Episodes

June 3, 2022

192: Helping LGBTQI+ Youth

Admiral Rachel Levine, the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, explains how recent negative rhetoric focused on gender identity and sexual orientation in the classroom is impacting young people;...
June 2, 2022

191: New Mental Health Commission

Lynn Gallagher, former New Mexico State Health Director, explains how a new commission created by the New Mexico Supreme Court will work to address the mental health needs of people who are in and out of the court system; Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Executive...
June 1, 2022

190: Learning to Live with COVID-19

Justa Encarnacion, Commissioner of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health, discusses the differences and similarities in responding to COVID-19 as a territory as opposed to a state. Encarnacion also expands on the challenges the U.S. Virgin...
May 31, 2022

189: Encouraging the Public Health Workforce

Dr. Karyl Rattay, Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health, looks back on the past 13 years of her career in Public Health. She has this conversation as she prepares for the next steps in her career, and leaves us with a few words of...
May 27, 2022

188: Funding the Future of Public Health

Mike Fraser, Chief Executive Officer for ASTHO, discusses the need for the continued funding of public health. Fraser also elaborates on the unique challenges they face when requesting the money and he explains where this funding would be allotted.
May 26, 2022

187: Fighting COVID-19 Fatigue

Dr. Manisha Juthani, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, fresh off her time at the ASTHO COVID-19 Summit in Washington D.C., explains the challenge COVID-19 will present for public health officials in the coming months.
May 25, 2022

186: 2022 COVID-19 Strategy Session

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, joins the show from the ASTHO COVID-19 Summit in Washington D.C. to discuss his expectations from the summit and the COVID-19 response going forward.
May 24, 2022

185: Teen Mental Health Campaign

Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, explains the Forward Together campaign; Dr. James Bell, State Assistant Administrator for the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, discusses...
May 23, 2022

184: Advice for PH Officials

Dr. Lisa Piercey, Tennessee’s Health Commissioner, reflects on her time in office as she prepares to leave her position at the end of this week; Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director of the District of Columbia Department of Health, says her department...
May 20, 2022

183: COVID-19 Fast Track

Gaafar Uherbelau, the Minister of Health in Palau, discusses the COVID-19 pandemic making landfall last December; Angela Minicuci, former Communications Director for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, reflects on lessons learned...
May 19, 2022

182: Consulting School Nurses

Linda Mendonca, President of the National Association of School Nurses, discusses nurses needing a break, but also wanting more input regarding school health policy; Dr. Tom Simon, the Associate Director for Science in the Division of Violence...
May 18, 2022

181: Messaging the Baby Formula Crisis

Brian Dittmeier, Senior Director of Public Policy at the National WIC Association,  tells us how public health agencies can support parents through the baby formula shortage; Lindsey Myers, ASTHO’s Vice President for Social and Behavioral...
May 17, 2022

180: Public Health Data Wishlist

Lena Sun, National Health Reporter at The Washington Post, joined a closing panel at last week’s ASTHO Public Health Tech Expo to offer her wishlist for public health data; Paula Tran, State Health Officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health...
May 16, 2022

179: Public Health Recruits

Dr. Brian Dixon, Associate Professor at the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, says the workforce pipeline is filling up with public health students; Dr. Umair Shah, Washington Secretary of Health, explains the challenge...
May 13, 2022

178: Data Obstacles and Opportunities

Dr. David Rhew, Microsoft’s Global Chief Medical Officer, says there is technology available to help public health agencies standardize and modernize data; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, notes the challenge is not with technology; Janet Hamilton, Executive...
May 12, 2022

177: Public Health’s Golden Moment

Dr. John Halamka,  President of the Mayo Clinic Platform, kicked off the second day of ASTHO’s Public Health TechXpo urging public health leaders to take advantage of what he calls a "golden period” in history; Dr. Lisa Piercey, Commissioner...
May 11, 2022

176: Smart Health Cards

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia says continued federal investment can help keep the nation on the right track in the fight against the COVID-19 virus; Dr. David Rhew, Global Chief Medical Officer at Microsoft, explains how Smart Health...
May 10, 2022

175: Tracking Threats to Pregnancy Health

Dr. Karen Remley, Director of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities with the CDC, discusses the SET-NET project to protect the health of pregnant people and their babies; Dr. Philip LoBue, Director of the Division of...
May 9, 2022

174: Slow Uptake for COVID Therapies

Dr. Manisha Juthani, Connecticut’s Public Health Commissioner, explains why providers may not be prescribing COVID-19 therapeutics; ASTHO publishes a new report to help public health leaders maximize the benefits of COVID-19 therapies; Latoya...
May 6, 2022

173: Talking About Ticks

Tamyra Porter, a partner at Guidehouse Consulting, explains a project to improve disease surveillance; Sara Robinson, an epidemiologist working for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, spends a lot of time warning people about the...
May 5, 2022

172: How to Rebuild Public Trust

Dr. Ed Ehlinger, Minnesota’s former health commissioner, reacts to the Harvard poll that says most people trust their public health department; Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama’s state health officer, explains a new ASTHO report that outlines eight ways...
May 4, 2022

171: Protecting Public Health Authority

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, defends public health authority after a recent federal court ruling tossed the requirement for masks on public transportation; Dr. Harry Chen, Vermont’s former health commissioner, discusses...
May 3, 2022

170: Hepatitis Alert

Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama’s State Health Officer, discusses how states and territories are on alert for cases of hepatitis and adenovirus in children; Dr. Jose Romero, Arkansas’ Secretary of Health, is worried about increasing cases of...
May 2, 2022

169: Listening Builds PH Trust

Ioana Ungureanu, ASTHO’s Senior Analyst for Public and Behavioral Health Integration, discusses a new ASTHO report outlining 10 high-level strategies to improve behavioral health for kids in schools; Angela Minicuci, the former Communications...