Public Health Review Morning Edition

Public health nurses are on the front lines of community health but many are facing stress, burnout, and limited opportunities for advancement. In this episode Shirley Orr, executive director for the Association of Public Health Nurses, talks about the final session in the Public Health Nursing Workforce Learning Lab series and what it reveals about retaining the public health nursing workforce. D...

As Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) funding moves into its later years, how can health departments maximize its impact? Ron Bialek, President and CEO, Public Health Foundation, talks about the biggest opportunities ahead for state and local agencies.  Bialek highlights three key areas where PHIG investments can drive lasting improvement: responsibly integrating AI into public health opera...

Public health programs don’t operate in a vacuum; they’re shaped by policies that influence funding, access to care, reporting requirements, and more. In this episode, JoAnne Deehr, Director of State Health Policy at ASTHO, explains ASTHO’s Policy Institute for STI and Infectious Disease Prevention.  She’ll discuss how the multi-part initiative helps state and territorial health department staff b...

At the ASTHO Leadership Forum, Justa Encarnacion, ASTHO member and Commissioner of Health for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health, shared how island jurisdictions are tackling some of the nation’s toughest health challenges with collaboration, data, and community-driven prevention.  Encarnacion discusses the Fentanyl Free PR–USVI Initiative, a partnership with Puerto Rico and federal agen...

What does it really mean for a food system to be resilient, and why does it matter for public health? In this episode, we hear from Elsie Moore, Postdoctoral Associate in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, who breaks down the concept of food system resilience and why it goes far beyond simply maintaining food supply. True resilience, she explains, means ensuring that food...

A parasitic pest once eradicated from the United States is moving closer to the border and public health officials are paying close attention. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Shuford an ASTHO member and Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services discusses the growing threat posed by the New World Screwworm as cases spread north through Central America and Mexico. Dr. Shuford expla...

At the ASTHO Spring Leadership Forum in Arlington, public health leaders met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss the issues shaping health policy across the country. In this episode, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, an ASTHO member and Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan, shares how bipartisan conversations with members of Congress revealed something often overlooked in today’s politic...

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...

What does it take to build a resilient public health system? Keshana Owens-Cody, Director of the Office of Public Health Infrastructure at the New York State Department of Health, talks about incorporating core competencies into public health agencies and why fostering a true culture of learning is essential in an era of constant change. Owens-Cody explains how competency-based frameworks can help...

Public health agencies across the country face a growing workforce shortage—but Missouri is tackling the challenge head-on. In this episode, we explore how Missouri internship programs are building a diverse, skilled pipeline of future public health professionals while strengthening partnerships between state and local agencies. Scott Allen, an Administrator and Health Officer of the Webster Count...

What if public health agencies could access better, faster, and more complete data without giving up control? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jen Layden, senior vice president of population and innovation at ASTHO, to explore the new Public Health Data Consortium and what it means for the future of public health decision-making.  Dr. Layden explains how this unique public–private partnership...

Today, two conversations highlight how policy shapes public health, both in communities and on Capitol Hill.  First, Beth Giambrone, Senior Analyst for State Health Policy at ASTHO, explains how states are rethinking their approach to hypertension. From telehealth and remote blood pressure monitoring to expanded insurance coverage, policymakers are leveraging new technology to improve heart health...

A major measles outbreak is testing public health systems, community trust, and the power of vaccination. In this episode, Dr. Brannon Traxler, ASTHO member and Deputy Director of Health Promotion and Services & Chief Medical Officer, South Carolina Department of Public Health, shares the latest update on the state’s response, with nearly 1,000 confirmed cases since October 2025. She explains...

Public health is everywhere, but too often, people don’t see it. In this episode, we explore how the field can build a stronger future by investing in the next generation of professionals and improving how it communicates its value to the public. Dr. Kimberly Wyche Etheridge, Senior Vice President of Health Initiatives at ASTHO discusses why workforce pathway programs, mentorship, and hands-on par...

How can public health detect invisible threats before they become crises? In this episode, we explore two powerful approaches shaping the future of preparedness: wastewater surveillance and radiological emergency response.  First, Allison Wheeler, Manager, Wastewater Surveillance Unit Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shares how her team detected measles in wastewater before cli...

What happens when health coverage becomes unaffordable, and who’s stepping up to lead in moments like this?  This episode connects two powerful public health stories. First, we break down the ACA enhanced premium tax credits: what they were, who they helped, and what’s at stake now that they’ve expired.  Catherine Jones, Senior Analyst Government Affairs at ASTHO will explain how these pandemic-er...

Major federal investments and national guidance can shape the future of public health, but only if states can turn policy into practice. This episode looks at two sweeping developments and the on-the-groundwork required to make them matter. First, Chris Salyers, Director of Programs and Evaluation at the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health explains the Rural Health Transformatio...

What do infection prevention in dialysis clinics and hurricane response in the Caribbean have in common? More than you might think. This episode explores how culture, leadership, and coordination shape health outcomes, whether in a treatment chair or a disaster zone. First, Shalini Nair, a Senior Analyst of Infection Disease at ASTHO, breaks down the growing concern around dialysis-related infecti...

What does public health modernization look like when you’re serving four islands, a geographically isolated population, and a community still shaped by the aftermath of major hurricanes? In this episode, Esther Ellis, Territorial Epidemiologist for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health shares how PHIG (Public Health Infrastructure Grant) funding is transforming the territory’s health data s...

Behind every public health response are two make-or-break factors: the people doing the work and the systems that help them work together.  First, Shirley Orr, Executive Director of the Association of Public Health Nurses discusses the Public Health Nursing Workforce Learning Lab Series Session 5 with insights from PHWINS, the nation’s only survey of the state and local public health workforce, wh...

What do school meals, housing, paid leave, and pre-K have to do with public health? According to Trust for America’s Health: everything.  In this episode, Breanca Merritt, Director of Policy at Trust for America’s Health, breaks down a new report titled Promoting Health and Cost Control in States (PHACS) , which tracks how states are adopting 13 evidence-based policies that improve health, reduce...

If the United States brought home a report card on maternal and infant health, it would need a serious parent–teacher conference.  In this episode, Dr. Michael Warren, Chief Medical and Health Officer at March of Dimes breaks down the latest Report Card on birth outcomes and the headline is hard to ignore: the nation earns a D+ for preterm birth, with half of states receiving a D or F.  But this i...

New technologies, from telehealth to wearables to AI, are transforming how health data is created, shared, and used. But for public health agencies, keeping pace isn’t just about adopting the latest tools, it’s about building systems that are flexible, trustworthy, and sustainable. In this episode, John Stinn, Deloitte Consulting Managing Director in Government and Public Services Digital Health P...

What does calm leadership actually look like when everything feels urgent, political, and on fire?  In this episode, John Auerbach, Senior Vice President of Health at ICF, offers a preview of ASTHO’s upcoming Insight & Inspiration webinar, Steady Hands, Steady Teams: Leading with Confidence and Composure , on February 11th, and digs into the real-world skills behind steady leadership in volati...

Two very different challenges, and one shared public health reality: systems have to work when it matters most.  In this episode, we speak with Dr. Erica Pan, director and state public health officer for the California Department of Public Health, and ASTHO member, about a rare and unprecedented infant botulism outbreak linked to contaminated infant formula. She explains how California’s unique Ba...