COVID-19 Episodes

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 D…
Oct. 12, 2021

44: The Next Medicaid Cliff?

Dr. Jose Romero, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health, discusses the negative impact vaccine misinformation has on efforts to protect communities of color from the COVID-19 virus; Congressman Darren Soto of Florida…
Oct. 7, 2021

42: New Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Report

Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses concerns of workshop participants about the way Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) decisions are communicated; Eri…
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 durin…
Oct. 4, 2021

39: Territories Avoid Medicaid Cliff

Carolyn McCoy, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs, explains how an extension of Medicaid funding for U.S. Territories gives them more time to work toward a permanent policy solution; Dr. Joseph Kanter, Lou…
Oct. 1, 2021

38: Wildfire and Hurricane Preparedness

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, discusses the appropriate role of monoclonal antibodies in the COVID-19 response; ASTHO has a Q/A for public health teams who need to explain the CDC’s revised guidance for …
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 pub…
Sept. 29, 2021

36: Heart Health Messages

Dr. Dave Dixon, a clinical pharmacist and a member of the American College of Cardiology’s Prevention Section and Leadership Council, tells us how public health teams can apply the message of World Heart Day in their jurisdi…
Sept. 28, 2021

35: Medicaid Cliff Nears

Karl Ensign, ASTHO’s Vice President for Territorial Support, discusses the potential for Congressional action to approve enhanced financial support for Medicaid services in the U.S. Territories, as a Thursday deadline nears;…
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 ins…
Sept. 22, 2021

31: Booster Shot Debate

Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer and ASTHO President-elect, considers the potential for COVID-19 booster shots for some populations; Nick Porter, ASTHO’s Director for Environmental Health, explains how members c…
Sept. 20, 2021

29: Vaccinating Neighborhoods

Haley Burrous, an analyst on ASTHO’s preparedness team, explains a positive side effect of Mississippi’s in-home vaccination program; Adrienne Williams, a disability specialist working with the Mississippi State Department o…
Sept. 17, 2021

28: Supporting the Public Health Workforce

Dr. Norman Oliver, Virginia’s Health Commissioner, discusses the approach states and territories should take to funding for the public health workforce; ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia reacts to a new CDC/Trus…
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 Grohs…
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 re…