Workforce Development Episodes

July 21, 2026

1169: PHIG Impact Report: Building a Stronger Public Health Workforce in New Mexico

On today's PHIG Impact Report, Shadee Lauer, director for the Office of Training and Development at the New Mexico Department of Health, explains how the state is using PHIG funding to recruit, retain, and develop its workforce through data-driven strategies and innovative professional development programs.
July 20, 2026

1168: Strengthening Pennsylvania's Emergency Response System

In this episode, ASTHO member and Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra Bogen discusses how Pennsylvania's investment in EMS has strengthened emergency care across the state.
July 15, 2026

1166: Building Better Trainers in Public Health

Kaylin Clonch, workforce essential learning director at the South Carolina Department of Public Health, tells us about the agency’s approach to strengthening its training culture.
July 8, 2026

1161: Finding Your Voice: Leadership Lessons from the DELPH Program

On today's episode, Gabby Hadly, emergency preparedness and response manager for the Snohomish County Health Department in Washington state, reflects on her experience in ASTHO's Developing Executives Leading in Public Health (DELPH) program.
July 7, 2026

1160: PHIG Impact Report: Palau's Data Transformation Journey

On today's PHIG Impact Report, Tmong Udui with the Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services shares how Palau is using PHIG funding to modernize its health data systems.
June 29, 2026

1155: Maternal Health Solutions from South Dakota

On today's episode, Denise Hanisch from the South Dakota Department of Health shares the state's maternal and infant health priorities, and ASTHO's Sanaa Akbarali highlights takeaways from the Region 7 Maternal Health ECHO Summit.
June 17, 2026

1148: How Academic Health Department Partnerships Create Career Pathways

On today's episode, Mayela Arana from the Public Health Foundation discusses academic health department partnerships, which are designed to strengthen the current workforce and train the next generation of public health professionals.
June 16, 2026

1147: PHIG Impact Report: How South Carolina Is Building a Stronger Workforce

On today's PHIG Impact Report, Karla Buru from the South Carolina Department of Public Health discusses the agency’s Supplemental Tuition Assistance Program (STAP), an innovative workforce development initiative designed to support employee development, retention, and leadership.
June 10, 2026

1143: AI Literacy and the Future of Public Health Work

On today's episode, ASTHO's Ari Whiteman discusses the growing importance of AI literacy across the public health field, for the current workforce and incoming professionals.
June 3, 2026

1138: How Mentorship Strengthens the Maternal and Child Health Workforce

On today's episode, Candice Simon from the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs discusses the Maternal Health Innovation Leaders Mentorship Program and the value of meaningful professional guidance in public health.
May 26, 2026

1133: PHIG Impact Report: Inside America’s $4.6 Billion Infrastructure Investment

What does it take to rebuild the foundation of public health in the United States, and why did it take 30 years to get here? Director of the Division of Jurisdictional Support, CDC's Public Health Infrastructure Center, Stacey Mattison Jenkins breaks down the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG), a $4.6 billion investment reaching more than 100 health departments nationwide.
May 20, 2026

1130: From Recruitment to Retention: Strengthening the Public Health Workforce

On today's episode, ASTHO'S Brianna Gorman discusses ASTHO’s new Workforce Employee Experience Implementation Tool. Later, LaShonda Freeman with the South Carolina Department of Public Health discusses South Carolina’s Supplemental Tuition Assistance Policy Program (STAP).
May 18, 2026

1128: Building the Future of Public Health Through Communication and Classrooms

On today's episode, the de Beaumont Foundation's Amanda Kwong discusses why effective public health communications go far beyond public awareness campaigns. Later, ASTHO's Ashley Nanthavongsa-Mosley highlights innovative efforts to introduce public health education into K-12 schools.
May 12, 2026

1124: PHIG Impact Report: How Tennessee Is Rewiring Public Health from the Ground Up

On today's PHIG Impact Report, leaders from the Tennessee Department of Health (Sanjana Stamm and Jen Trail) share how they’re using PHIG funding to transform care at both the clinical and community levels, including the use of care coordinators across rural areas, and targeted grant management.
April 29, 2026

1115: How Mentorship and Training Are Transforming Public Health Leadership

In this episode, Joshua Allen from the South Carolina Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Organizational Development discusses how targeted supervisor training and mentorship programs are reshaping workforce culture in public health.
April 28, 2026

1114: PHIG Impact Report: Inside Multnomah County’s Workforce Resilience Strategy

In this episode, Kirsten Aird, from Oregon’s Multnomah County, explores how strategic investments are strengthening workforce capacity, stability, and community impact.
April 27, 2026

1113: Data Modernization Is a Long Game: Progress, Partnerships, and Policy

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.
April 14, 2026

1106: PHIG Impact Report: Reimagining the Public Health Workforce in Denver

On today's PHIG Impact Report, Veronika Hanna and Mondi Mason from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment share how creative workforce strategies powered by the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) are opening new pathways into the field.
March 18, 2026

1088: Keeping Public Health Nurses: Strategies to Reduce Burnout and Strengthen Retention

On today's episode, Shirley Orr from the Association of Public Health Nurses shares insights from the Public Health Nursing Workforce Learning Lab series, including what the results of the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey reveal about this essential group of professionals.
March 4, 2026

1080: From Core Competencies to Capitol Hill: Strengthening Public Health from the Inside Out

On today's episode, Keshana Owens-Cody from the New York State Department of Health discusses why fostering a culture of learning is essential in an era of constant change. Later, ASTHO's Catherine Murphy details the status of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.
March 3, 2026

1079: PHIG Impact Report: How Missouri’s Pathways Internship Program Is Creating the Next Generation of Leaders with Help from PHIG

Public health agencies across the country face a growing workforce shortage—but Missouri is tackling the challenge head-on. On today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, we explore how Missouri internship programs are building a diverse, skilled pipeline of future public health professionals while strengthening partnerships between state and local agencies. Scott Allen, an administrator and health officer of the Webster County Health Unit, shares how hands-on internships are giving students ...
Feb. 24, 2026

1075: From Pipeline to Public Trust: Strengthening the Next Generation of Public Health

On today's episode, ASTHO's Kimberlee Wyche Etheridge highlights why workforce pathway programs, mentorship, and hands-on partnerships between universities and health departments are critical. Then, Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, discusses his recent article, focused on ways the public health field can communicate its impact.
Feb. 13, 2026

1069: Data, People, and the Future of Public Health Response

Behind every public health response are two make-or-break factors: the people doing the work and the systems that help them work together. First, Shirley Orr, Executive Director of the Association of Public Health Nurses,, discusses the Public Health Nursing Workforce Learning Lab Series Session 5 with insights from PH WINS, the nation’s only survey of the state and local public health workforce, which reached nearly 50,000 professionals. The data paints a detailed picture of who makes up today’...
Feb. 12, 2026

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

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.