Federal Policy Episodes

April 5, 2024

637: Silos Hamper Reproductive Health Work, Quitline Expands

Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, says silos can hinder access to reproductive and sexual health care; Dr. Daniel Edney, state health officer for the Missis…
March 15, 2024

622: High Food Costs Hurt WIC, Proposed Budget Breakdown

Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health and ASTHO Member, recalls his recent visit to Congress a few weeks ago; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director for Government Affairs, says AS…
March 4, 2024

613: Members Meet Legislators, Islands Discuss Priorities

Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, spent her week in Washington, D.C., discussing the importance of the Public Health Infrastructure Grant to her state; Arthur San Agustin, spec…
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609: Tool Helps Assess Outdated HIV Laws and Policies, Fraser on Time as ASTHO CEO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. 23, 2024

607: Spring Meeting Preview, ASTHO CEO Farewell

Amber Williams, ASTHO senior vice president for Leadership and Organizational Performance, previews ASTHO’s upcoming Spring Meeting; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, prepares to say goodbye as he ends his time at ASTHO next week; and…
Feb. 16, 2024

603: Report Calls for New Health Data Approach, ASTHO Members Plan Hill Visit

Dr. Gabriel Seidman, Director of Policy at the Ellison Institute of Technology, details the need for a stronger nationwide health data ecosystem; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO Senior Director for Government Affairs, tells us how some…
Feb. 5, 2024

594: New Opioid Website, Firearm Violence Strategy

Dr. Tomás Aragón, ASTHO Member and Director and State Public Health Officer of the California Department of Public Health discusses a new website to give people the information they need to understand and deal with the opioi…
Feb. 2, 2024

593: Authority Streamlines FDA Food Code Changes, Congress Works to Meet Spending Deadlines

Dr. Daniel Edney, ASTHO Member and State Health Officer of the Mississippi State Department of Health, says his state’s legal ability to review and implement FDA food code changes is better for everyone involved; Carolyn Mul…
Jan. 22, 2024

584: Violence Prevention Work Gets Attention, First Responders Connect Via Telemedicine Link

Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer of the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services, tells us about a recent meeting with officials from the White House Office of Gun Viol…
Jan. 19, 2024

583: Infectious Disease Docs Wanted, Congress Grapples With Funding Deadline

Congressman Raul Ruiz, from California’s 25th District who is also a doctor, worries there aren’t enough doctors trained to deal with infectious diseases; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Government Affairs an…
Oct. 20, 2023

528: Flexible Climate Funding, New Federal Budget Deadline

State Public Health Officials Dr. Umair Shah, Dr. Joseph Kanter, and Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, discuss the public health impacts of climate change; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public …
Sept. 29, 2023

514: Telehealth Offers Options, Weekend Shutdown Looms

Kyle Zebley, Senior Vice President of the American Telemedicine Association, explains the benefits of telehealth; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, explains what ASTHO me…
Sept. 28, 2023

513: Menthol Ban Lessons, Retail Food Safety Networks

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, shares the challenges facing plans to ban tobacco flavorings; Dr. David McSwane, Executive Director of the Conference for Food Protection, explains the collaborative work of…
Sept. 26, 2023

511: Maternal Equity Study, Shutdown Budget Impacts

Dr. Jennifer Tang, a Professor of OB-GYN at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, calls for better solutions to maternal health inequities; a new ASTHO blog article examines the impact of rural hospital closur…
Sept. 22, 2023

509: Bundling Vaccinations, Hoping to Avoid a Government Shutdown

Dr. Gillian SteelFisher, Director of Global Polling at the Harvard Opinion Research Program, says promoting the flu, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccines together help broaden the appeal; Dr. Jennifer Shuford, Commissioner for the Tex…