Public Health Review Morning Edition

Judith Persichilli, New Jersey's Commissioner of Health, explains a data driven grassroots COVID-19 vaccination strategy that saved lives; New York Times journalist Danielle Ivory tells us how she would use the information in her story about public health if she were a state or territorial health official; and ASTHO has two new reports – one that shares the experiences and thoughts of several full-time disability and preparedness specialists working in departments across the country, and another that addresses the challenges agencies have had fully spending CDC money awarded in support of the Overdose Data to Action strategy to battle the opioid epidemic. New Jersey Department of Health Webpage: Ambassador Initiative Provides Model Approach New York Times: Why Public Health Faces a Crisis Across the U.S. ASTHO Brief: Reducing Vaccine Hesitancy for People Living with Disabilities ASTHO Reports: Federal Award Spenddown – An Analysis of Spending Challenges and Opportunities for Agencies Funded Through the Overdose Data to Action Cooperative Agreement

New York Times journalist Danielle Ivory details the feedback she and her team received from public health professionals responding to the newspaper's survey about their work during the pandemic; ASTHO Board Member and former Minnesota health commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger frames the conversation about transportation and health equity during the first meeting of the Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus; and ASTHO joins with the CDC Foundation and others to help up to 10 state health agency teams build stronger community partnerships to achieve an improved culture of health. New York Times: Why Public Health Faces a Crisis Across the U.S. Webpage: The Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus CDC Foundation Webpage: Governmental Public Health Agencies to Partner with national Nonprofits to Build Culture of Health

Danielle Ivory, a journalist for the New York Times, explains the results of the newspaper's survey of hundreds of local public health departments; Senate budgeteers release FY 22 Appropriations bills, including a historic increase in funding for the CDC; Ramya Dronamraju, a Senior Analyst on ASTHO's Maternal and Infant Health team, discusses ASTHO member policy responses to intimate partner violence and substance use disorders; and we follow the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices as it meets to consider the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson COVID boosters. New York Times: Why Public Health Faces a Crisis Across the U.S. ASTHO Legislative Alert ASTHO Blog Article: States Explore the Relationship Between Partner Violence and Substance Use Disorders CDC Webpage: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Webpage: The Great ShakeOut

Stephanie Smiley, former state health officer for Wisconsin, examines the impact of social media on young people; Community COVID Coalition members release new social media animations to educate people ages 18 to 24 about vaccine safety; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser and Chuck Ingoglia, CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, commit to working together to promote the wellbeing of public health workers in a new blog article; ASTHO President Elect Dr. Anne Zink says leaders need to be intentional with positive reinforcement; former ASTHO members Dr. Rachel Levine and Dr. Joneigh Khaldun get new jobs; and ASTHO is hiring for key positions. Webpage: Community COVID Coalition Vaccine Social Media Assets Webpage: Community COVID Coalition Research on Vaccines ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO and National Council for Mental Wellbeing Address Public Health Workers ASTHO Podcast: Gratitude Amid Struggle – Celebrating Wins in the COVID-19 Response Dr. Rachel Levine Sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Health Webpage: CVS Health Names Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun as Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer ASTHO Webpage: Careers

Dr. Denise Johnson, Acting Physician General at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, discusses the upcoming flu season; Avia Mason, ASTHO Vice President of Learning Strategy, outlines ASTHO's annual fall board meeting agenda and a new "Insight and Inspiration" conversation planned this week; and ASTHO offers blog articles about a push to maintain funding for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food program and building capacity to address substance use disorders. CDC Webpage: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ASTHO Event: Insight and Inspiration Conversation with Sebastian Junger ASTHO Blog Article: What December Means for a Beloved Nutrition Program ASTHO Blog Article: Building Capacity and Dedicating Field Staff to Address Substance use Disorders During COVID-19

Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, talks about the importance of COVID vaccines for young children; Executive coach Larry Lewis explains the value of recognizing small victories even during a crisis; ASTHO releases nine regional reports covering ASTHO members' work to address adverse childhood experiences; and Dr. Tomas Aragon, Director and State Public Health Officer for the state of California, offers insight in a new ASTHO Member Spotlight. FDA News Release: FDA to Hold Advisory Committee Meetings to Discuss Emergency Use Authorization for Booster Doses and COVID-19 Vaccines for Younger Children ASTHO: Public Health Review Podcast ASTHO Webpage: Injury and Violence Prevention ASTHO Member Spotlight: Tomas J. Aragon

Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, addresses the state of the campaign against COVID-19; Kim Martin, ASTHO's Director of Immunizations, says more approved booster formulas would be welcomed additions to the pandemic response; and ASTHO continues to gather workforce input for its PHWins survey. FDA News Release: FDA to Hold Advisory Committee Meetings to Discuss Emergency Use Authorization for Booster Doses and COVID-19 Vaccines for Younger Children CDC Webpage: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Website: Public Health Departments Need 80,000 New Employees. But That's Not Enough for Another Pandemic

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia forecasts this week's FDA discussions about the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster shots; ASTHO President Elect Dr. Anne Zink explains the importance of recognizing small victories even while responding to the pandemic crisis; ASTHO board member and former Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger will address a Congressional caucus meeting next week; and we preview the Great ShakeOut earthquake exercise planned next Thursday. FDA News Release: FDA to Hold Advisory Committee Meetings to Discuss Emergency Use Authorization for Booster Doses and COVID-19 Vaccines for Younger Children CDC Webpage: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Webinar Registration Webpage: Expanding Access to Transportation to Advance Healthcare Webpage: Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus ASTHO Resource: The Great ShakeOut

Janet Hamilton, Executive Director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, explains how $2 billion in CDC funds will help hospitals and healthcare facilities fight infections; Jonathan Wolfe, ASTHO's Senior Director of Content Development and Communications, highlights the value of attending ASTHO's next Insight and Inspiration conversation on October 20th; ASTHO publishes a new blog article examining how "long COVID" has changed federal and local workplace policy; and we feature three ASTHO job openings. CDC News Release: CDC to invest $2.1 billion to protect patients and healthcare workers from COVID-19 and future infectious diseases Website: The Council for Outbreak Response - Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens ASTHO Blog Article: Long COVID causes health policy shifts across states ASTHO Webpage: Insight and Inspiration ASTHO Webpage: Job opportunities in public health and at ASTHO

Dr. Jose Romero, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health, discusses the negative impact vaccine misinformation has on efforts to protect communities of color from the COVID-19 virus; Congressman Darren Soto of Florida considers what's next in the push for Medicaid funding in the U.S. Territories; and ASTHO publishes two resources for ASTHO members thinking about how to recruit new forensic pathologists. Webpage: Secretary of health receives Ohtli award for COVID efforts ASTHO Resource: Reducing forensic pathologist shortages: Visas ASTHO Resource: Reducing forensic pathologist shortages: Funding