Episodes

Today: bringing oral health into the public health conversation with Flora Nathan, assistant secretary for the Bureau of Oral Health in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. At her first ASTHO Spring Leadership Forum, Flora shares a candid look at the challenges and opportunities of delivering oral healthcare across a U.S. remote island nation. From severe workforce shortages and long clinic wait times to the ripple effects on families, schools, and local economies, she highlights how oral health is deeply connected to broader public health outcomes. She also discusses the importance of integrating oral health into maternal and child health programs, school-based care, and community outreach, as well as the realities of operating without consistent funding.

The FY27 federal budget proposal is officially out, and while it’s just the opening move, there’s already a lot to unpack. In this episode, ASTHO’s Senior Director for Government Affairs, Jeffrey Ekoma, breaks down what’s in the proposal, what’s changed from last year, and what it all signals for public health and federal agencies. He’ll dig into key highlights, including the proposed creation of the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), new structural changes within HHS, and fresh initiatives at the CDC and FDA, from data reporting requirements to food safety oversight. Jeffrey also explains how this year’s proposal compares to previous budgets, where cuts and consolidations stand, and why states may be asked to take on more responsibility.

Public health doesn’t stop at hospitals or health departments, it lives in barbershops, grocery stores, schools, and small businesses. In this episode for National Public Health Week, Megan DeNubila-Griffin, ASTHO assistant director of chronic disease and health improvement, explores how agencies are building meaningful partnerships with non-traditional community players to address the social and environmental factors that shape health. From collaborating with local business owners to rethinking transportation and food access, this conversation highlights how public health leaders act as conveners, bringing the right voices to the table and asking who’s missing. Megan shares real-world examples, including a multi-year collaboration in Walworth County, Wisconsin, that shows how cross-sector partnerships can drive measurable impact.

In this National Public Health Week conversation about community leadership and tobacco control, Josh Berry, director, chronic disease risk factors, at ASTHO, breaks down how state and territorial programs partner with trusted, on-the-ground community organizations to reach at-risk populations and drive real impact. These long-standing relationships aren’t just helpful, they’re essential to building credibility and delivering results where they matter most. But the landscape is shifting. With the elimination of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health and growing uncertainty around funding, programs across the country are being forced to adapt and do more with less while trying to maintain core services like quitlines, surveillance, and policy engagement.

In this National Public Health Week conversation, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer, Susan Kansagra, explores how public health can better integrate innovation into everyday practice, from leveraging improvement frameworks to building partnerships with academic and research institutions.

On today's episode, and as National Public Health Week kicks off, ASTHO CEO Joseph Kanter reflects on the “invisible wins” of public health. And ASTHO's Carolyn Mullen joins the conversation to explore how state and federal agencies collaborate in a complex and often polarized environment.

On today's episode, ASTHO’s Jeffrey Ekoma breaks down the latest on the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown and what it means for the broader FY26 budget timeline.

On today's episode, Victor Ramos Otero, secretary of health for Puerto Rico, joins the show to discuss the urgent challenges facing the island’s health care system.

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, CDC's Jason Asher joins us to explain how new data tools are transforming detection and response to infectious diseases.

On today's episode, ASTHO member James McDonald returns to the show to unpack the state’s investment in the new, state-of-the-art Wadsworth Center Laboratory.

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

At this year’s ASTHO Spring Leadership Forum, Gaafar Uherbelau, advisor to the president of Palau and former minister of Health and Human Services, shared the story behind a long-awaited solution to a quiet but growing challenge in public health. Palau’s new transition facility is designed for individuals who are medically cleared to leave the hospital but have nowhere to go or no one to care for them. What sounds like a simple fix is actually the result of decades of cultural shifts, resource c...

Suicide remains one of the most urgent and complex public health challenges in the United States, with more than 49,000 lives lost in 2023 alone. In this episode, ASTHO’s director of state health policy, JoAnne Deehr, breaks down how states are responding with more targeted, data-driven strategies.

On today's episode, Dawn Morriston from the UNC School of Medicine highlights her upcoming webinar, part of ASTHO's Leadership Power Hour series, designed to help supervisors and managers strengthen their leadership skills through focused professional development sessions.

Today, hear from ASTHO'S Jeffrey Ekoma as he details the fast-moving FY27 appropriations process and the implications for state and territorial health agencies.

On today's episode, Eleanor Cabrera from the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shares how telehealth is helping transform care delivery in island jurisdictions.

On today's episode, Shirley Orr from the Association of Public Health Nurses shares insights from the Public Health Nursing Workforce Learning Lab series, including what the results of the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey reveal about this essential group of professionals.

On today's PHIG Impact Report Ron Bialek from the Public Health Foundation talks about the biggest opportunities ahead for state and local agencies including the use of AI within operations work and performance management systems improvement.

In this episode, ASTHO's JoAnne Deehr highlights ASTHO’s Policy Institute for STI and Infectious Disease Prevention and its offerings to state health agencies and public health professionals.

On today's episode, Justa Encarnacion, ASTHO member and commissioner of health for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health, shared how island jurisdictions are tackling some of the nation’s toughest health challenges using real-time data, advanced training, and wastewater surveillance.

On today's episode, Cornell University's Elsie Moore breaks down food system resilience and why it's more than just food supply maintenance.

On today's episode, ASTHO member Jennifer Shuford discusses how Texas is preparing for a potential return of New World screwworm, prompting proactive clinician alerts and enhanced environmental surveillance for detection and containment.

In today's episode, hear updates from ASTHO's Spring Leadership Forum. ASTHO member Natasha Bagdasarian shares how bipartisan conversations with members of Congress revealed a shared commitment to healthier communities. Plus, ASTHO's Carolyn Mullen provides a behind-the-scenes look at meetings with lawmakers during Hill Day.