Health Equity Episodes

March 6, 2024

615: Grad Considers DELPH Colleagues Family, New ASTHO CEO is “Nice, Kind, Caring”

Keon Lewis, equity and development coordinator for the Cabarrus Health Alliance, talks about his experience as a recent graduate of ASTHO’s DELPH program; Dr. Joseph Kanter is ASTHO’s new CEO and begins his role in April; Dr…
March 5, 2024

614: New ASTHO CEO Announced

Dr. Steven Stack, ASTHO president and commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, announces Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO alum, as incoming CEO; Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO’s newly-announced CEO, who joins ASTHO from …
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. 29, 2024

611: Harm Reduction Strategies, A Recruiter Calls Mike Fraser

Dr. Kaitlan Baston, ASTHO Member and acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, discusses a new law in New Jersey that decriminalizes many harm reduction supplies; Andra Samoa, a Department of Health consult…
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609: Tool Helps Assess Outdated HIV Laws and Policies, Fraser on Time as ASTHO CEO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. 26, 2024

608: Public Health Strategic Skills Book, Assessing AI Usage

Dr. Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, and Dr. Brian Castrucci, de Beaumont Foundation president and CEO, tell us why their new book is beneficial for all public health professionals; Maggie Davis, ASTHO director for State Health Polic…
Feb. 21, 2024

605: Social Media is Declared a Public Health Threat, Workforce DEI Strategies

Dr. Ashwin Vasan, New York City health commissioner, discusses New York City’s decision to declare social media a public health hazard; Anya Nystrom, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment director of Culture, …
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. 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. 8, 2024

597: Childcare Stress Impacts Maternal Health, Palau Tackles Heart Disease and Stroke

Dr. Molly Dickens, Founder and Director of the Maternal Stress Project, discusses the ways maternal health is impacted by stress linked to childcare; Edolem Ikerdeu, Chief for the Division of Primary and Preventive Health Se…
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. 30, 2024

590: Four Overdose Prevention Policies Explained, Winter Storm Lessons

Kayley Humm, ASTHO Senior Analyst, discusses a new ASTHO report that outlines a series of overdose prevention policies for consideration by public health agencies; Sarah Bonk, Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Response Co…
Jan. 25, 2024

587: ASTHO Urges White House to Implement Menthol Rule, Advocates Join Call for Menthol Ban

Josh Berry, ASTHO Director of Chronic Disease Risk Factors, says ASTHO is calling on the White House to implement a rule that would prohibit the sale of menthol-flavored tobacco products; Chrissie Juliano, Executive Director…
Jan. 24, 2024

586: Schools Get Naloxone, Communities Help Design Block Grant Projects

Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, Chief Science Officer for the Washington State Department of Health, says providing doses of naloxone to many schools in the state will save lives; Molly Cotant, Deputy Director, and Laura de la Ramb…