524: CDC Director Urges Data Sharing, Wisconsin Prioritizes Youth Mental Health

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, October 16, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials,

MANDY COHEN: 

We need to show that data is a shared asset to protect this country.

JOHNSON: 

CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen, urging public health jurisdictions including her own agency, to do what they can to improve the sharing of de-identified data.

COHEN: 

We do need a bit of a mind shift around data because I know there's a lot of folks that you operate and work very hard to collect data so that we can have that visibility to understand health threats. But we have to move away from a 'this data is mine' mindset.

JOHNSON: 

Cohen says the data is the oxygen that powers public health.

COHEN: 

We need data to flow quickly between public health and health care between states and CDC. And so that is my thing I think we need to focus on as we are building this infrastructure. And again, it is the thing that powers us to be that integrated system that we need to be to protect health.

JOHNSON: 

Dr. Cohen discusses her priorities, the current respiratory virus season, and more in a conversation available only on this newscast. Listen to the expanded conversation tomorrow at 5 a.m. Eastern time.

Wisconsin is working to align its government agencies on a strategy to improve children's mental health, with a current focus on the well-being of girls in the state. Linda Hall is director of the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health.

LINDA HALL: 

What we are doing is putting out information raising awareness about this particular aspect of children's mental health.

JOHNSON: 

Hall says her agency has created fact sheets and other materials to raise awareness and to foster action on this and related concerns.

HALL: 

We think about it not just from individuals but we think about, you know, what can youth themselves do? What can parents do? What can schools and communities do? And what can policymakers do to respond to these issues?

JOHNSON: 

Hall adds: the work to connect with young people requires engagement of many partners, including the kids themselves.

HALL: 

We need better support for families on how to identify services and get what they need. We want supportive adults, which is another category we look at. We want supportive adults to have- be better equipped to be in good lasting relationships with young people. And we want youth to be participating fully in their communities.

JOHNSON: 

You can download the complete series of fact sheets using the link in the show notes.

Also today, do young people have access to the tools and education needed to practice good sexual and reproductive health? ASTHO examines that question in a new report. O'Keyla Cooper has more.

O'KEYLA COOPER: 

U.S. adolescents face barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health services and education, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and American Indian-Alaskan Native adolescents, highlighting systematic issues in health care access and education. State-based practices like the Health Resource Center program, and Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential aim to improve SRH. Learn how by reading the full blog article. The link is in the show notes.

JOHNSON: 

Finally, this morning, ASTHO produces numerous resources to help you stay informed. In addition to this newscast, you can sign up to get news releases, event notices, legislative updates, and more delivered to your email inbox. Check out all the options using the link in the show notes.

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That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more from our conversation with CDC Director, Dr. Mandy Cohen. You can get it as early as 5 a.m. Eastern time everywhere you stream audio. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.