30. Doers and Thinkers: Three Experts Weigh In

For our milestone 30th episode, we're bringing you 3 discussions in one! Host Claire Stinson introduces a collection of speakers from this year’s Aspen Ideas Health Festival, an annual event that brings together innovative thinkers and doers to address the world's biggest health challenges. Listen as the CDC Foundation's own Dr. Judy Monroe and Pierce Nelson talk climate change with Dr. Patrick Breysee, wastewater surveillance with Dr. Marlene Wolfe, and restoring trust to public health with Dr. Karen DeSalvo.

Dr. Patrick Breysse is the director of the National Center for Environmental Health Agency for Toxic Disease Registry at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Marlene Wolfe is assistant professor for Environmental Health at Emory University. Dr. Karen DeSalvo is chief health officer at Google.

For full episode transcription, visit Contagious Conversations.

Key Takeaways:

[2:02] Dr. Patrick Breysee shares his thoughts on how climate and health are related and what we can all do to reduce this threat.

[3:49] Dr. Patrick Breysee talks about specific things communities are doing to address the direct bond between climate change and health.

[4:54] What can the private sector do to help? Dr. Breysee talks about building climate-resilient communities.

[6:36] Dr. Marlene Wolfe talks about wastewater surveillance and how it has been applied in a new way since the COVID-19 pandemic.

[10:18] Dr. Wolfe talks about how wastewater surveillance can be used to address health equity issues.

[12:20] Dr. Wolfe talks about some of the opportunities to apply technology to monitor and help mitigate the effects of climate change.

[15:45] Dr. Karen DeSalvo discusses some of the challenges facing public health today.

[17:01] Dr. DeSalvo talks about the Commonwealth Fund’s recommendations for building a public health system that addresses ongoing and future health crises, advances equity and earns trust.

[19:09] Dr. DeSalvo addresses the issue of funding and its linkage to the expectations to meet standards for protecting different communities.

[22:10] Dr. DeSalvo talks about the recommendation in the Commonwealth Fund Report about adding an Undersecretary for Public Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

[23:55] Dr. DeSalvo shares how we can restore trust in public health.