Women, Infant, And Family Health Episodes

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 (…

Two very different challenges, and one shared public health reality: systems have to work when it matters most. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Erica Pan, director and state public health officer for the California Department of Public Health, and ASTHO member, about a rare and unprecedented inf…

New CDC surveillance data show encouraging declines in several sexually transmitted infections—but a troubling increase in syphilis among newborns. In this episode, the Director of the Division of STD Prevention at CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Dr. Bradley …

Kentucky is experiencing its largest spike in whooping cough cases since 2012, an alarming rise that has already claimed the lives of three infants in the past year. In this episode, Dr. Steven Stack, secretary of Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, joins us to unpack what’s driving …

Elle Talsma, project supervisor for the INSPIRE Program at the Minnesota Department of Health, tells us how the program encourages students to take an interest in public health; Chris Baumgartner, deputy chief informatics officer at the Washington...

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the State of Michigan, discusses the launch of the Take Control of Your Birth Control program; Catherine Jones, ASTHO senior analyst for Government Affairs, tells us what the priorities are for the...

Dr. Wanda Barfield, director of the Division of Reproductive Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses the “Hear Her” campaign that aims to help the national maternal mortality crisis; Cynthia Naasira Taylor, leadership...

Dr. Sally Rafie, founder of Birth Control Pharmacist, says pharmacies are an accessible and private option for those in need of contraceptive care; Joy Burkhard, executive director of the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, wants to make sure...

Dr. Karen Smith, former director of the California Department of Public Health, tells us about the early days of her career; Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of Trust for America's Health, details the Ready or Not Report which gets specific...

Susan Bsharah, associate director at Guidehouse, discusses an upcoming TEFCA webinar set for April 4; Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and an ASTHO member, tells us about the “Good Housing = Good...

Dr. Susan Kansagra, assistant secretary for public health in North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services and an ASTHO member, tells us how the tenacity of one inspector caused an investigation that uncovered lead-contaminated applesauce packets in North Carolina; Dr. Tara Kirk...

Dr. Jerome Adams, the 20th U.S. surgeon general and current executive director of Health Equity Initiatives at Purdue University, who was the Surgeon General during the pandemic discusses his new book; Maggie Davis, ASTHO director of State Health...

Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO immediate past president and chief medical officer for the Alaska Department of Health, says policies can help address the fact that the number of babies born with syphilis is ten times higher than in 2012; JoAnne McClure, ASTHO...

Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner, Vermont Department of Health, says ASTHO’s new policy statement on suicide prevention offers many recommendations including a call to improve access to health care services for those at highest risk; Dr. Robert...

Safia Khan, Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff at the Minnesota Department of Corrections, outlines how the Healthy Start Act will reduce the negative impact of adverse childhood experiences in Minnesota; Danny Staley, ASTHO’s Senior Vice...

Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, Professor of Clinical Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, describes how drug shortages are making it tough to treat syphilis; Jazmyn Covington, ASTHO Director of Maternal and Infant...

Victoria Pless, ASTHO’s Assistant Director of Social and Behavioral Health, explains recommendations states can use to reduce overdoses; Stephany Strahle, with ASTHO’s Family and Child Health team, says updating public health surveillance systems...

Geetika Nadkarni, ASTHO’s Director of Chronic Infectious Disease, shares the award-winning Partnering for Vaccine Equity project which aims to increase vaccinations among diverse communities; Meredith Sussman, Vaccine Equity Project Manager for...

J.T. Lane, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President for Population Health and Innovation, explains recommendations to improve public health data systems; Brittany Lee, ASTHO’s Director of Family and Child Health, says public health education will play a role...

Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, says public health aims to strengthen the use of antiviral COVID-19 protections in nursing homes; Priya Shah, ASTHO’s Senior Analyst of Health Improvement and Healthy Aging, shares an updated policy...

Sowmya Kuruganti, ASTHO Public Health Analyst, explains how Medicaid expansion could increase access to care for postpartum people; Sanaa Akbarali, ASTHO Senior Director of Maternal and Infant Health, says a renewed ASTHO policy statement addresses...

Avia Mason, ASTHO Vice President of Leadership and Learning, shares what attendees can expect from ASTHO’s Public Health TechXpo and Futures Forum happening next week in Chicago and online; Dr. Lily Lou, former Chief Medical Officer in Alaska and...

Dr. Brannon Traxler, Director of Public Health for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, explains why South Carolina is seeing high rates of infant and maternal mortality; Dr. Eugene Toy, Gynecologist and professor of...

Lindsey Myers, ASTHO’s Vice President for Public Health Workforce and Infrastructure, explains the importance of President Biden’s report on the public health workforce; Maria Gabriela Ruiz, an analyst on ASTHO’s Maternal and Infant Health team,...