Season 1

118: Selling Vaccines to Younger Adults
Immunization COVID-19 Crisis Communications Public Health Communication Public

118: Selling Vaccines to Younger Adults

Feb. 14, 2022

Julie Scofield, Project Director for the Community COVID Coalition, a project of the CDC Foundation, reports on the results of a months-long social media campaign to convince younger adults to get the COVID-19 vaccine; and D…

117: ASTHO’s New Strategic Plan
Emergency Preparedness Public Health Infrastructure COVID-19 Public Health ASTHO

117: ASTHO’s New Strategic Plan

Feb. 11, 2022

Zarnaaz Bashir, ASTHO’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, says the organization’s new strategic plan was created during and influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic; Dr. Robert Bourgeois, an occupational and environmental health ex…

116: Data Modernization Report Card
Immunization COVID-19 Dementia Disabilities Disability And Preparedness Data Integration Public Health Data Modernization

116: Data Modernization Report Card

Feb. 10, 2022

Dr. David Adinaro, New Jersey’s Deputy Commissioner for Public Health, evaluates the state of the nation’s public health data and information infrastructure; Dr. Joseph Gaugler, Director of the BOLD Public Health Center of E…

115: Cleaning Up Toxic Compounds
Environmental Health Crisis Communications Disabilities PFAS Public Health Communication

115: Cleaning Up Toxic Compounds

Feb. 9, 2022

Alan Roberson, Executive Director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, explains the growing interest in the risks of PFAS chemicals and the challenges some jurisdictions encounter when they want to do s…

114: How Federal Agencies Can Work Together
Health Equity Crisis Communications Telehealth Injury And Violence Prevention Access To Care Public Health Communication

114: How Federal Agencies Can Work Together

Feb. 8, 2022

Dr. Josh Sharfstein, a former public health official in Maryland and principal deputy commissioner at the FDA from 2009 until 2011, says continued public confusion over testing, booster doses, and medications could be improv…

113: PH Workforce Recovery
Public Health Workers Disabilities Public Health Workforce

113: PH Workforce Recovery

Feb. 7, 2022

Joanne Pearsol, ASTHO’s Director of Workforce Development, explains how states and territories are working to help a weary public health workforce survive the pandemic; and we share details about the 11th annual African Amer…

112: Messaging COVID Vaccines to New Parents

112: Messaging COVID Vaccines to New Parents

Feb. 4, 2022

Dr. Jose Romero, a pediatrician and Arkansas’ Secretary of Health, says there’s work to be done to prepare for the possibility of a vaccine for infants and toddlers; Dr. Josh Sharfstein, a pediatrician and former health offi…

111: How to Modernize PH Data
Immunization Public Health Infrastructure COVID-19 Public Health Workers Public Health Workforce Public Health Data Modernization

111: How to Modernize PH Data

Feb. 3, 2022

Joanne Pearsol, ASTHO’s Director of Workforce Development, says more than 40,000 public health professionals responded to the latest PHWins survey; Dr. Jamie Pina, ASTHO’s Vice President of Public Health Data Modernization, …

110: Healthy Home Improvements
Environmental Health Disabilities Access To Care Heart Disease Healthy Homes Cardiovascular Health

110: Healthy Home Improvements

Feb. 2, 2022

Kristin Ahrens, Deputy Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Office of Developmental Programs, says the pandemic crisis ultimately will make services for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities stronger; ASTHO’s…

109: Reflections on Black History Month
Emergency Preparedness Health Equity Health Information And Technology Immunization Public Health Infrastructure COVID-19 Crisis Communications Racism And Public Health

109: Reflections on Black History Month

Feb. 1, 2022

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, reflects on current events in the context of Black History Month, on the first day of the month-long recognition; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO’s President-elect,…

108: Tackling E-Cigarettes and Flavored Tobacco Products
Health Equity Tobacco Control E-Cigarette Tobacco Public Health Workforce Racism And Public Health

108: Tackling E-Cigarettes and Flavored Tobacco Products

Jan. 31, 2022

Jan Malcolm, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health, outlines policy steps available to limit youth access to E-cigarettes and flavored tobacco products; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser reflects on the start of Black Histo…

107: Immunization Opportunities
Immunization COVID-19 Breastfeeding And Early Life Nutrition Support Opioids Vaccine Distribution Vaccine Confidence Subst Opioids Epidemic

107: Immunization Opportunities

Jan. 28, 2022

Rachael Banks, Oregon’s Director of Public Health, says the focus on immunizations during the pandemic is a perfect opportunity to expand the public health conversation. Immunizations are one of ASTHO’s top 10 policy issues …

106: Contact Tracing’s Role Today
COVID-19 Contact Tracing Omicron Vaccination

106: Contact Tracing’s Role Today

Jan. 27, 2022

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia explains the latest thinking about how best to use case investigation and contact tracing to fight the Omicron variant; ASTHO joins several other national public health groups t…

105: Rural Health Needs
COVID-19 ASTHO Contact Tracing Rural Health Healthcare Access Access To Care Case Investigation Broadband Access

105: Rural Health Needs

Jan. 26, 2022

ASTHO and associations representing epidemiologists, counties, cities, and public health labs issue a statement supporting jurisdictions moving away from universal case investigation and contact tracing at this point in the …

104: Advancing Health Equity
Health Equity Health Information And Technology Public Health Infrastructure COVID-19 Omicron

104: Advancing Health Equity

Jan. 25, 2022

Paula Tran, Wisconsin’s State Health Officer, says it’s possible to maintain health equity priorities even as the pandemic continues to strain resources. Health equity is among the issues considered in a set of 10 ASTHO poli…

103: Ending the HIV Epidemic
Public Health Infrastructure COVID-19 HIV Public Health Workforce Access To Care Public Health Policy

103: Ending the HIV Epidemic

Jan. 24, 2022

Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health Officer, talks about fighting the HIV epidemic during the COVID-19 pandemic as ASTHO releases a set of 10 policy briefings focused on public health issues expected to be priorities…

102: Recalling COVID-19’s First Case Part 2
Emergency Preparedness Environmental Health Health Equity Public Health Infrastructure COVID-19 Disability And Preparedness Natural Disasters

102: Recalling COVID-19’s First Case Part 2

Jan. 21, 2022

Dr. John Wiesman, the former Secretary of Health in Washington state, gives his assessment of the nation's pandemic response since the first COVID-19 case was discovered in his state two years ago this week. He discusses wha…

101: Recalling COVID-19's First Case Part 1
Health Equity COVID-19 Social And Behavioral Health Crisis Communications Crisis Management Disability And Preparedness Crisis Standards Of Care Health In All Policies

101: Recalling COVID-19's First Case Part 1

Jan. 20, 2022

Dr. John Wiesman, the former Secretary of Health in Washington state, reflects on the moment the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in his state and thus the U.S.; Dr. Alexis Travis, Michigan’s State Health Officer, says i…

100: Rethinking School Discipline Part 2
Health Equity COVID-19 Education ASTHO ACEs Racism And Public Health Restorative Justice Adverse Childhood Experiences Vaccine Mandates

100: Rethinking School Discipline Part 2

Jan. 19, 2022

Robin Matthies, Director of Public and Behavioral Health Integration at ASTHO, explains why it’s important to consider restorative justice approaches to discipline in schools; Andy Baker-White, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Sta…

99: Rethinking School Discipline Part 1
Health Equity Education Public Health Workers Rural Health Disability And Preparedness ACEs Restorative Justice Adverse Childhood Experiences Public Health Leadership

99: Rethinking School Discipline Part 1

Jan. 18, 2022

Maggie Davis, ASTHO’s Director of State Health Policy, provides an overview of a new ASTHO report about restorative justice in schools; Annie Evans, a senior analyst of disability integration and preparedness at ASTHO, marks…

98: MLK and Health Equity
Health Equity Public Health Access To Care Social Determinants Of Health Heart Disease Diabetes Racism And Public Health

98: MLK and Health Equity

Jan. 14, 2022

ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser considers Dr. Martin Luther King’s influence on public health and his impact on the organization’s approach to equity; Dr. Alexis Travis, Michigan’s State Health Officer, tells us how the civil rights i…

97: Announcing ASTHO’s 2022 Federal Policy Agenda
Health Equity Funding Public Health Infrastructure Crisis Communications Access To Care Social Determinants Of Health Racism And Public Health Public Health Communication Legislative Agenda Menstruation

97: Announcing ASTHO’s 2022 Federal Policy Agenda

Jan. 13, 2022

Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, outlines the organization’s 2022 federal policy agenda and tells members what they ought to expect from Washington this year; ASTHO CE…

96: COVID-19 Messaging Lessons
COVID-19 Crisis Communications Delta Variant Omicron STIs Syphilis Public Health Communication

96: COVID-19 Messaging Lessons

Jan. 12, 2022

Robert Jennings, Executive Director of the National Public Health Information Coalition, discusses communications lessons learned during the pandemic; ProPublica journalist Caroline Chen hopes Congress reads her story about …

93: Supreme Court Hears Vaccine Cases
Health Equity Immunization COVID-19 Omicron Public Health Law Forensic Pathologists

93: Supreme Court Hears Vaccine Cases

Jan. 7, 2022

Lawrence Gostin, law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C., tells us what to expect from today’s Supreme Court hearing on two Biden Administration COVID vaccine mandates; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser …

92: School Nurses Navigate Omicron’s Surge
Immunization COVID-19 Public Health ASTHO Leadership And Workforce Development Rural Health Healthcare Access Insular Areas

92: School Nurses Navigate Omicron’s Surge

Jan. 6, 2022

Dr. Linda Mendonca, President of the National Association of School Nurses, explains how her members are coping with students’ return to classrooms amid the threat of the Omicron variant; Robert Jennings, Executive Director …

91: Immunization Proposals Await Action
COVID-19 Public Health ASTHO Women, Infant, And Family Health Vaccine Distribution Public Health Law

91: Immunization Proposals Await Action

Jan. 5, 2022

Andy Baker White, ASTHO’s Senior Director of State Health Policy, discusses immunization proposals scheduled for consideration in legislatures across the nation; Caroline Chen, a journalist writing for ProPublica, connects s…

90: Helping Kids Hurt by COVID
COVID-19 Social And Behavioral Health Substance Misuse Public Health Workforce Women, Infant, And Family Health Healthcare Access Men

90: Helping Kids Hurt by COVID

Jan. 4, 2022

ASTHO President Dr. Nirav Shah outlines four priorities he says must be at the top of the public health agenda in 2022; John Bridgeland, Co-Founder and CEO of the COVID Collaborative, discusses recommendations for helping ch…

89: Fighting COVID-19 in the Pacific
COVID-19 Public Health Holidays Island Jurisdictions

89: Fighting COVID-19 in the Pacific

Dec. 21, 2021

Karl Ensign, ASTHO’s Vice President of Territorial Support, shares lessons learned fighting COVID-19 in the U.S. territories; Kelly Wroblewski, Director of Infectious Disease Programs at the Association of Public Health Labo…

87: 2022 Public Health Policy Agenda
COVID-19 ASTHO Holidays Health Policy Agenda 2022 Health Policy Agenda

87: 2022 Public Health Policy Agenda

Dec. 17, 2021

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia says even though everyone is tired of the pandemic, we can’t give up fighting the virus now; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser, along with two other public health leaders, says the pandemic…

86: Power Outage Preparedness
Emergency Preparedness Environmental Health ASTHO Disabilities Disability And Preparedness Natural Disasters emPOWER

86: Power Outage Preparedness

Dec. 16, 2021

Eric Cote, an expert in emergency power preparedness, tells us why it’s important to know who relies on electricity for their medical devices when power is lost in a community; Stephen Heck, an ASTHO Disability and Preparedn…

85: Public Health on Capitol Hill
Health Equity ASTHO Government Relations Medicaid And Public Health Partnerships Holidays Build Back Better Act

85: Public Health on Capitol Hill

Dec. 15, 2021

Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, analyzes the Build Back Better Act and looks ahead to the possibility of another continuing resolution in February; Dr. Nicole Alexand…

84: Vaccine Anniversary and Lawsuit
COVID-19 Public Health ASTHO

84: Vaccine Anniversary and Lawsuit

Dec. 14, 2021

Mike Fraser, ASTHO’s CEO, recognizes the first anniversary of a COVID-19 vaccine and discusses hesitancy; Professor Dorit Reiss, University of California Hastings College of the Law, examines the legal arguments behind a law…

83: Senate Vaccine Mandate Resolution
Health Equity COVID-19 Public Health Build Back Better Act Telehealth

83: Senate Vaccine Mandate Resolution

Dec. 13, 2021

Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, says it’s unlikely Congress will roll back one of President Biden’s vaccine mandates; Devon Page, a government affairs analyst at ASTH…

82: Vaccine Awareness
Health Equity COVID-19 Public Health Influenza Women, Infant, And Family Health Vaccine Distribution

82: Vaccine Awareness

Dec. 10, 2021

Kim Martin, ASTHO’s Director of Immunization, tells us how an event like National Influenza Vaccination Week impacts vaccination awareness; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser says communities weary of COVID-19 cannot afford to let their …

81: State of Vaccines
Immunization Emerging Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Influenza

81: State of Vaccines

Dec. 9, 2021

Claire Hannan, Executive Director of the Association of Immunization Managers, says vaccines have benefited from the attention they’ve received during the pandemic; Jessica Baggett, ASTHO’s COVID-19 Response Director, says s…

80: New Long Haulers Media Campaign
Immunization COVID-19

80: New Long Haulers Media Campaign

Dec. 8, 2021

Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a non-profit organization, debuts a media campaign sharing stories of young people suffering from Long COVID; The White House hosts a Maternal Health Day of Action…

79: Public Health’s Future
Disabilities Disability And Preparedness

79: Public Health’s Future

Dec. 7, 2021

Dr. Judy Monroe, President and CEO of the CDC Foundation, shares details of a new series of discussions considering the future of public health; Felecia Barrow, an ASTHO Disability and Preparedness Specialist working in Alab…

78: Vaccine Mandate Prediction
Emergency Preparedness COVID-19 ASTHO Influenza Vaccine Distribution Pandemics Public Health Law

78: Vaccine Mandate Prediction

Dec. 6, 2021

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia says influenza and COVID-19 have a lot in common, as National Influenza Vaccination Week kicks off today; Professor James Hodge Jr., at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at…

77: ASTHO Reacts to Winter COVID Strategy
Emerging Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Public Health

77: ASTHO Reacts to Winter COVID Strategy

Dec. 3, 2021

ASTHO leaders react to President Biden’s winter COVID-19 strategy. Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, d…

76: Omicron Variant Now in the U.S.
Emergency Preparedness Health Equity COVID-19 Breastfeeding And Early Life Nutrition Support Omicron

76: Omicron Variant Now in the U.S.

Dec. 2, 2021

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia says there are more questions than answers regarding the Omicron variant now in the United States; Dr. Plescia writes in a new ASTHO blog article that the pandemic presents an h…

75: World AIDS Day Impact
COVID-19 HIV Public Health ASTHO World AIDS Day

75: World AIDS Day Impact

Dec. 1, 2021

Dr. Stephen Lee, Executive Director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, talks about World AIDS Day and the opportunities for public health agencies; Dr. Umair Shah, Washington’s Secretary of Hea…

74:  The White House Celebrates Public Health
Funding COVID-19 Public Health Mental Health

74: The White House Celebrates Public Health

Nov. 30, 2021

Several ASTHO members attend a White House event in appreciation of public health workers across the states and territories. ASTHO President Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President-Elect Dr. Anne Zink, California’s Dr. Tomas Aragon,…

73:  Alzheimer’s Strategy
Funding COVID-19 Public Health Public Health Thank You Day Alzheimer's Dementia

73: Alzheimer’s Strategy

Nov. 29, 2021

Dr. Alexis Travis, Michigan’s Senior Deputy Director at the Department of Health and Human Services, explains her focus on caring for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias; Janet Hamilton, Executive Director of the Cou…

72:  Public Health Thank You Day
COVID-19 Public Health Leadership And Workforce Development Public Health Thank You Day

72: Public Health Thank You Day

Nov. 22, 2021

ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser offers his thoughts on today’s Public Health Thank You Day celebration recognizing public health workers across the states and territories. He also previews a special event at the White House scheduled …

71:  Title X Grants Explained
Child And Maternal Health Public Health Thank You Day Title X

71: Title X Grants Explained

Nov. 19, 2021

Clare Coleman, President and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, explains how to apply for a new round of Title X grants now available from HHS; Dr. Steven Stack, Commissioner of the Kent…

70:  An MD to Lead ONDCP
Public Health Medicaid And Public Health Partnerships Public Health Thank You Day Rural Health Great American Smokeout Chronic Disease Tobacco

70: An MD to Lead ONDCP

Nov. 18, 2021

ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser says the appointment of Dr. Rahul Gupta, the former West Virginia health commissioner, to be Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy,  is good news for states and territories;…

69:  Tribal Communities COVID Response
COVID-19 Public Health ASTHO Insight And Inspiration Public Health Thank You Day

69: Tribal Communities COVID Response

Nov. 17, 2021

Lynn Trujillo, Secretary of the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department, explains the challenges and successes of the COVID-19 response in her state’s tribal communities; Mylynn Tufte, North Dakota’s former state health officia…

68:  Leading with Gratitude
COVID-19 Public Health ASTHO Insight And Inspiration Gratitude

68: Leading with Gratitude

Nov. 16, 2021

Mylynn Tufte, North Dakota’s former state health official, explains the power of gratitude in advance of her Insight and Inspiration talk on Thursday, Nov. 18; Rhea Farberman, Director of Strategic Communications and Policy …

67:  Polling the Pandemic
COVID-19 ASTHO Medicaid And Public Health Partnerships Contact Tracing Healthy People 2030

67: Polling the Pandemic

Nov. 15, 2021

The Rockefeller Foundation releases its 5th survey of Americans’ attitudes about the pandemic response; Dr. Nicole Alexander Scott, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, says every public health agency should up…

66:  New Health Misinformation Toolkit
COVID-19 ASTHO Child And Maternal Health Public Health Thank You Day

66: New Health Misinformation Toolkit

Nov. 12, 2021

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy unveils a new health misinformation toolkit; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO President-Elect, gives parents five reasons to vaccinate their kids against COVID-19; Sami Jo Freeman, Deputy Communicat…