Alex Wheatley, MPA
Feb. 5, 2026
1064: From Formula Recall to Federal Grants: How Public Health Responds Under Pressure
Two very different challenges, and one shared public health reality: systems have to work when it matters most. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Erica Pan, director and state public health officer for the California Department of Public Health, and ASTHO member, about a rare and unprecedented infant botulism outbreak linked to contaminated infant formula. She explains how California’s unique BabyBIG® treatment program, home to the only infant botulism treatment in the world, helped detect a national pattern, how states coordinated with CDC and FDA, and the logistical strain of managing treatment supply, clinician hotlines, and public communication during a fast-moving emergency. Then, Alex Wheatley, senior director of island support at ASTHO, joins us to discuss a different kind of pressure point: helping U.S. Island jurisdictions navigate complex federal grant systems. She outlines a new resource designed to bridge gaps between federal funders and local health agencies, reduce misu…
Guests: Erica Pan MD MPH , Alex Wheatley, MPA
468
March 10, 2025
859: HIMSS Global Health Conference, Important Week for Island Areas
J.T. Lane, ASTHO senior Vice President for Population Health and Innovation at ASTHO, tells us how the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition is pushing health data modernization forward; Alex Wheatley, ASTHO Senior Director of Island Support,...
Guests: Alex Wheatley, MPA , J.T. Lane MPH
307
July 2, 2024
697: Best of PHRME: Pacific Islands Embrace PHIG Investments, New Dashboard Calculates Heat Risk
This special episode of Public Health Review Morning Edition revisits a popular episode from May 24th, 2024. ASTHO staff, members, and alumni, discuss a recent meeting focused on the implementation of the Public Health Infrastructure Grant program for...
282
May 24, 2024
672: Pacific Islands Embrace PHIG Investments, New Dashboard Calculates Heat Risk
ASTHO staff, members, and alumni, discuss a recent meeting focused on the implementation of the Public Health Infrastructure Grant program for the island areas; Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner of Health for the State of Vermont, says his state’s...
157
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 of State Offices of Rural...
153
Nov. 9, 2023
542: Veterans Face Health Disparities, Island Areas Examine Indirect Cost Rates
Charity Menefee, lieutenant colonel and public health officer in the Tennessee Air National Guard and the director of the Division of Public Health at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, highlights the connections between her public...
Guests: Alex Wheatley, MPA , Charity Menefee MA
253
March 3, 2023
369: Island Officials Advocate, Congressional Mood Toward PH
Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, previews the work ahead in Congress and ASTHO’s public health policy agenda in the first installment of the View from Washington D.C. report; Alex Wheatley,...
Guests: Carolyn Mullen , Alex Wheatley, MPA
252
March 2, 2023
368: Island Health Push, Ending the X Waiver
Alex Wheatley, ASTHO Assistant Director of the Island Support Team, says there is an urgent need to approve agreements that continue funding for health programs in several island nations; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Government...
Guests: Mark Levine MD , Alex Wheatley, MPA
5
Feb. 22, 2022
123: Territories Visit Capitol Hill
Alex Wheatley, a Senior Analyst on ASTHO’s Territorial Support Team, explains the work Territorial members will do tomorrow during the organization’s annual Hill Day event in Washington, D.C.; Carolyn McCoy, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Federal...
Guests: Carolyn McCoy, MPH , Alex Wheatley, MPA