Increasing Access To Contraception Episodes

1057: STI Trends: Progress, Prevention, and the Urgent Rise in Congenital Syphilis
Jan. 26, 2026

1057: STI Trends: Progress, Prevention, and the Urgent Rise in Congenital Syphilis

New CDC surveillance data show encouraging declines in several sexually transmitted infections—but a troubling increase in syphilis among newborns. In this episode, the Director of the Division of STD Prevention at CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Dr. Bradley …
1013: Preparedness Peer Network, State Health Scorecards
Oct. 17, 2025

1013: Preparedness Peer Network, State Health Scorecards

Francesca Provenzano, public health section chief of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, discusses themes and insights from her term as chair of ASTHO’s Director of Public Health Preparedness Peer Network; Dr. Sara Collins, senior …
854: Program Introduces Students to PH, ASTHO Leadership Institute
March 3, 2025

854: Program Introduces Students to PH, ASTHO Leadership Institute

Elle Talsma, project supervisor for the INSPIRE Program at the Minnesota Department of Health, tells us how the program encourages students to take an interest in public health; Chris Baumgartner, deputy chief informatics officer at the Washington...
843: Historic Data Sharing Agreement, Own Every Piece Campaign
Feb. 13, 2025

843: Historic Data Sharing Agreement, Own Every Piece Campaign

Kristin Peterson, chief of policy at the Washington State Department of Health, tells us why the data-sharing agreement with the Tulalip Tribe is historic; Dr. Kim Baker, assistant professor and assistant dean of practice at UT Health Houston School...
839: Drug Overdose Death Decline, View from Washington, New ASTHO Member
Feb. 7, 2025

839: Drug Overdose Death Decline, View from Washington, New ASTHO Member

Dr. Heidi B. Miller, chief medical officer of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, explains how her state was able to see the first significant decline in drug overdose deaths in nearly a decade; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director...
785: Vaccination Coverage Decreases, OTC Birth Control Rule Change
Nov. 5, 2024

785: Vaccination Coverage Decreases, OTC Birth Control Rule Change

Lori Freeman, chief executive officer for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, discusses a new report from the CDC outlining the decline in required vaccine coverage among kindergartners; and Brittany Lee, ASTHO director of...
668: NJ Contraception Case Study, Federal Discussions on Aging
May 20, 2024

668: NJ Contraception Case Study, Federal Discussions on Aging

Liz Gipson, senior program officer at the Center for Health Care Strategies, discusses a case study about New Jersey contraception legislation that ASTHO partnered on; Catherine Jones, ASTHO senior analyst for Government Affairs, says the federal...
660: Retail Food Safety Barriers, Guam Launches Public Health AmeriCorps
May 8, 2024

660: Retail Food Safety Barriers, Guam Launches Public Health AmeriCorps

Amber Gibbar, health promotion coordinator for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, says they have been working for years to dismantle communication barriers in retail food safety; Julia Rivera, program director for the Public Health AmeriCorps...
590: Four Overdose Prevention Policies Explained, Winter Storm Lessons
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 Coordinator for Erie County,...
583: Infectious Disease Docs Wanted, Congress Grapples With Funding Deadline
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 and Public Relations,...
569: Former Surgeon General Explains the Pandemic Response, Barriers to Family + Reproductive Health
Dec. 21, 2023

569: Former Surgeon General Explains the Pandemic Response, Barriers to Family + Reproductive Health

Dr. Jerome Adams, the 20th U.S. surgeon general and current executive director of Health Equity Initiatives at Purdue University, who was the Surgeon General during the pandemic discusses his new book; Maggie Davis, ASTHO director of State Health...
561: ASTHO’s 2024 Legislative Overview Starts Today, Holiday Campaign Offers Treatment Message
Dec. 11, 2023

561: ASTHO’s 2024 Legislative Overview Starts Today, Holiday Campaign Offers Treatment Message

Dr. Lindsay Weaver, state health commissioner for the Indiana Department of Health, discusses the state’s campaign to increase investment in public health; Dr. Ralph Alvarado, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Public Health, explains how...
557: Pharmacists Give RSV Vaccine Without Prescription, PH Needs to Boost Strategic Skillset
Dec. 5, 2023

557: Pharmacists Give RSV Vaccine Without Prescription, PH Needs to Boost Strategic Skillset

Dr. Jim McDonald, commissioner of Health, New York State Department of Health, gives an order that allows New York pharmacists to administer RSV vaccines to older adults and pregnant people without a prescription; de Beaumont President and CEO Dr....
553: States Lead Equity Initiatives, ASTHO Tunes Medicaid Parity Policy
Nov. 29, 2023

553: States Lead Equity Initiatives, ASTHO Tunes Medicaid Parity Policy

Jessica Fepelstein, analyst, State and Community Engagement, ASTHO, explains the health equity core concepts work that is happening as part of the STRETCH Initiative; Dr. Esther Muna, chief executive officer and territorial health official for the...
552: ASTHO Updates Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy Statement, New Grants Management Toolkit
Nov. 28, 2023

552: ASTHO Updates Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy Statement, New Grants Management Toolkit

Patricia Tilley, director, Division of Public Health Services with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, discusses ASTHO’s sexual and reproductive health policy statement; Meghan Fadel, associate director, Healthy Brain...
540: How to Hire a Public Health Nurse, Roundtables Get Lawmakers Talking
Nov. 7, 2023

540: How to Hire a Public Health Nurse, Roundtables Get Lawmakers Talking

Dr. Robert Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, says local agency partnerships are key to the success of new public health performance standards; Allison Nickrent, director of governmental affairs at the Illinois...
491: CDC Rural Health, Childhood Mental Health
Aug. 28, 2023

491: CDC Rural Health, Childhood Mental Health

Diane Hall, Director of the CDC Office of Rural Health, outlines the office's priorities; Claire Rudolph, ASTHO Consultant and Assistant Director of the New York State Department of Health’s Child Health Bureau, discusses how childhood experiences...
481: Syphilis Drug Shortage, Maternal and Child Health Priorities
Aug. 14, 2023

481: Syphilis Drug Shortage, Maternal and Child Health Priorities

Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, Professor of Clinical Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, describes how drug shortages are making it tough to treat syphilis; Jazmyn Covington, ASTHO Director of Maternal and Infant...
480: RSV Messaging, Emergency Contraception
Aug. 11, 2023

480: RSV Messaging, Emergency Contraception

Hear from the experts who participated in an ASTHO online briefing on the coming RSV season; Sophia Durant, ASTHO’s Analyst of Family and Child Health, says access to emergency contraception is a health equity issue; and an ASTHO virtual session...
472: Vaccine Equity Honors, How to Pay for Birth Control Services
Aug. 1, 2023

472: Vaccine Equity Honors, How to Pay for Birth Control Services

Geetika Nadkarni, ASTHO’s Director of Chronic Infectious Disease, shares the award-winning Partnering for Vaccine Equity project which aims to increase vaccinations among diverse communities; Meredith Sussman, Vaccine Equity Project Manager for...
469: How to Modernize Your Data, Opill Equity
July 27, 2023

469: How to Modernize Your Data, Opill Equity

J.T. Lane, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President for Population Health and Innovation, explains recommendations to improve public health data systems; Brittany Lee, ASTHO’s Director of Family and Child Health, says public health education will play a role...
392: Emergency Contraception, PH Workforce Panel
April 5, 2023

392: Emergency Contraception, PH Workforce Panel

On Day Three of Public Health Week, Kelly Cleland, Executive Director of the American Society for Emergency Contraception, says college students need access to emergency contraception and related services; a new ASTHO blog article outlines how...
270: Tracking Polio in New York
Sept. 26, 2022

270: Tracking Polio in New York

Dr. Jim McDonald, Medical Director for the New York State Department of Health, discusses the discovery of polio in wastewater in at least two NY counties; Carolyn McCoy, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs, explains legislation...
219: New Opioid Use Disorder Infographics
July 14, 2022

219: New Opioid Use Disorder Infographics

Sanaa Akbarali, ASTHO’s Senior Director for Maternal and Infant Health, discusses strategies to improve care for pregnant and postpartum people with opioid use disorder; ASTHO produces a special supplement for the American Journal of Public Health...