Public Health Review

The Senior Leader Reserve Corps connects former government public health leaders with current state health officials in need of leadership-level technical assistance and support. ASTHO developed this program with CDC to support state health officials as they face their biggest professional challenges. In this episode, Dr. Greg Holzman (alum-MT), Paula Tran (SHO-WI), and Meredith Alexander (ASTHO)...

Opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy contributes to maternal death and poor birth outcomes. Although prenatal care can reduce these effects, pregnant individuals may delay care due to concerns about stereotyping and stigmatizing by providers. The relationship between a physician and their patient may also be strained by mandated reporting of substance use to law enforcement or social service...

Since 2000, rates of suicide and substance overdose mortality have steadily increased in the United States. A prevailing theory within public health is that substance use disorder and suicide are both "deaths of despair" and a way to cope with socioeconomic infrastructure challenges, such as poverty, lack of social connection, housing instability, and discrimination—issues which have only been exa...

COVID-19 has impacted the ways in which we prevent, detect, and treat tuberculosis (TB) infections. The pandemic presented challenges to public health and healthcare systems which may have caused delayed diagnoses, and increased new infections, however some COVID-19 mitigation measures may have positively impacted TB disease burden. What do the data tell us? What can public health do to improve TB...

Older-adult health has been increasingly on the radar of public health agencies over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, it prompted new or enhanced partnerships with their sibling agencies. As the population of older adults continues to grow, it is crucial for public health agencies to join partners in the aging network to create systems that support healthy aging. In this podcast epis...

The expansion of federal and state telehealth flexibilities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic loosened policy restrictions and improved access to telehealth for millions of people, although challenges remain for certain under resourced populations. As telehealth continues to take off, there are questions around how public health agencies are engaging in telehealth activities. Each public health dep...

Public health agencies work around the clock to prepare for and respond to public health threats, including infectious diseases, natural disasters, clinical care emergencies, and more. While advanced preparedness planning is invaluable, past and current emergencies also serve as critical learning opportunities to inform future public health responses. In this episode, Haley Cash (Pacific Island He...

Adults with disabilities are reported to experience more mental distress than those without disabilities. Mental distress in this population is associated with poorer health behaviors, an increase in health services use, mental and behavioral health disorders, and reduced quality of life. In particular, the pandemic has spotlighted a need for improved healthcare delivery systems and public health...

As Omicron leads to nation-wide COVID-19 surges, many jurisdictions face the decision to activate crisis standards of care, a decision-making guide that helps healthcare providers give the best care during situations where resources are scarce. These guidelines focus on care for groups of people rather than individuals and are steered by ethical principles to avoid discrimination. Crisis standards...

Public Health leaders know that location matters and has a significant impact on an individual's health—and initiatives that have the highest impact focus on localized conditions and speak directly to community needs. Nicole Alexander-Scott (director, Rhode Island Department of Health) and Katie Lamansky (health program manager, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare) discuss why place-based inter...

A strong public health infrastructure is required at the national, state, territorial, and local levels to carry out critical programs and respond to emergencies. How can states move from a reactive approach of ad hoc crisis funding to a proactive investment in nimble, cross-cutting systems? How are states that are undergoing public health transformations positioned to leverage new funding for cor...

This episode highlights COVID-19's impact on overdose-related deaths during the postpartum period, also known as the fourth trimester. There has been a significant increase in postpartum overdose-related deaths in recent years—a problem that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.   In this episode, Dr. Kristina Box (Indiana state health commissioner) discusses the topic from a state-l...

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges to communities nationwide, but there is reason for hope: In the face of these struggles, health agencies are seeing real progress that will provide benefits long after the pandemic passes. In our latest episode, Anne Zink (Chief   Medical Officer, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services) and Larry Lewis (licensed psychologist and executive coach...

As states continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of crisis communications is vital. How can states provide the public with relevant, timely information? What are the essential elements of a crisis communications response?    In our latest episode, Umair Shah (Director, Washington State Department of Health) and Khalilah LeGrand (Director of Communications, Nebraska Department of He...

On this episode, we dissect concerns at the southwest United States border, where health and governmental officials find themselves managing an extraordinarily complex situation, handling an increase in migration activity during a global pandemic. Pritesh Gandhi, MD, Chief Medical Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Erica Pan, MD, State Epidemiologist and Deputy Director, Center for...

As the COVID-19 vaccination campaign continues, countering misinformation has become a core public health goal. What approaches are showing promise, and who can public health agencies bring to the table to advance clear and accurate information about vaccines? In this episode, Nirav D. Shah, MD, JD, ASTHO President and Director, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Joe Smyser, PhD,...

With the pandemic upending social interaction, youth mental health is an increasingly important issue. State and territorial health agencies and community partners play a role in advancing prevention at the intersection of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)s, overdose, and suicide--strengthening equity in these efforts by addressing root causes and shared risk and protective factors. Today's gue...

In this bonus episode, we hear from three leading state public health officials about the latest national and state response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their comments are taken from a virtual news conference with national journalists held Thursday, July 29, 2021. During the event hosted by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), Dr. Nirav Shah (Maine), Dr. Karyl Rattay (D...

Medicaid plays a critical role in providing access to health services for low-income U.S. citizens in the five U.S. territories. However, Medicaid financing in the territories has been underfunded when compared to states. While Congress has provided a patchwork of short-term, enhanced funding solutions through recent appropriation bills, they are set to expire at the end of September, which could...

The COVID-19 pandemic was an important lesson for public health officials that their surveillance needs can evolve and change quickly - from ramping up testing, to building up a contact tracing workforce, to creating a database for vaccinations. On this bonus episode, Jim Ivey, chief operating officer at Chexout - a company that helps public health organizations digitize their clinics and operatio...

Forensic pathologists investigate deaths to serve the living, but what are the implications for public health when we do not have a viable forensic pathology workforce? State medicolegal death investigation systems currently lack a capacity to respond to major public health crises, and the surge of overdose deaths over the past decade have only exacerbated this workforce shortage. Today's guests d...

The idea of "vaccine passports" is starting to become a divisive issue, but the reality is many businesses likely will begin to require patrons to show some kind of proof of vaccination against COVID-19. The good news is businesses and governments have options for how they might want to implement this requirement. On this bonus episode of Public Health Review,  Kevin Richardson , Outside Counsel o...

Vaccines that protect against COVID-19 are now readily available for most Americans. Almost half of the adult population is fully inoculated. This is a huge step in the right direction in order to put COVID-19 behind us. However, there remains a significant number of people who are vaccine hesitant - enough to possibly prevent the United States from reaching herd immunity. On this bonus episode we...

People living with disabilities have borne disproportionate burden in past emergency situations due to inequities in preparedness and response. To address and prevent inequities in the COVID-19 response, ASTHO placed 14 disability and preparedness specialists into health agencies around the country to promote inclusivity of people living with disabilities. On today's episode, we explore how two of...

As public health leaders race to vaccinate the nation against COVID-19, it's critically important for public health data to move faster than disease. On this bonus episode of Public Health Review, we chat with an expert in artificial intelligence who knows how to leverage data in the fight against disease. Stanley Campbell, CEO and CTO of EagleForce , discusses its proprietary telehealth platform...