Public Health Review Morning Edition

Joanne Pearsol, ASTHO's Director of Workforce Development, explains how states and territories are working to help a weary public health workforce survive the pandemic; and we share details about the 11th annual African American Conference on Disabilities happening now through February 17th. ASTHO Health Policy Prospectus: COVID-19 Pandemic Further Strains Public Health Workforce ASTHO Blog Articl...

Dr. Jose Romero, a pediatrician and Arkansas' Secretary of Health, says there's work to be done to prepare for the possibility of a vaccine for infants and toddlers; Dr. Josh Sharfstein, a pediatrician and former health officer in Maryland who teaches health policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says parents of preschoolers are the most familiar with the benefits of vaccin...

Joanne Pearsol, ASTHO's Director of Workforce Development, says more than 40,000 public health professionals responded to the latest PHWins survey; Dr. Jamie Pina, ASTHO's Vice President of Public Health Data Modernization, offers a plan to modernize public health data; and a COVID-19 vaccine for very young children could win emergency approval from the FDA in as little as two weeks. ASTHO webpage...

Kristin Ahrens, Deputy Secretary of Pennsylvania's Office of Developmental Programs, says the pandemic crisis ultimately will make services for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities stronger; ASTHO's Abe Kulungara shares how states and territories have worked to improve housing conditions for people in their jurisdictions; the CDC offers a toolkit for public health profess...

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, reflects on current events in the context of Black History Month, on the first day of the month-long recognition; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO's President-elect, considers the pandemic's lessons and what's next for the nation; ASTHO releases its top ten list of public health policy opportunities; and a new COVID-19 vaccine comparison c...

Jan Malcolm, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health, outlines policy steps available to limit youth access to E-cigarettes and flavored tobacco products; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser reflects on the start of Black History Month; ASTHO shares a conversation with Gail Christopher, Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, addressing racial equity and the connections to...

Rachael Banks, Oregon's Director of Public Health, says the focus on immunizations during the pandemic is a perfect opportunity to expand the public health conversation. Immunizations are one of ASTHO's top 10 policy issues to watch in 2022; Yaryna Onufrey, an ASTHO analyst for social and behavioral health, says the money from settlements of opioid lawsuits will fund a variety of opioid treatment...

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia explains the latest thinking about how best to use case investigation and contact tracing to fight the Omicron variant; ASTHO joins several other national public health groups to issue a statement this week supporting departments should they decide to change their approach to contact tracing; ASTHO President-Elect Dr. Anne Zink says public health pivo...

ASTHO and associations representing epidemiologists, counties, cities, and public health labs issue a statement supporting jurisdictions moving away from universal case investigation and contact tracing at this point in the pandemic; Dr. Ayne Amjad, West Virginia's State Health Officer, is optimistic about the future of rural health, one of ASTHO's top ten policy issues to watch in 2022; Governors...

Paula Tran, Wisconsin's State Health Officer, says it's possible to maintain health equity priorities even as the pandemic continues to strain resources. Health equity is among the issues considered in a set of 10 ASTHO policy briefings focused on public health issues expected to be priorities this year; ASTHO has a new blog article about health equity and rural health; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO's Pres...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana's State Health Officer, talks about fighting the HIV epidemic during the COVID-19 pandemic as ASTHO releases a set of 10 policy briefings focused on public health issues expected to be priorities this year; ASTHO offers a new blog article including information about an innovative HIV testing program; and Dr. John Wiesman offers thanks for the people battling to control...

Dr. John Wiesman, the former Secretary of Health in Washington state, gives his assessment of the nation's pandemic response since the first COVID-19 case was discovered in his state two years ago this week. He discusses what has worked, what remains a challenge, and what to do next; Katey Redmond, a public health specialist in Alaska, says the announcement of crisis standards of care in a communi...

Dr. John Wiesman, the former Secretary of Health in Washington state, reflects on the moment the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in his state and thus the U.S.; Dr. Alexis Travis, Michigan's State Health Officer, says it's never too late to review and revise crisis standards of care to reflect input from vulnerable groups, including people living with disabilities; and ASTHO and NACCHO team u...

Robin Matthies, Director of Public and Behavioral Health Integration at ASTHO, explains why it's important to consider restorative justice approaches to discipline in schools; Andy Baker-White, ASTHO's Senior Director of State Health Policy, says jurisdictions have policy options when promoting vaccinations among workers; and ASTHO is hiring for several open positions. ASTHO Reports: Restorative J...

Maggie Davis, ASTHO's Director of State Health Policy, provides an overview of a new ASTHO report about restorative justice in schools; Annie Evans, a senior analyst of disability integration and preparedness at ASTHO, marks the first anniversary of a program that sent disability experts to help several jurisdictions better serve people living with disabilities; and an ASTHO blog article examines...

ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser considers Dr. Martin Luther King's influence on public health and his impact on the organization's approach to equity; Dr. Alexis Travis, Michigan's State Health Officer, tells us how the civil rights icon has influenced her work in public health; Dr. Kimberlee Wyche Etheridge says Dr. King's impact on public health remains strong; and former Washington State Secretary of Hea...

Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO's Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, outlines the organization's 2022 federal policy agenda and tells members what they ought to expect from Washington this year; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser says public health needs to spend more time thinking about communications and messaging; and ASTHO issues a report about period poverty, a growing public health c...

Robert Jennings, Executive Director of the National Public Health Information Coalition, discusses communications lessons learned during the pandemic; ProPublica journalist Caroline Chen hopes Congress reads her story about the funding public health needs to address congenital syphilis; and ASTHO announces new job openings. Website: National Public Health Information Coalition ProPublica Website:...

Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana's State Health Officer, explains the evolution of messaging required by the fast-moving Omicron variant during an appearance on C-SPAN's Washington Journal morning show Monday; ProPublica journalist Caroline Chen considers the impact her story about congenital syphilis might have on the debate over funding for public health, especially in rural America; and ASTHO share...

Caroline Chen, a journalist for the non-profit news organization ProPublica, reports on public health's work to combat a rising number of syphilis cases in the nation; ASTHO offers a new blog article with ideas and guidance for public health planners looking to do more for people living with disabilities during times of crisis; and the CDC prepares to accept applications for its two-year, paid Pub...

Lawrence Gostin, law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C., tells us what to expect from today's Supreme Court hearing on two Biden Administration COVID vaccine mandates; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser says states and territories are prepared for a rush of kids seeking protection from the Omicron variant as classes resume nationwide; a new ASTHO report highlights the role imm...

Dr. Linda Mendonca, President of the National Association of School Nurses, explains how her members are coping with students' return to classrooms amid the threat of the Omicron variant; Robert Jennings, Executive Director of the National Public Health Information Coalition, shares what public health communicators think has worked well during the pandemic; and ASTHO releases its list of the 10 mo...

Andy Baker White, ASTHO's Senior Director of State Health Policy, discusses immunization proposals scheduled for consideration in legislatures across the nation; Caroline Chen, a journalist writing for ProPublica, connects syphilis to the public health funding roller coaster and health care needs in rural America; and ASTHO announces new job openings. ASTHO News Release: ASTHO Unveils Top 10 Publi...

ASTHO President Dr. Nirav Shah outlines four priorities he says must be at the top of the public health agenda in 2022; John Bridgeland, Co-Founder and CEO of the COVID Collaborative, discusses recommendations for helping children who've lost a parent or caregiver during the pandemic; ASTHO offers a report summarizing legislative efforts taken to support HIV prevention; and we get a sneak peek int...

Karl Ensign, ASTHO's Vice President of Territorial Support, shares lessons learned fighting COVID-19 in the U.S. territories; Kelly Wroblewski, Director of Infectious Disease Programs at the Association of Public Health Laboratories, says labs are following the increase in the use of at-home COVID-19 test kits; ASTHO has a new blog article detailing steps members have taken to curb housing instabi...