Medicaid Episodes

March 12, 2024

619: Review Food Safety Policies, New Misinformation Toolkit

Dr. Susan Kansagra, assistant secretary for public health in North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services and an ASTHO member, tells us how the tenacity of one inspector caused an investigation that uncovered lea…
March 1, 2024

612: Capitol Hill Conversations, Tracking Carbon Monoxide Dangers

Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director for Government Affairs, tells us how Hill day went this week; Stephanie Moraga-McHaley, program manager for the New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking program, says the number of…
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. 28, 2024

610: Island Members Visit Capitol Hill, Campaign Recruits New Public Health Nurses

Gaafar Uherbelau, Minister of Health for the Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services, tells us his priorities in Washington D.C. for ASTHO’s Spring Meeting; this week, the third cohort of public health professionals in t…
Feb. 7, 2024

596: Environmental Health Careers, Providers Don’t Feel Equipped to Treat Harmful Algal Blooms

Larry Michael, State Environmental Health Director at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, tells us about the many public health careers available to people interested in science and public service; Ma…
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. 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…
Dec. 20, 2023

568: Equity Policies Improve Health for All, Apprenticeship Program Builds the Workforce

Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, deputy secretary of Public Health for the Maryland Department of Health, says his state has been able to engage bold policies to help people and address health inequities; Dr. Mondi Mason, workforce …
Dec. 7, 2023

559: Policy Ideas Address Maternal Morbidity, Investment in the 9-8-8 Hotline

Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, examines the third edition of the state’s maternal morbidity and mortality report; Dr. Umair Shah, secretary of health for the Washington State Departme…
Dec. 6, 2023

558: A Call to Expand Naloxone Availability, Policies to Solve Maternity Care Deserts

ASTHO President and Kentucky Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack says easier access to naloxone could help prevent many overdose deaths; former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams says naloxone should be as easy to find a…
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 …
Nov. 27, 2023

551: New Website Examines Public Health Priorities, Advocacy Drives Alzheimer’s Policy

Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer, ASTHO, examines ASTHO’s new webpage with a collection of evidence-based technical packages covering key public health concerns; J.T. Lane, senior vice president, Population Health a…
Nov. 15, 2023

545: Medicaid and Public Health Collaborate, Covey’s Parting Advice

Dr. Shannon Dowler, chief medical officer for North Carolina Medicaid, says healthcare gets better when state Medicaid and public health agencies take the time to understand each other; Dr. Matthew Christiansen, state health…
Nov. 8, 2023

541: Syphilis Needs a Campaign, Expand Your Community Health Worker Force

Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO past president and Alaska chief medical officer, raises the alarm on the need for new attention to the rising number of syphilis cases in the U.S.; Stephanie Doyle, deputy director for the Bureau of Fami…
Nov. 6, 2023

539: Mental Health in Tribal Communities, Working With Medicaid Partners

Kaleb Roedel, News Reporter at KUNR Public Radio, reacts to a recent Pew survey that documents extremely high suicide rates among Native Americans and Alaska Natives; and Stephanie Doyle, Deputy Director for the Bureau of Fa…