease Legislative Prospectus, Fifth DELPH Cohort Begins

Dr. Robert Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and an ASTHO Member, discusses the containment and prevention of the spread of infectious disease as part of ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus Series; Allyson...
723: Certified Wellness Coaches, AZ Reach
Aug. 7, 2024

723: Certified Wellness Coaches, AZ Reach

Ben Gamache, policy consultant for the Office of Health Workforce Development at the Department of Health Care Access and Information, explains why California has created a new position; Dr. Lisa Villarroel, chief medical officer for Public Health at...
610: Island Members Visit Capitol Hill, Campaign Recruits New Public Health Nurses
Feb. 28, 2024

610: Island Members Visit Capitol Hill, Campaign Recruits New Public Health Nurses

Gaafar Uherbelau, Minister of Health for the Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services, tells us his priorities in Washington D.C. for ASTHO’s Spring Meeting; this week, the third cohort of public health professionals in the Diverse Executives...
549: Role of Schools in Preventing Teen Overdose, CDC Builds Outbreak Modeling Network
Nov. 21, 2023

549: Role of Schools in Preventing Teen Overdose, CDC Builds Outbreak Modeling Network

Dr. Lauren Tanz, an epidemiologist with the CDC, talks about the rising numbers of teen overdose deaths in the United States; Dr. Dylan George, director of the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics at the CDC, discusses the CDC’s creation of...