COVID-19 Episodes

March 18, 2024

623: Readiness Report Ranks States and DC, Hill Day Gets High Marks

Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of Trust for America's Health, discusses the 21st edition of the Ready or Not Report; Catherine Jones, ASTHO Government Affairs senior analyst, tells us ASTHO’s Hill Day program in lat…
March 14, 2024

621: New Assessment of Public Health Authority, Federal Fund Braiding Guide

Dr. Michelle Mello, professor of Law at Stanford Law School and a professor of Health Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine, teamed up with colleagues at Temple University to study the legislative response to lega…
Feb. 27, 2024

609: Tool Helps Assess Outdated HIV Laws and Policies, Fraser on Time as ASTHO CEO

Iyanrick John, vice president of External Affairs at ChangeLab Solutions, tells us about his organization partnering with the CDC to create a legal and policy assessment tool; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, will be leaving the orga…
Feb. 15, 2024

602: Public Health Skills Discussion Preview, Oregon’s New Director

Amber Williams, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Leadership and Organizational Performance, previews next week’s webinar about strategic skills for public health professionals; Dr. Sejal Hathi, ASTHO Member and Director of th…
Feb. 14, 2024

601: Use Policy to Achieve Health Equity, Stigma Hurts Long COVID Patients

Dr. Brooke Cunningham, ASTHO Member and Health Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Health, reflects on the importance of using policy to achieve racial equity; Dr. Priti Patel, CDC...
Feb. 12, 2024

599: Why Patients Don’t Want a COVID Vaccine, Policies to Help Young Families

Dr. Danielle Ofri, Clinical Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, tells us some patients still have concerns about COVID-19 vaccines; Jessica Bissett, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Social and Behavioral…
Feb. 9, 2024

598: CDC’s Hepatitis C Strategy, Wastewater Testing Debate

Dr. Carolyn Wester, director of the division of viral hepatitis at the CDC, says the CDC has a plan to increase access to the diagnosis and treatment resources for hepatitis C; Tim Henderson, senior writer/demographics analy…
Feb. 1, 2024

592: Teamwork Helps Contain Measles Outbreak, How to Reduce Stigma Related to Opioid Therapy

Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, Philadelphia Health Commissioner, discusses a measles outbreak that was detected in the city in early December; Grace DeLeon, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Overdose Preparedness and Response, tells us about …
Jan. 18, 2024

582: Telehealth Recommendations, Empowering Diverse Executives

Mike Ellsworth, Federal Relations director at the Washington State Department of Health, says his organization has released a study of telehealth activities and opportunities; Erika Kirtz, an epidemiologist at the Tennessee …
Jan. 17, 2024

581: Policies Connect Health Care and PH Funding Tips

Brianna Gorman, ASTHO analyst for Performance Excellence, explains ways to connect public health and health care in communities; Dr. Lindsay Weaver, ASTHO member and state health commissioner for the Indiana Department of He…
Jan. 12, 2024

579: Tracking Congressional Deadlines, King’s Message Mirrors PH Concerns

Kyle Gasaway, ASTHO communications manager for the Leadership and Learning Unit, talks about the very successful Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health program; Jeffrey Ekoma, senior director for Government Affairs, is …
Jan. 10, 2024

577: New Preparedness Website Set to Launch, COVID Vaccine Messaging

Margaux Haviland, ASTHO director for Preparedness and Response Coordination, shares that the Inspire Readiness website goes live on January 16; Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, wants public health to focus it…
Jan. 9, 2024

576: State Health Assessments Inform Planning, How to Access Public Health Databases

Dr. Edward Simmer, director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, dives deep into a new state health assessment; Melissa Touma, ASTHO’s director of the Public Health Infrastructure Program, te…
Jan. 5, 2024

574: Tracking Respiratory Illness, Congressional Deadlines Loom

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, is tracking reports of respiratory illness across the U.S.; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO senior vice president for Government Affairs and Public Relations, discusses a federal fundin…
Jan. 4, 2024

573: Disability Definition Coming Soon, Federal Priorities Outlined

Annie Evans, ASTHO director of Preparedness and Disability Integration, tells us ASTHO working to create a definition of disability to be used in the ESSENCE program; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director for Government Affai…