Public Health Review Morning Edition

ASTHO
  • 4.9 (47)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED DAILY

Your daily public health briefing with the latest news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

  1. 1D AGO

    1073: Coverage, Consequences, and the Leaders Shaping Public Health’s Future

    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-era subsidies dramatically expanded access to marketplace coverage, helping middle-income families, older adults not yet eligible for Medicare, rural residents, gig workers, and others without employer-based insurance. With premiums now rising sharply, millions may lose coverage, leading to delayed care, skipped medications, more emergency room use, rising uncompensated care costs, and even potential hospital closures, especially in rural communities. We explore how insurance coverage isn’t just a healthcare issue, but a population health issue tied to chronic disease management, maternal health, mental health services, vaccinations, and overall mortality. Then, we shift to leadership. James Bell III, Chief of Staff/Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and a Doctor of Social Work, reflects on his experience in the DELPH Leadership Program and how it reshaped how he shows up as a public health leader. From finding his voice in high-stakes rooms to practicing servant leadership, advocating for equity, and building authentic national networks, Bell describes how leadership development strengthens not just individuals, but the systems and communities they serve. ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits: Legislative Developments in 2025 and 2026 | ASTHO Developing Executive Leaders in Public Health | ASTHO Reducing Hypertension Through Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Programs | ASTHO Addressing Hypertension During Pregnancy Improves Maternal and Infant Health | ASTHO

    16 min

  2. 2D AGO

    1072: From Rural Dollars to Dinner Plates: Turning Big Federal Policy Into Real Health Gains

    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 Transformation Program (RHTP), a $50 billion, five-year investment aimed at strengthening rural communities. With no clear blueprint for moving funds at this scale, states are in the early stages of building advisory groups, navigating procurement and contracting rules, and working to ensure dollars actually reach rural providers and organizations, not just large outside entities. Salyers highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement, peer learning, and using this planning window to build systems that allow smaller, capacity-strapped rural groups to compete for funding.  Then, Shannon Vance, Director, Family and Child Health at ASTHO, breaks down the newly released 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and their wide-ranging implications. With chronic disease driving nearly 90% of U.S. healthcare spending, the updated guidance, including stronger limits on added sugars, greater emphasis on protein and full-fat dairy, and life-stage–specific recommendations, could reshape everything from individual eating habits to major federal nutrition programs. Vance explores the ripple effects for SNAP, WIC, and school meals, where agencies are already juggling recent rule changes, tight budgets, and supply challenges. Leadership Power Hour: Your Launchpad for Impact | ASTHO The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines: Understanding the New Pyramid | ASTHO Funding & Collaboration Opportunities | ASTHO ASTHO (@ASTHO) / X Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (@asthonews.bsky.social) — Bluesky(1) Instagram(1) LinkedIn Facebook

    19 min

  3. 3D AGO

    1071: Culture, Coordination, and Care: From Dialysis Safety to Disaster Response

    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 infections and what the CDC’s Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition is doing to address it. She shares frontline-informed strategies that health departments and facilities can use right now: building a “see it, say it” culture of safety, using short, role-specific training and real-time coaching, and ensuring visible leadership support that reinforces infection prevention as everyone’s responsibility.  Then, the focus shifts to disaster response with Maggie Nilz, Senior Analyst of preparedness at ASTHO and Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization. Nilz reflects on her decade of deployments, from chainsaw operations in U.S. disaster zones to coordinating international health response in Jamaica after a devastating hurricane. She explains how public health leadership, interagency coordination, and pre-disaster data systems are critical when hospitals are damaged, infrastructure is down, and communities still need everyday healthcare. Key Insights to Improve Infection Prevention in Dialysis Settings | ASTHO Meeting Home Page Leading Humanitarian Aid Organization in the US | Team Rubicon Leadership Power Hour: Your Launchpad for Impact | ASTHO Meeting Home Page

    18 min

  4. 4D AGO

    1070: Rebuilding Smarter: How the U.S. Virgin Islands Is Modernizing Public Health After Disaster with PHIG Funding

    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 systems, and why that matters far beyond technology. From launching a cloud-based immunization information system that replaced records lost after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, to implementing an electronic case reporting portal for notifiable diseases, the Virgin Islands is building a more connected, real-time public health infrastructure. Ellis explains how these systems improve vaccine tracking, outbreak response, provider reporting, and access to care, especially in a region where travel between islands requires flights or ferries and 25% of residents are uninsured.

    11 min

  5. FEB 13

    1069: Data, People, and the Future of Public Health Response

    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, which reached nearly 50,000 professionals. The data paints a detailed picture of who makes up today’s workforce, including an influx of younger staff, persistent leadership diversity gaps, and ongoing concerns about burnout and morale. Later, Dr. Lisa Villarroel, Chief Medical Officer for Public Health of the Arizona Department of Health Services shows us what happens when that workforce is connected in real time. Arizona’s Statewide Healthcare Collaborative Forum, a simple monthly virtual call during respiratory season, brings EMS, hospitals, post-acute care, and public health leaders together to review virus trends, hospital capacity, ED diversion, and emerging challenges. Born from pandemic lessons, the forum has led to tangible results: resolving EMS transport delays, sparking regional hospital alliances, rethinking masking policies, and aligning state data with frontline reality. Meeting Home Page Meeting Home Page

    18 min

  6. FEB 12

    1068: Health Beyond Healthcare: How States Are Advancing Smart Policies in Tough Times

    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 long-term costs, and deliver a return on investment, many of them outside traditional healthcare.  But this isn’t happening in easy conditions. With federal funding shifts, post–public health emergency rollbacks, workforce strain, and growing political pressure, states are being asked to do more with less.  The report serves as both a reality check and a playbook, highlighting strategies that are working across very different political and fiscal environments. The takeaway: even in a tough moment, there are practical, evidence-based ways to move policies that improve health and strengthen communities, if sectors work together. ASTHO (@ASTHO) / X Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (@asthonews.bsky.social) — Bluesky Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (@asthonews) • Instagram photos and videos LinkedIn (1) Facebook Leadership Power Hour: Your Launchpad for Impact | ASTHO

    15 min

  7. FEB 11

    1067: A Nation at Risk: What a D+ in Birth Outcomes Means for Public Health

    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 isn’t just about grades. It’s about what’s driving poor outcomes and what public health leaders can actually do about it.  Warren, a former state and federal public health leader, also shares how officials can use the report card as more than a headline, but as a tool to build urgency, strengthen partnerships across maternal health, chronic disease, and Medicaid, and push forward policy and funding priorities. Long COVID Resources for Community Recovery | ASTHO Funding & Collaboration Opportunities | ASTHO

    13 min

  8. FEB 10

    1066: Smarter Data Infrastructure for Public Health

    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 Practices, joins us to unpack how public health agencies can navigate a rapidly evolving data landscape. He shares why starting with the problem you’re trying to solve, not the technology, is essential, how thoughtful data governance and workflow design can reduce risk and control costs, and why open-source platforms and shared solutions can help agencies avoid reinventing the wheel.

    11 min
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4.9
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Your daily public health briefing with the latest news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

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