Public Health Review Morning Edition

Rachel Lehman, Acting Director of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)’s Technical Resources Assistance Center and Information Exchange (TRACIE), celebrates 10 years of the center’s existence and discusses how it provides states and territories with timely information and technical assistance; Peter Orton, Director of Media Design at the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explains the importance of storytelling in public health, and shares how an ASTHO blog on the subject can help guide understanding and practice; ASTHO is now accepting applications for a new Community of Practice focused on Maternal Health Access; and subscribe to Public Health Review Morning Edition to make sure you never miss an important update.        HHS.gov: WELCOME TO ASPR TRACIE ASTHO Blog: The Art (and Science) of Storytelling in Public Health ASTHO Web Page: Bridging Barriers in Maternal Health Access Community of Practice ASTHO Newscast: Subscribe to Public Health Review Morning Edition  

Scott Murakami, PHIG Workforce Director and Principal Investigator with the State of Hawaii, shares how his department is utilizing Public Health Infrastructure Grant funds to support the state’s public health workforce; jurisdictions looking to stay current on PHIG deadlines, project updates, resources and more can subscribe to the PHIG National Partners Connections newsletter; Melissa Touma, Director of the Public Health Infrastructure Program at ASTHO, discusses why procurement timelines are so critical and how PHIG recipients are using the grant to accelerate them; and Melissa Magstadt, ASTHO member and Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Health, was recently honored with the State Official Award by the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations.  ASTHO Web Page: Public Health Infrastructure Grant ASTHO Web Page: Subscribe: PHIG Connections Newsletter ASTHO Blog: PHIG Recipients Accelerating Procurement Processes South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations: SDAHO recognizes 9 individuals with Distinguished Service Awards during 2025 Annual Convention  

Dr. Susan Kansagra, Chief Medical Officer at ASTHO, discusses some of the downstream implications of CDC’s adoption of recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier this week; Dr. Holly Wilcox, founder and Director of the Center for Suicide Prevention and professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, shares findings from their recent suicide prevention studies focused on early intervention and child access prevention laws; ASTHO is looking for leaders from up to six jurisdictions that have been successful in preventing mental health-related harms to apply to join discussions and help shape strategies for the future; and a new ASTHO blog article describes how the U.S. Virgin Islands worked with ASTHO and the Department of the Interior to improve their grant and financial management systems.  ASTHO Blog: Downstream Effects of CDC Adopting ACIP Recommendations for COVID-19 and MMRV Vaccines Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Center for Suicide Prevention ASTHO Web Page: Success Stories: Advancing Health Agency Capacity to Address ACEs, Suicide, Overdose, and Mental Health-Related Harms Request for Information ASTHO Blog: Improving Grants Management in the U.S. Virgin Islands: Q&A with Tatia Monell-Hewitt  

Dr. Dan Edney, State Health Officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health and ASTHO member, shares how his state declared infant mortality a public health emergency to offer services across the state more rapidly; Bonny Mayes, epidemiologist with the Texas Department of State Health Services, discusses the article she co-authored to argue that Chagas disease should be considered endemic; PHIG Partners developed a practical resources guide to help public health agencies improve their procurement and hiring processes; and Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO President and Alabama State Health Officer was recently the inaugural speaker for the Dean’s Seminar Series at Samford University’s School of Public Health. Mississippi State Dept of Health: MSDH Declares Public Health Emergency on Infant Mortality CNN: ‘Kissing bug’ disease is here to stay in the US, experts say. Here’s why it’s spreading PHIG Partners: Practical Resources for Improving Procurement and Hiring in Public Health Samford University: School of Public Health Launches Dean’s Seminar Series featuring Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris  

Doctor Gen Meredith, Associate Professor with the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health at Cornell University, Associate Director of the Master of Public Health Program, and Director of Cornell’s Health Impact Score, explains how their new Public Health Strategic Skills Guide can help professionals in public health navigate changes to their roles and build upon their existing skillsets; Nick Jakubowski, Chief Operating Officer at the Connecticut Department of Public Health, shares how his agency used PHIG funding to upgrade their procurement and grant management systems and deliver monies to the community more efficiently; on Wednesday, October 29th, ASTHO will hold art one of a two part series on The Importance of Environmental Health Preparedness and Response; and subscribe to Public Health Review Morning Edition to start each weekday morning with a daily dose of insight from public health leaders across the country.  ASTHO Blog: Tennessee and Connecticut Are Transforming Procurement and Grant Management Systems Cornell University: Enhancing Public Health Strategic Skills Guide ASTHO Webinar: Weathering the Storm: The Importance of Environmental Health Preparedness and Response Part I ASTHO Newscast: Public Health Review Morning Edition  

In today's installment of the PHIG Impact Report, Celeste Jorge, epidemiologist and evaluator with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, discusses how her department is using the Public Health Infrastructure Grant. PHIG Partners Web Page PHIG Newsletter  

In this special episode of Public Health Review Morning Edition, Eric Whitworth, CEO of Inductive Health, discusses the importance of scalable data surveillance systems and how taking a broader approach to modernization can benefit health departments. InductiveHealth Acquires Envision Technology Partners Bringing Together Foundational Public Health Informatics and Industry Experts into a Unified Public Health Platform ASTHO Web Page: Innovation Advisory Council  

Mickal Lewis, Associate Director of the Center of Excellence on Dementia Risk Reduction with the Alzheimer's Association, shares how Community Health Workers play an essential role supporting a continuum of care for community members with dementia, and how public health leaders can help advance progress; Jeffrey Ekoma, Senior Director of Government Affairs at ASTHO, provides an update on the current government shutdown and explains how federal health agencies are impacted in this week’s View from Washington, D.C. report; a new ASTHO report provides key resources that can help state and territorial health departments break down silos and collaborate with their partners in Medicaid agencies to improve health outcomes in their communities; and Dr. Susan Kansagra, Chief Medical Officer at ASTHO, was recently quoted in a story for STAT Health about low-income children’s lack of access to the Covid-19 vaccine.  Frontiers in Public Health Research Article: Community health workers: developing roles in public health dementia efforts in the United States ASTHO Legislative Alert: Federal Government Shutdown Update: Contingency Plans Released ASTHO Report: Leveraging Public Health Assets in Medicaid Managed Care STAT Health: Low-income children lack access to Covid vaccines because of approval delay  

Dr. Edward Simmer, Interim Director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health, celebrates the department’s one-year anniversary with a recap of their achievements, including the highest health ranking in the state’s history; Dr. Bryant Thomas Karras, the Washington State Department of Health’s Chief Medical Informatics Officer, discusses the Fast Healthcare Interoperable Resource (FHIR) pilot program that his department participated in; on Thursday, October 9th, ASTHO will host the final session of the Ignite, Accelerate, and Activate workshop on applying emotional intelligence strategies to enhance leadership; and subscribe to the newscast to make sure you never miss the opportunities, initiatives, and insights from public health leaders across the country.  South Carolina Dept of Public Health: South Carolina Health Compass Dashboards ASTHO Report: Accelerating Data Exchange in Public Health: Insights from Public Health FHIR Pilots ASTHO Webinar: Ignite, Accelerate, and Activate: Series 3, Session 3: Applying Emotional Intelligence Strategies ASTHO Newscast: Public Health Review Morning Edition  

Alfredo Ramirez, Director of the Operation Analysis Office at the Tennessee Department of Health, explains how his department expanded its contract tracking system to enhance efficiency and manage grants across their life cycle; Kellie Waugh, Analyst of Health Improvement and Healthy Aging at ASTHO, shares how a new report can help state health agencies to support communities impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias by highlighting recent legislative activity and examples of promising strategies; tomorrow, Thursday October 2nd, ASTHO will host the final installment of its Succession Planning webinar series about putting the plan into action; and sign up for ASTHO’s legislative alerts to make sure you don’t miss any updates on the current federal government shutdown.  ASTHO Blog: Tennessee and Connecticut Are Transforming Procurement and Grant Management Systems ASTHO Report: From Policy to Practice: Supporting Brain Health and Caregiving at the State Level ASTHO Webinar: Succession Planning Part 3 of 3: Putting the Plan into Action ASTHO Web Page: Legislative Alerts  

In this special episode of Public Health Review: Morning Edition, Julie Sullivan, Principal at Berry Dunn, discusses how public health agencies can partner with Medicaid to share data and obtain needed resources while saving funds.  BerryDunn: Bridging the gap: Information sharing for Medicaid and public health agencies ASTHO Web Page: Innovation Advisory Council

Catherine Jones, Senior Analyst of Government Affairs at ASTHO, breaks down what states need to know about the application for the Rural Health Transformation Program, and discusses ASTHO’s recent partnership with Cornerstone Government Affairs to host two expert panels on the subject; Dr. Lena Heilmann, Director of the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, shares the strategies her state employed to achieve the lowest youth suicide rate in Colorado since 2007; on October 7th, PHIG Partners will hold an informational Q&A session for agencies interested in applying to Wave 2 of the Public Health Data Modernization Implementation Center Program; and take a trip through the show’s past in celebration of today’s 1000th episode.  ASTHO Blog: Federal, State, and Stakeholder Perspectives on the Rural Health Transformation Fund Colorado Dept of Public Health and Environment: Youth Suicide Rate in Colorado Drops to Lowest Level since 2007, CDPHE Committed to Ensuring Trend Continues ASTHO Blog: Public Health Approaches to Preventing Suicide and Promoting Mental Well-Being ASTHO Report: Public Health's Role in Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention ASTHO Legal Mapping Center: Suicide Prevention Offices and Committees Legal Map PHIG Partners: Public Health Data Modernization IC Program Wave 2 Q&A (Session 2)  

Halina Palacios, Chief Operations Officer for Population Health at the Commonwealth Health Care Corporation in the territory of the Northern Mariana Islands, discusses a recent population health summit specifically for pacific public health teams; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, breaks down how the potential government shutdown could impact access to public health funds in this week’s View From Washington, D.C. report; a new ASTHO Health Policy Update focused on Primary Care Offices explores new strategies for data-sharing; and a new Learning Series on the United States Territories and Freely Associated States is now open for enrollment on ASTHO’s website.  ASTHO Blog Article: Population Health Summit Strengthens Pacific Partnership ASTHO Health Policy Update: Data-Sharing Strategies to Support Access to Care Interventions ASTHO Learning Series: A Learning Series on the United States Territories and Freely Associated States ASTHO Health Policy Update: Data-Sharing Strategies to Support Access to Care Interventions ASTHO Learning Series: A Learning Series on the United States Territories and Freely Associated States  

Kim Martin, Director of Infectious Diseases at ASTHO, recaps the recent ACIP meeting that took place and discusses the conversation’s potential impacts on public health; Veronica Bryant, Emergency Preparedness and Outbreak Coordinator for the Environmental Health section of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, shares how her state strengthened its extreme weather emergency preparedness following a series of hurricanes; on October 29th, ASTHO will host Part I of its new webinar series on how to enhance an environmental health response during extreme weather events; and ASTHO welcomes new member Dr. Mark McDaniel, State Health Officer for West Virginia.  ASTHO Webinar: Weathering the Storm: The Importance of Environmental Health Preparedness and Response Part I CDC: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Mark McDaniel Bio  

Maria Courogen, Executive Director for the Center for Access to Whole Person Care at the Washington State Department of Health, explains how her state worked to enable the continued support of Community Health Workers (CHWs) by developing a sustainable funding model; Dr. Heather Krasna, Associate Dean of Career and Professional Development at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, breaks down the nuances of applying to governmental public health roles and discusses ASTHO’s checklist resource, which walks applicants through the process; today is the third session of ASTHO’s Public Health Nursing Workforce Learning Lab series focused on public health nursing residency programs and leadership pathways; and ASTHO President-Elect Manisha Juthani, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, and ASTHO alum Dr. Umair Shah, will participate on a panel at Health Systems Implementing Climate Action, a Climate Week NYC 2025 event.  ASTHO Web Page: Community Health Workers ASTHO Resource: Your Guide to Navigating the Governmental Public Health Job Search Process ASTHO Webinar: Public Health Nursing Workforce Learning Lab - A Series Climate Week NYC 2025: Health Systems Implementing Climate Action  

Andy Baker-White, ASTHO’s Senior Director for State Health Policy, provides an update on the legislative actions states are taking across the country to ensure continued vaccination access within their jurisdictions; Captain Artensie Flowers, Director of the Division of Regional Operations with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), discusses the in-person workshop that ASPR hosted in partnership with ASTHO to help ASPR’s regional teams and state and territorial public health leaders enhance preparedness during public health emergencies; ASTHO welcomes new member Sherry Adams, North Dakota’s recently appointed State Health Officer; and sign up for ASTHO’s legislative alerts to stay informed about any legislative or policy movements that affect public health.  ASTHO Web Page: State Health Policy ASTHO Web Page: Public Health Preparedness Sherry Adams Bio ASTHO Web Page: Legislative Alerts  

Dr. Joseph Kanter, CEO of ASTHO, joined Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), Rhea Faberman, Director of Strategic Communications and Policy at TFAH, and Lori Freeman, CEO of NACCHO, during a recent briefing about TFAH’s report that details the impact of CDC funding on public health; Madelyn Maxwell, Healthy Aging and Falls Prevention Project Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Department of Health Injury Prevention Service, shares how her state is working to engage communities in prevention efforts during Falls Prevention Awareness Week; the final session of ASTHO’s Succession Planning webinar series with a focus on putting plans into action takes place October 2nd; the highlights from last month’s Public Health Infrastructure Grant Annual Recipient Convening are available online now; and CDC has issued a Health Alert Network Health Advisory about a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  TFAH Report: Public Health Infrastructure in Crisis: HHS Workforce Cuts, Reorganizations, and Funding Reductions: Impacts and Solutions National Council on Aging: The 2025 National Falls Prevention Action Plan ASTHO Report: Expanding Falls Prevention Through Surveillance, Community-Clinical Linkages, and Strategic Planning and Evaluation ASTHO Blog: Strengthening Policies to Prevent Older Adult Falls ASTHO Webinar: Succession Planning Part 3 of 3: Putting the Plan into Action PHIG Partners: 2025 PHIG Convening Builds Stronger Connections, Inspires Action, and Advances Data Modernization CDC Health Alert Network: Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo  

JW Randolph, Deputy Commissioner at the Tennessee Department of Health, shares how his state’s new Office for Healthy Aging has been successful in coordinating statewide efforts to care for Tennessee’s aging communities; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO’s Senior Director for Government Affairs, provides an update on funding for the federal government in this week’s View From Washington, D.C. report; part three of the Public Health Nursing Learning Lab Series takes place next week on September 24th, at 3:00 p.m. ET, which will focus on residency programs and leadership pathways; a recent ASTHO blog article details  the North Dakota Lead Prevention Program and how the state strengthened its coordination with tribal health officials; and congratulations to ASTHO alum Doctor John Armstrong, former Surgeon General and Secretary of Health for the state of Florida, for his reelection as Vice Speaker of the American Medical Association House of Delegates. ASTHO Web Page: Healthy Aging and Brain Health Tennessee Dept of Health: Office of Healthy Aging ASTHO Legislative Alert: Summary of FY26 Continuing Resolution ASTHO Webinar: Public Health Nursing Workforce Learning Lab - A Series ASTHO Blog: North Dakota Lead Exposure Outreach Program Bio: John H. Armstrong, MD  

Shalini Nair, Senior Analyst of Infectious Disease at ASTHO, tells public health professionals everything they need to know about New World Screwworm (NWS), and what to do if their state experiences a case; Maggie Nilz, Senior Analyst of Preparedness at ASTHO, shares information from a new Health Policy Update on public health preparedness for extreme weather events; up to four states have the opportunity to host a two-day, in-person wastewater surveillance training opportunity, and the deadline to apply is September 19th; the latest edition of the DELPH Magazine is out, providing health officials with new information about the Developing Executive Leaders in Public Health program; and next Thursday, September 25th at 2:00 p.m. ET is the second session of the Activate series in the Ignite, Accelerate and Activate workshop, which will focus on improving emotional intelligence.   ASTHO Blog: New World Screwworm Insights and Action Steps ASTHO Health Policy Update: State Policy Advances in Extreme Weather Preparedness ASTHO Web Page: Ethical Analysis for Infectious Disease Wastewater Surveillance Training Opportunity ASTHO Web Page: DELPH Magazine  ASTHO Webinar: Ignite, Accelerate, and Activate: Series 3, Session 2: Improving Emotional Intelligence  

Dr. Susan Kansagra, Chief Medical Officer at ASTHO, discusses updates to federal health initiatives that continue to impact public health agencies, including the latest report from the Make America Health Again Commission and recent activity regarding vaccines; Tiffany Day, Public Health Specialist with the Henry County Health Department in Ohio, previews what she’ll discuss as a speaker during ASTHO’s Succession Planning webinar session tomorrow, and highlights how succession planning can enhance the existing public health workforce; it’s Telehealth Awareness Week and ASTHO’s resource page has everything your department needs to expand its telehealth initiatives; and applications are now open for the second cohort of the Leadership Exchange for Adolescent Health Promotion Plus Community of Practice, which can help health agencies advance health education.  U.S. Dept of HHS: MAHA Commission Unveils Sweeping Strategy to Make Our Children Healthy Again U.S. Dept of HHS: CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to Meet September 18-19 ASTHO Blog: Levers for Preventing Chronic Disease That Intersect with Key MAHA Report Themes ASTHO Web Page: Telehealth ASTHO Webinar: Succession Planning Part 2 of 3: Laying the Groundwork ASTHO Web Page: Leadership Exchange for Adolescent Health Promotion Plus (LEAHP+) Community of Practice Cohort 2