Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH

ASTHO CEO, Dr. Joseph Kanter, and Vice President for Government Affairs, Jeffrey Ekoma, reflect on the effects of 9/11 and subsequent health emergencies on creating our modern public health preparedness system.

In this episode, we celebrate five years of Public Health Review: Morning Edition and revisit some of the defining moments from the podcast's past years.

On today's episode, ASTHO's Joseph Kanter and Andy Baker-White highlight takeaways from the Executive Leadership Forum and the legislative actions advancing public health in island jurisdictions.

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.

In this episode, ASTHO CEO, Dr. Joseph Kanter, shares key insights from this year’s Spring Leadership Forum, an in-person opportunity to exchange lessons learned, strengthen peer support, and tackle the complex realities facing public health leaders today. From a productive visit with leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to renewed conversations about partnerships around healthy eating and chronic disease prevention, Dr. Kanter reflects on why strong federal–state colla...

ASTHO is entering a pivotal moment for public health, and it has a new strategic plan to meet it. In this episode, ASTHO CEO, Dr. Joseph Kanter, unpacks how ASTHO developed its 2026–2029 strategic plan and why now was the right time for a refresh. Dr. Kanter walks through the inclusive, year-long planning process, the rapidly shifting public health landscape that shaped the plan, and the four core pillars guiding ASTHO’s work...

As part of our state health policy portfolio, ASTHO releases an annual Legislative Prospectus Series: policy briefs summarizing state and territorial legislation that impacts public health. Today, Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO’s CEO, will summarize the 2026 series, identify trends in public health law for the next year, and provide a high-level overview for public health professionals and policymakers in time for upcoming legislative sessions.

On this Public Health Thank You Day, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Susan Kansagra, joins us to share encouraging news from the front lines of public health. Thanks to increased partnerships with birthing hospitals and the rollout of monoclonal antibodies for infants and the maternal RSV vaccine, infant RSV hospitalizations dropped nearly 30–40% last season, one of the most significant improvements in years. Dr. Kansagra also discusses a major decline in overdose deaths, driven by expanded community partnerships, naloxone distribution, peer support specialists, and innovative response programs...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, CEO of ASTHO, joined Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), Rhea Farberman, director of strategic communications and policy at TFAH, and Lori Freeman, CEO of NACCHO, during a recent briefing about TFAH’s report that details the impact of CDC funding on public health; Madelyn Maxwell, healthy aging and falls prevention project coordinator for the Oklahoma State Department of Health Injury Prevention Service,...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, CEO of ASTHO, joined us from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant Annual Recipient Convening to discuss the importance of public health leaders coming together to learn from one another; Dr. Sameer Vohra, ASTHO member and director of the Illinois Department of Public Health...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, and Kate McEvoy, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, discuss a new partnership between the two organizations; Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO,...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and state health Officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, Dr. Ayanna Bennett, director of the District of Columbia Department of Health, and Dr. Manisha Juthani, ASTHO president-elect and commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, held a deskside briefing on the preparations for the upcoming respiratory virus season; Ericka McGowan, senior director of emerging infectious disease at ASTHO...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, shares how ASTHO will use the Public Health Workforce Interest and Needs Survey (PH WINS) to guide national public health priorities; Emma Pliskin, research scientist at Child Trends, shares what their new study reveals about trends in STI testing...

This special episode of Public Health Review Morning Edition revisits a popular episode from April 1, 2025. Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, gives examples from across the country of success stories that stem from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant in this 'PHIG Impact Report.' This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president, Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, Dr. Lindsay Weaver of Indiana, Dr. James McDonald of New York, and Dr. Ralph Alvarado of Tennessee, held a deskside briefing on the Impact of Nutrition on Chronic Disease Prevention; Catherine Jones, senior analyst of government affairs at ASTHO, shares...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, begins the new “Get To Know ASTHO” series, which will highlight different experts at ASTHO; Madison Yerges, section supervisor for the student education section at the Center for Foundational Health, part of the...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, highlights public health workers as National Public Health Week wraps up this weekend; Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and Alabama state health officer, outlines public health priorities to Congress; Jacki Tulafono,...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, gives examples from across the country of success stories that stem from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant in the latest PHIG Impact Report.

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, brings us an update directly from ASTHO’s 2025 Spring Leadership Forum; and an upcoming webinar focuses on the positive impact Public Health AmeriCorps can provide.

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, gives us an overview of what to expect from ASTHO’s annual Legislative Prospectus Series; ASTHO’s INSPIRE: Readiness Series can help you foster innovation in your public health systems; and learn all about PHIG by...

Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president and state health officer of the Alabama Department of Public Health and Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, share their thoughts on Public Health Thank You Day; and Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American...

Dr. Tara Kirk Sell, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, offers straightforward...

ASTHO CEO Dr. Joseph Kanter and Executive Director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, Kate McEvoy, have sent a letter to Congress to lift the Medicaid funding cap on all U.S. territories and approve a permanent 83 percent federal...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, discusses a letter to Congress that asks lawmakers to lift the Medicaid funding cap on all U.S. territories; Gordon Thane, CEO and principal consultant for Public Health Insight says gaps in public health knowledge can...

A national symposium on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, moderated by ASTHO CEO Dr. Joseph Kanter and attended by many ASTHO members, discussed many aspects of the virus; Dr. Janice Phillips, assistant director at the Illinois Department of Public...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, looks forward to a smooth transition as he begins his new job; Rebecca Adamson, preparedness section director at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, discusses the sixth day of National Public Health Week as...

Keon Lewis, equity and development coordinator for the Cabarrus Health Alliance, talks about his experience as a recent graduate of ASTHO’s DELPH program; Dr. Joseph Kanter is ASTHO’s new CEO and begins his role in April; Dr. Steven Stack, ASTHO...

Dr. Steven Stack, ASTHO president and commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, announces Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO alum, as incoming CEO; Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO’s newly-announced CEO, who joins ASTHO from the Louisiana Department of...

State Public Health Officials Dr. Umair Shah, Dr. Joseph Kanter, and Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, discuss the public health impacts of climate change; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, discusses hot...

Hear from the experts who participated in an ASTHO online briefing on the coming RSV season; Sophia Durant, ASTHO’s Analyst of Family and Child Health, says access to emergency contraception is a health equity issue; and an ASTHO virtual session...

Dr. Evan Mallen, an ORISE Fellow with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says cities and states need to adapt plans and programs to changes in climate that impact public health; Dr. Joseph Kanter, State Health Officer at the Louisiana...

Nick Davidson, Senior Deputy for Public Health with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, discusses the CDC’s plan to invest almost four billion dollars in public health capacity, workforce, and data upgrades; Dr. Joseph...

Dr. Carlos Oronce, an Advanced Health Services Research Fellow at the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, discusses the challenges of COVID-19 being exacerbated by a lack of good data; Dr. Joseph Kanter, State Health Officer for the Louisiana...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health Officer, explains the importance of collaboration and resilience in public health; ASTHO considers two states with children’s cabinets in a new blog article now online; and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle...

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 this year; ASTHO offers...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health Officer, explains the evolution of messaging required by the fast-moving Omicron variant during an appearance on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal morning show Monday; ProPublica journalist Caroline Chen...

Carolyn McCoy, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs, explains how an extension of Medicaid funding for U.S. Territories gives them more time to work toward a permanent policy solution; Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health Officer and Medical Director, calls on Congress to take steps to address urgent public health workforce needs; Dr. Umair Shah, Secretary of Health for Washington state, reminds public health leaders to...

Karl Ensign, ASTHO’s Vice President for Territorial Support, discusses the potential for Congressional action to approve enhanced financial support for Medicaid services in the U.S. Territories, as a Thursday deadline nears; Dr. Joseph Kanter,...