Rural Health Episodes

March 18, 2024

623: Readiness Report Ranks States and DC, Hill Day Gets High Marks

Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of Trust for America's Health, discusses the 21st edition of the Ready or Not Report; Catherine Jones, ASTHO Government Affairs senior analyst, tells us ASTHO’s Hill Day program in lat…
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. 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. 4, 2024

573: Disability Definition Coming Soon, Federal Priorities Outlined

Annie Evans, ASTHO director of Preparedness and Disability Integration, tells us ASTHO working to create a definition of disability to be used in the ESSENCE program; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO senior director for Government Affai…
Nov. 16, 2023

546: New Youth Tobacco Data, Celebrate Rural Health

Charla Sutton, senior analyst for Chronic Disease Risk Factors at ASTHO, tracks the latest National Youth Tobacco Survey’s encouraging results; Chris Salyers, director of Programs and Evaluation at the National Organization …
Nov. 13, 2023

543: Rural Health Equity, Covey’s Advice for Building Trust

Dr. Somava Saha, President and CEO of Well-being and Equity in the World, discusses the importance of National Rural Health Day; Stephen Covey, a well-known author, had a message for ASTHO when he joined members at a meeting…
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. 15, 2023

504: Creative Vaccine Events, Congress Faces Two September Deadlines

Dr. Armando De Alba Rosales, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, shares creative strategies to boost vaccine uptake among Hispanic communities; a…
Sept. 13, 2023

502: Rural Health Plan, Age-Friendly Public Health Systems

Dr. Ralph Alvarado, Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health, explains the work the Tennessee Rural Health Care Task Force sets out to do; Dr. Karon Phillips, Policy Development Manager at Trust for America's Heal…
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 ho…
Aug. 10, 2023

479: Considering Rural Voices, Misinformation and Disinformation

Bethany Alcauter, Director of Research and Public Health Programs at the National Center for Farmworker Health, is focused on local action when it comes to rural health infrastructure; an ASTHO online briefing discussed the …
Aug. 7, 2023

476: Urging Calm Over COVID-19 Numbers, Health and Social Systems Alignment

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, shares the current COVID-19 status and a look ahead into the coming seasons; Dr. Steven Stack, ASTHO president elect and the Commissioner for Public Health for the Commonwea…
Aug. 2, 2023

473:  Rethinking Rural Immunization Strategies, Expanding Mental Health Coverage

Melissa Magstadt, Cabinet Secretary for the South Dakota Department of Health, says healthcare must meet patients where they live; Ali Maffey, ASTHO’s Vice President of Social and Behavioral Health, explains approaches to ma…
April 13, 2023

398: Reducing STI Stigma, Community Engagement Benefits

For STI Awareness Week, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, former State Health Officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health, discusses STI treatment and prevention; ASTHO President Dr. Anne Zink urges providers to test their patien…
April 7, 2023

394: Rural Health Solutions, Healthy People 2030 Training

On Day Five of National Public Health Week, Elke Shaw-Tulloch, Idaho Public Health Administrator for the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, explains the challenges facing rural health care; a new ASTHO micro-learning teac…