Public Health Communication Episodes

On today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, Raynard Washington, ASTHO member and commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, discusses how PHIG funding supports local health departments, strengthens the state’s public health workforce, and enhances communications infrastructure.

In this PHIG Impact Report, Christina Floyd, deputy public health director for the Detroit Health Department, discusses how the city has used PHIG funding to strengthen their community and workforce.

Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the State of Michigan and ASTHO member, highlights Michigan's Cyclospora outbreak and reflects on what can be learned from the state's response.

Oregon Health Authority's Gabriela Goldfarb and the Minnesota Department of Health's Kathy Koehler Raleigh discuss the health risks of wildfire smoke and extreme heat, along with practical advice on protecting communities from these events.

Sarah Shaw, senior informatics analyst at the Public Health Informatics Institute, discusses a new Data Modernization Communications Toolkit designed to help public health professionals explain complex initiatives in ways that resonate with colleagues, leaders, and communities.

On today's PHIG Impact Report, Tatiana Lin and Shelby Rowell from the Kansas Health Institute highlight how health departments are using AI to improve efficiency and expand workforce capacity.

On today's episode, ASTHO member Ayanna Bennett discusses the Potomac River sewage spill, the public health risks it created, and the coordination required between local, state, and federal agencies to protect residents. Later, ASTHO’s Jen Layden explains why partnerships are central to ASTHO’s 2026–2029 strategic plan.

On today's episode, the de Beaumont Foundation's Amanda Kwong discusses why effective public health communications go far beyond public awareness campaigns. Later, ASTHO's Ashley Nanthavongsa-Mosley highlights innovative efforts to introduce public health education into K-12 schools.

In this episode, Joshua Allen from the South Carolina Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Organizational Development discusses how targeted supervisor training and mentorship programs are reshaping workforce culture in public health.

On today's episode, Jessica Wieder, president of Teal Skies Consulting and former leader in external affairs at FEMA and EPA, shares her career journey, covering two decades in radiological preparedness and risk communication.

On today's episode, Heather Drummond from the Washington State Department of Health discusses the realities and urgent gaps in Long COVID care.

On today's episode, ASTHO's Kimberlee Wyche Etheridge highlights why workforce pathway programs, mentorship, and hands-on partnerships between universities and health departments are critical. Then, Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, discusses his recent article, focused on ways the public health field can communicate its impact.

What does calm leadership actually look like when everything feels urgent, political, and on fire?  In this episode, John Auerbach, senior vice president of health at ICF, offers a preview of ASTHO’s upcoming Insight & Inspiration webinar, 'Steady Hands, Steady Teams: Leading with Confidence and Composure,' on February 11, and digs into the real-world skills behind steady leadership in volatile times. From pandemic burnout to nonstop crises, today’s public health leaders are navigating faster information cycles, rising mistrust, misinformation, and exhausted teams. So how do you keep people focused, grounded, and moving forward? We’ll also hear from Dr. Manisha Juthani, ASTHO president and Connecticut commissioner of public health, who is co-hosting the webinar.

Wildfire smoke is no longer a rare emergency; it’s a predictable, climate-driven public health threat. In this episode, Gabriela Goldfarb, environmental public health section manager for the Oregon Health Authority's Public Health Division, tells us why health agencies must begin outreach and coordination long before wildfire season starts. Goldfarb walks through Oregon’s collaborative wildfire smoke response protocol, explaining how state, federal, tribal, and local partners translate complex data into timely public health advisories.

Fatal overdoses are rising among adults 45 and older and stigma often keeps this age group out of the conversation. In this episode, Dr. Philip Chan, consultant medical director at the Rhode Island Department of Health and a practicing primary care physician, discusses Rhode Island’s 'No Matter Why You Use' campaign.

What does the public health workforce need to stay engaged, supported, and committed, and how can leaders act on those insights? Heather Krasna, associate dean of career and professional development at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, joins us to break down new research on what younger public health workers value most at work.  She explains why flexible schedules, remote or hybrid options, professional development, student loan repayment, and family-friendly benefits are increasingly important for retention, and how agencies can think creatively when salary increases aren’t always possible. Then, Omar Khalid, director of workforce at ASTHO, walks through key findings from the 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), the only nationally representative survey of the governmental public health workforce.

As part of our spotlight series on artificial intelligence in public health, today’s episode explores the BEACON Portal—a groundbreaking collaboration between Google and the state of Illinois designed to streamline access to behavioral health services for children and families. Dr. Dana Weiner, chief officer for children’s behavioral health transformation in the Illinois Governor’s Office, and Julia Strehlow, senior advisor at the Illinois Department of Public Health, discuss how BEACON centralizes information for families...

Michelle Hale, preparedness program director with the Office of Preparedness and Response at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, shares what her state learned about responding to critical public health challenges amid a surge of wildfires in the state; Catherine Murphy, senior analyst of government affairs at ASTHO, discusses the Federal Health Policy Update she authored...

ASTHO immediate past president Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health, reflects on his time as president as he closes out his term; Dr. Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer at ASTHO, served as a panelist during a press briefing for Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) on chronic disease prevention and obesity,...

Dr. Lindsay Weaver, ASTHO member and state health commissioner of Indiana, discusses the public health programs that Indiana employed to achieve its lowest infant mortality rate in more than a century; Corinne Gillenwater, chronic disease and health improvement analyst at ASTHO...

In today's episode of the PHIG Impact Report, Sara Patterson, acting director of CDC’s Public Health Infrastructure Center, details her view of the Public Health Infrastructure Grant.

Darcy Pickens, program coordinator for the office of suicide prevention at the California Department of Public Health, explains how the state’s “Never a Bother” youth suicide prevention campaign collaborated with youth to develop a campaign tailored to their needs; Courtney Dezendorf, director for the office of practice and learning at the Texas Department of State Health Services...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and state health Officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, Dr. Ayanna Bennett, director of the District of Columbia Department of Health, and Dr. Manisha Juthani, ASTHO president-elect and commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, held a deskside briefing on the preparations for the upcoming respiratory virus season; Ericka McGowan, senior director of emerging infectious disease at ASTHO...

Dr. James Lewis, health officer for the Snohomish County Health Department in Washington State, explains how data can help quicken healthcare-assosciated infection response; Lyla Hunt, deputy director of public health and education at the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, tells us...