Public Health Review
96 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★★ - 28 ratingsASTHO’s podcast series, the Public Health Review, features health officials and public health leadership who are on the front lines of state and territorial public health. The series capitalizes on current public health issues and delivers timely, thoughtful perspectives on the value of public health through the lens of state/territorial health officials and other subject matter experts.
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Episodes
46: Public Health in 2020: The Year That Was
December 14, 2020 10:49 - 21 minutes - 30 MBIn medical schools and public health programs across the country, 2020 will be worth its own textbook chapter in the years to come. But today we’re still in the thick of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, though there is light at the end of the tunnel with the end of the year and an impending vaccine. On this episode, we ask public health experts to zoom out a bit and reflect on a truly remarkable year. These public health leaders discuss the politicization of public health mitigation ...
45: Addressing Housing Challenges and Economic Insecurity During COVID-19
November 10, 2020 14:31 - 34 minutes - 47.7 MBEconomic insecurity has been on the rise in the U.S. as COVID-19 continues to spread across the country. Millions of Americans have filed for unemployment while others risk losing their income because of illness or businesses closing temporarily. The pandemic is also exacerbating the housing crisis with many facing evictions and foreclosures. There have been numerous efforts at the national and state level to address these issues. This episode highlights ongoing efforts and provides cons...
44: Using Prevention Strategies to Help Families Thrive
October 29, 2020 12:50 - 27 minutes - 37.6 MBIf there’s one major lesson we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the stark structural inequities among communities of color and low-income families. Though public health and human services organizations have similar goals to close these gaps, there are lots of opportunities to improve collaboration in order to eliminate some of the root causes of disparities across the country. However, that is beginning to change as investments in prevention-based work continue to get buy-in from p...
43: Communicating During an Emergency - Cyanotoxin Lessons from Oregon
October 08, 2020 12:28 - 21 minutes - 29.5 MBCyanotoxins can be a major summertime public health concern for freshwater bodies. The rapid growth of blue-green algae in these waters can be harmful to humans and animals, particularly children, and it is difficult to decide if an algal bloom is toxic just by looking at it. Officials from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) had to handle this the hard way when there was an outbreak of cyanotoxins found in the drinking water supply of the state’s capital city, Salem, in 2018. This podcast w...
42: Improving Care to Address Maternal and Child Lead Exposure
September 10, 2020 13:05 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBIn 2017, nearly 64,000 children under six had elevated blood levels as defined by the CDC. There is no safe blood lead level in children, and even low levels of lead have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. To decrease maternal and child morbidity and mortality associated with lead exposure, families need access to systems of coordinated care in order to address their needs related to lead exposure. This episode will discuss how Louisiana and Iowa h...
41: Healthy People 2030: A National Blueprint for Health Improvement
August 24, 2020 17:12 - 31 minutes - 42.7 MBInitially started after the 1979 Surgeon General’s Report, Healthy People began as a way achieve health improvement through a national commitment to disease prevention and health promotion. Now in its fifth iteration, which kicked off last week, Healthy People 2030 charts the course for public health over the next decade. In this episode, public health leaders share their perspectives about where state and territorial health agencies intersect with Healthy People 2030 and why it should be ...
40: Addressing Rural Health Disparities in a Pandemic
August 13, 2020 12:53 - 32 minutes - 44.5 MBIn the past decade, 120 rural hospitals have closed—leaving many vulnerable Americans without care. As communities age, medical care is becoming harder to find due to the shortage of physicians in rural areas. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic is shining even more of a light on the growing health disparities faced by rural communities and the emerging needs of the rural health workforce. On this episode, speakers will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on rural health infrastructure and wo...
39: Fostering Equitable Change During COVID-19
July 30, 2020 12:26 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MBCOVID-19 is amplifying why systemic racism in America is a public health issue. Communities of color are being disproportionately burdened by this pandemic due to persistent inequities that increase their risk to more severe bouts of COVID-19 and death. America is currently engaged in dual crises to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to advance racial justice. On this episode, speakers will address both issues and highlight the importance of public health agencies leading with and integratin...
38: Preparing for Fall: Back to School and Influenza Season
July 15, 2020 19:32 - 29 minutes - 41 MBIncreasing and maintaining vaccine coverage is an important way to prevent the spread of disease and keep communities healthy. Efforts to reduce COVID-19 transmission, such as social distancing, led to fewer people seeking non-urgent medical care and receiving routine vaccinations. Recent studies demonstrate that childhood vaccine uptake has decreased since the onset of COVID-19, leaving many children under or unvaccinated. Ensuring routine vaccination services during the COVID-19 pandemi...
37: Polarity Thinking: Leading During a Pandemic
July 02, 2020 12:16 - 32 minutes - 44.1 MBLeading a governmental health department is a complex job during the best of times, but particularly so during a pandemic when leaders must navigate every step carefully. In this episode, our guests introduce and discuss a concept called ‘polarity thinking,’ which invites leaders to embrace situations or problems from the opposing perspectives, or ‘poles.’ As public health leaders have to communicate messaging that many people may not want to hear – like wearing a mask in public or urging...
36: COVID-19 Exposes Gaps in Substance Use Care
June 15, 2020 14:13 - 29 minutes - 40.9 MBFor people with substance use disorders or those who rely on opioids to manage chronic pain, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted gaps in these systems of care. Access to services has been severely impacted in areas around the country, and some states and territories are experiencing increases of fatal and nonfatal overdose. In some places, overdose deaths have outpaced COVID-19 deaths. State and territorial health leaders are thinking long-term about how policy changes made as a re...
35: The Next Surge: The Behavioral Health Crisis Following COVID-19
May 29, 2020 16:24 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBMay is Mental Health Month, and this year, health officials are tasked with navigating the impact of COVID-19 on the behavioral health system. The rates of depression, suicide, and substance use are expected to surge as communities continue to struggle with COVID-19 cases — along with the fear, isolation and unemployment that comes with the pandemic. It’s essential that policymakers ensure that communities have continued access to mental health and substance use disorder services not only du...
34: Promoting Well-Being and Reducing Risk Post COVID-19
May 14, 2020 15:22 - 28 minutes - 38.8 MBThe current COVID-19 pandemic serves as a case example that highlights the fundamental need to more aggressively use the Shared Risk and Protective Factors (SRPF) Framework to address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), suicide, and opioid misuse. This episode explains what the SRPF framework is, and how states and territories can collaborate with a broader range of partners to implement research-based programs, policies, practices, and strategies that will improve the existing fractured a...
33: One-on-One with CDC's Anne Schuchat, MD
April 29, 2020 17:54 - 18 minutes - 25.9 MBIf there’s anyone who has spent their career preparing for a global pandemic, it’s Anne Schuchat, MD. Currently, she serves as the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She served as acting CDC director from January-July 2017 and February-March 2018. In the past 15 years, Dr. Schuchat worked on CDC emergency responses for the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza response, the 2003 SARS outbreak in Beijing, and the 2001 bioterrorist anthrax response. Sh...
32: Lessons from the Trenches: Leading During a Public Health Crisis
March 27, 2020 14:40 - 33 minutes - 46.6 MBIn just a matter of weeks, the situation around COVID-19 in the United States altered dramatically. Now, dozens of states have called for non-essential businesses to close and for residents to stay at home. It’s an evolving situation that’s testing many aspects of American life. On this episode, we speak with two public health veterans who led state health departments during times of public health uncertainty--like H1N1 and Ebola. Our guests discuss the lessons they learned during trying t...
31: The Importance of Public Health Surveillance in Responding to Overdoses
March 12, 2020 15:06 - 27 minutes - 38.4 MBState, territorial, and local governments continue to grapple with substance misuse and addictions. Today’s episode discusses why there needs to be a comprehensive response in public health surveillance, in particular around the opioid epidemic. After all, without thorough data, it’s tough for lawmakers to drive action that will reduce the prevalence and incidence of drug overdoses. This episode also explores states that are considering novel initiatives to address non-fatal drug overdoses...
30: COVID-19 Highlights Urgent Need for Increased Public Health Funding
February 25, 2020 02:11 - 23 minutes - 32.2 MBEvery year, state and territorial health officials descend on the Nation's capital to educate lawmakers on the importance of increased funding for public health. This year is no different, though there is a shadow hanging over this year's events: COVID-19, an infectious disease that's been spreading across the globe. On the first day of ASTHO's "Washington Week," the organization formally requested emergency supplemental money with the National Association of County and City Health Officia...
29: Tobacco 21 and Flavor Restrictions: What Actually Happened?
January 30, 2020 15:24 - 34 minutes - 47.7 MBBlink and you might have missed it: In December, the federal government passed a bill that raises the legal age to buy tobacco to 21, now in effect. On top of that, the federal government also issued enforcement guidance that will remove some flavored e-cigarette products from the shelves. These laws are in response to the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use, with 27.5 percent of high schoolers reportedly using them. This podcast investigates what these federal policies might mean for youth e-...
28: What You Need to Know: West Virginia’s Action to the Nationwide Hepatitis A Outbreaks
December 11, 2019 18:56 - 30 minutes - 41.7 MBSince 2016, 30 states have experienced hepatitis A outbreaks, primarily among individuals experiencing homelessness and/or those struggling with substance abuse. State health departments, with support from the CDC, have mounted a robust public health response, with vaccination as a cornerstone for prevention. Hear from our experts about the national perspective and on-the-ground action to stop the spread of hepatitis A—as well as challenges that remain with these complex populations. Guest...
27: A Matter of Life and Death: How States Are Tackling Sepsis as Public Policy
November 22, 2019 19:20 - 30 minutes - 41.9 MBSepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s extreme response to an infection and can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Sepsis can be caused by a wide range of infections but is most commonly linked to infections of the lungs, kidneys, skin, and gut. Based on CDC estimates, at least 1.7 million American adults developed sepsis in 2014 and nearly 270,000 died as a result of sepsis. CDC investigations showed that sepsis begins outside of the hospital for f...
26: Ecosystem of Care: Providing Behavioral Health Services to Pregnant Women
November 05, 2019 19:49 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MBPregnant women are particularly vulnerable to behavioral health issues, including depression and substance misuse. According to American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), depression is the most common mental health disorder experienced during pregnancy, with estimates that 14% to 23% of women experience perinatal depression. Leaders in Louisiana discuss how they’re providing more support for women across the span of their reproductive life, and the challenges they still fac...
25: Public Health on the Frontlines to Combat Flu
October 16, 2019 00:46 - 31 minutes - 42.9 MBIt’s that time of year again…flu season. Each year, the United States battles seasonal influenza, leaving thousands of people sick, hospitalized, or worse. Public health professionals across the nation are on the front lines, doing their best to prepare for and respond to seasonal flu in the hopes of reducing the likelihood of a pandemic event. This episode will focus on the burden of seasonal and pandemic flu, and highlight key planning activities and strategies that federal, state, and loc...
24: The Fungus Among Us
September 24, 2019 20:59 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MBIn the United States, three main types of fungi—coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis—can cause lung infections like pneumonia when people breathe in fungal spores from the air. Depending on where you live, you may be more likely to come in contact with one of these fungi. Some fungal diseases go undiagnosed and cause serious infections in people in the United States and around the world, leading to illness and death. Increased awareness about fungal diseases is one of the mo...
23: Operationalizing Tobacco Cessation Policy Efforts
September 05, 2019 08:00 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBNearly 34 million U.S. adults smoke cigarettes. About two out of every three of them want to quit and more than half will try to quit each year. Quitting can be difficult, but if we come together and double down on our efforts, we can help people who smoke make 2019 the year they quit—and quit for good. CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) has designated 2019 the Year of Cessation, providing a coordinated opportunity across state and territory public health agencies to enhance their capa...
22: The Aligning Roles of Medicaid and Public Health
August 14, 2019 18:45 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBMedicaid and public health partnerships play an important role in advancing a statewide approach to addressing chronic disease and population health. Collaboration and shared priorities between agencies play a significant role in addressing health conditions. In this episode, Deborah Fournier, senior director of Clinical to Community Connections at ASTHO, and Mark Larson, vice president of policy at the Center for Health Care Strategies, share some of the common misconceptions about each age...
21: Looking Upstream: The Impact of Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences
June 12, 2019 19:27 - 30 minutes - 42.6 MBAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful events, including child abuse and other household challenges, that can have a negative impact on early brain development and lifelong health. In this episode, Judy Cameron, a psychiatry professor at the University of Pittsburgh, discusses her research on how early life experiences shape brain development and brain plasticity. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services and a pediatrician by training, descr...
20: Ending America's Maternal Mortality Crisis
May 30, 2019 08:00 - 39 minutes - 53.6 MBEach year, nearly 700 women in the United States die from complications related to pregnancy or delivery, with black women 3 to 4 times more likely than white women to die from a pregnancy-related cause. Three in five of these deaths can be prevented, but it involves a collaborative approach, including consistent care and cross-sector partnerships. In this episode, ASTHO’s president and leadership from CDC and HRSA discuss efforts to prevent maternal mortality and the role states and communi...
19: Game Changer: Pennsylvania’s Response to the Opioid Crisis
May 15, 2019 15:33 - 25 minutes - 34.4 MBThe opioid epidemic is the biggest public health crisis we currently face, with an average of 130 Americans dying every day from an opioid overdose. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder that combines FDA-approved medication with counseling and behavioral health therapy but is often associated with stigma therefore limiting access and availability. In this episode, we explore Pennsylvania’s multi-pronged approach to addressing the opioi...
18: Seeing the Possible: A Conversation with CDC Director Robert Redfield
April 30, 2019 13:49 - 50 minutes - 69.8 MBOverview: In March 2018, Robert R. Redfield became the 18th director of CDC, bringing to the role more than 30 years of experience as a public health leader engaged in the clinical research and care of viral infections and infectious diseases, especially HIV. Since then, HHS and President Trump have announced an ambitious plan to end HIV in America, a cause which Redfield considers a prominent part of his life’s work. But public health challenges remain, including the opioid epidemic and ant...
17: Public Health Funding and the Role of Congress
March 28, 2019 18:40 - 30 minutes - 56.3 MBOverview: Advocating on Capitol Hill for strong public health systems is critical to advancing the work of state and territorial health agencies. Earlier this month, the nation’s top health officials came to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress and raise awareness around key issues, including raising the caps on non-defense discretionary spending, supporting the 22x22 campaign to increase the CDC’s budget 22% by FY22, and prioritizing funding for public health programs. “Washi...
16: Community Health Workers: System Catalysts in Addressing Hypertension
February 22, 2019 21:22 - 28 minutes - 52.6 MBIn recognition of American Heart Month, this episode focuses on the important role that community health workers (CHWs) play in Virginia’s statewide approach to addressing health disparities and heart disease, in particular. Across the nation, CHWs serve as linkages between patients and the healthcare system to address health disparities and provide social support. These individuals have a deep understanding of their communities and share personal, cultural, linguistic, and other characteris...
15: Health Equity Approaches to Preventing Heart Disease and Strokes
January 02, 2019 21:12 - 35 minutes - 65.3 MBThis episode emphasizes the importance of addressing heart disease and stroke prevention through approaches that center on health equity, including systems-level changes, quality improvement, and community development. CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is partnering with ASTHO to support jurisdictions in successfully integrating efforts with healthcare and community partners and implementing best practices and evidence-based policies to identify, control, and improve blo...
14: What Do the Midterms Mean for Public Health?
December 06, 2018 10:00 - 33 minutes - 60.6 MBThe midterm elections may be behind us, but how will our nation’s political dynamics impact the public health agenda? On this episode, we examine opportunities for bipartisanship and forecast what the public health landscape may look like in the next Congress. Emily Holubowich joins us from the Coalition for Health Funding to point out key issues to watch as the federal budget process unfolds. Former Alaska health commissioner Jay Butler also explains why it’s important for health officials ...
13: Advancing Cognitive Well-Being Through the Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map
October 31, 2018 13:37 - 34 minutes - 62.8 MBOverview: This episode introduces the new 2018-2023 Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map, which offers strategies for public health agencies to promote cognitive health and support people living with dementia and their caregivers. Co-authors from CDC and the Alzheimer’s Association provide details about this initiative and a forthcoming companion guide for Indian Country. Jewel Mullen, former president of ASTHO, explains how state and territorial health departments can advance healthy aging eff...
12: Preventing Childhood Obesity Through Healthy Communities
October 17, 2018 18:57 - 29 minutes - 53.9 MBThis episode highlights the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic and discusses ways to reduce climbing obesity rates by increasing access to healthy foods and promoting physical activity through community planning and changes to the built environment. Tennessee shares how policies and programs at the local level are working to combat obesity, and CDC examines the landscape of childhood obesity research in America and describes the Active People, Healthy Nation initiative designed to help 27 m...
11: Building Healthy and Resilient Communities Across America
September 27, 2018 15:32 - 38 minutes - 71 MBThis episode highlights ASTHO’s President’s Challenge, “Building Health and Resilient Communities,” which is a multi-year campaign that calls on state, territorial, local, and tribal health officials to align strategic investments and promote community-driven, place-based solutions to empower communities to be as healthy as possible, reduce health disparities, and stimulate economic development. The challenge is aligned with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACC...
10: Public Health Approaches to Suicide Prevention
August 23, 2018 05:00 - 38 minutes - 71 MBThis episode explores the rise of suicide rates across the United States and the need for a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention. Propelled by the recent CDC Vital Signs report on state suicide rates, the episode features a federal overview of the current landscape, Colorado’s comprehensive suicide prevention strategy, and Utah’s use of technology to improve crisis responses. Guests: Deborah Stone, ScD, MSW, MPH, Behavioral Scientist, Division of Violence Prevent...
9: Medicaid and the Social Determinants of Health
July 26, 2018 15:43 - 24 minutes - 44.4 MBMedicaid is a publicly-funded health insurance program that currently covers 74 million people in the US. Medicaid covers low-income people who are children, expectant mothers, people with disabilities, senior citizens, and some adults. Opportunities exist through Medicaid to address the social determinants of health through a variety of vehicles. ASTHO’s senior director for clinical to community connections in the Center for Population Health Strategies, and a former Medicaid Director, d...
8: Policy Approaches to Containing Antimicrobial Resistance
June 21, 2018 13:10 - 34 minutes - 62.8 MBAntimicrobial resistance is a growing threat in the United States and containing its spread through action when even a single case of an antimicrobial resistant bacteria is identified is a priority public health strategy. In this episode, we will hear national and state perspectives on the prevention and containment of unusually resistant bacteria. The co-author of the April 2018 CDC Vital Signs report on containing unusual resistance provides an overview of the CDC strategy and Nebraska sta...
7: Making the Case for Early Childhood Brain Development
May 31, 2018 11:29 - 31 minutes - 58.4 MBHealthy brain development in early childhood is the foundation for lifelong learning and optimal physical and behavioral health. This podcast traces early brain development science and practice, from cutting-edge research to implications for population health and implementation at the state level. In this episode, Ami Klin discusses early detection of developmental disabilities as a strategy to improve access to early care and treatment. John Wiesman shares Washington state’s success story i...
6: Telehealth Expands to Frontier Country
May 10, 2018 16:46 - 30 minutes - 56.6 MBTelehealth plays a unique role in addressing access to care issues in rural and remote areas. This podcast explores successful programs developed by the Eastern Aleutian Tribes and Alaska Department of Health and Human Services that serve both residents and migrant workers out of eight remote access clinics. In this episode, Marcus Plescia discusses how to apply telehealth strategies to existing health department activities to improve health outcomes, and Susan Highley Bailey, Janice Gray, a...
5: Chief Health Strategists: How Public Health Leaders Can Be Successful Working Across the Health Landscape (Part 2)
April 26, 2018 14:38 - 24 minutes - 45.5 MBThis podcast, the second in a two-part series, continues to explore the concept of "Chief Health Strategist" as a way to address the most pressing public health issues and advance population health activities. This discussion continues the conversation on moving from concept into practice, as well as how to apply ASTHO’s three pillars for population health improvement to support clinical to community connections, improve health equity and the social determinants of health, and utilize public...
4: Chief Health Strategists: How Public Health Leaders Can Be Successful Working Across the Health Landscape (Part 1)
April 26, 2018 14:15 - 31 minutes - 57 MBThe concept of "Chief Health Strategist" allows public health leaders to serve as a chief architect across their jurisdiction and align health systems transformation and population health activities. Chief health strategists ensure that population health activities are targeting community health needs and build effective working relationships with healthcare partners and other sectors that affect the social determinants of health. This podcast is the first in a two-part series, and it will e...
3: The State of STDs
April 12, 2018 18:51 - 30 minutes - 56.8 MBSTDs are at a record high in the United States, and while they can impact anyone, vulnerable groups—including young people, pregnant women, and men who have sex with men—are hit hardest. In this episode, we hear state and national perspectives from leaders in the fight against STDs, discussing the resurgence and health impacts of STDs, proven prevention strategies, and the critical role of disease intervention specialists. GUESTS: Gail Bolan, Director, CDC’s Division of Sexually Transmitt...
2: The Epidemic of Epidemics: Opioids, Part 2
March 21, 2018 00:06 - 24 minutes - 45.1 MBThe opioid epidemic has been called the worst public health crisis in America, affecting people from all walks of life, even our youngest. The second half of our story on the opioid epidemic explores how coalitions in Kentucky are driving prevention efforts, what public health practitioners in West Virginia are doing to identify and care for newborns who have been exposed prenatally to addictive drugs, and how one federal agency is working to ensure that rural communities get access substanc...
1: The Epidemic of Epidemics: Opioids, Part I
February 28, 2018 20:23 - 34 minutes - 88.3 MB VideoAs the opioid epidemic continues to plague communities across the nation, health officials face growing concern over a number of related threats to our health, such as increasing rates of HIV, hepatitis C, and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). In this episode, public health leaders from Alaska, Kentucky, and West Virginia discuss the evolution of the opioid epidemic and explain why health departments are so integral to the response. GUESTS: Rahul Gupta, commissioner and state health off...