Public Health Review

This conversation was first published in May 2020, but we thought the lessons and takeaways are still very relevant as the nation finally begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. May 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...

COVID-19 has not only stressed the U.S. healthcare and public health systems, but also highlighted racial and ethnic disparities in pre-existing conditions and health outcomes. These inequities are in part the result of differential access to quality and affordable healthcare, including access to health insurance. And individuals in rural and underserved areas face additional barriers to care, inc...

People with chronic diseases have suffered the most during the pandemic both in rates of COVID-19 mortality and morbidity, and in how they experience the social determinants of health (things like food insecurity, poverty, etc.) The health disparities that exist in those with chronic disease and poor social determinants of health are stark, and the pandemic clearly demonstrates the link between he...

One of the many lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is the needed investment in a robust public health workforce that can respond to crises when they arise. Yet, a well-funded public health workforce isn't enough--there also needs to be a fundamental commitment to health equity. Unfortunately, years of disinvestment in governmental public health led to a system that wasn't as prepared as it...

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected children's and families' social, emotional, and mental wellbeing, and demand for social services has increased due to COVID-19-related and economic factors. Programs that place foster children, prevent domestic violence, and provide temporary assistance to families experiencing job loss – among other human services programs – are as important now as they have eve...

As COVID-19 spread across the country, public health officials became key spokespeople for simple prevention measures such as hand washing, mask-wearing, and social distancing. However, these actions were met with resistance from those who felt their individual freedoms and liberties were being challenged. Misinformation and conspiracy theories led to beliefs that the virus was a hoax and preventi...

It's been a long and draining year in the year since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States. But help is on the way with two FDA-authorized vaccines, and more likely to get approved in the months to come. Now begins the challenge of getting Americans vaccinated from the virus that has killed more than 400,000 Americans and sickened even more. Our guests today discuss where we ar...

In 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 remark...

Economic 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 st...

If 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, t...

Cyanotoxins 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...

In 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 ad...

Initially 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...

In 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 th...

COVID-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 b...

Increasing 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 c...

Leading 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 communi...

For 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...

May 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 co...

The 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 researc...

If 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 influen...

In 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...

State, 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 a...

Every 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 requeste...

Blink 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 repo...