Public Health Review Morning Edition

Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO Senior Director for Government Affairs, tells us what to expect from Congress as the year wraps up; Dr. Brendan Jackson, Director of the Office of Readiness, Response, and Operations for the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, discusses the current state of respiratory virus season as we wrap up National Influenza Vaccination Week; and ASTHO has compiled a number of evidence-based technical packages for your use. ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed CDC Web Page: About National Influenza Vaccination Week ASTHO Web Page: Evidence-Based Public Health

Dr. Sameer Vohra, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, emphasizes the importance of gathering data in Public Health to react to any issues as we continue ASTHO's Legislative Prospectus Series; Debra Johnson, the Director of the Strategy and Transformation Management Office at the Oklahoma State Department of Health and Rachel Klein, the Director of the Office of Communications at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, tell us about their communications revamp journey; and ASTHO's PH-HERO Workforce Resource Center can help your workforce. ASTHO Web Page: Modernizing Public Health Data and Protecting Privacy ASTHO Blog Article: Strengthening Public Health Communication – Oklahoma's Strategy and Lessons Learned ASTHO Web Page: PH-HERO Workforce Resource Center ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, gives us an overview of what to expect from ASTHO's annual Legislative Prospectus Series; ASTHO's INSPIRE: Readiness Series can help you foster innovation in your public health systems; and learn all about PHIG by signing up for the new PHIG newsletter. ASTHO News Release: ASTHO Unveils Top Five State Public Health Policy Issues to Watch in 2025 ASTHO Web Page: 2025 Legislative Prospectus Series ASTHO Web Page: Fostering Innovation in Public Health Systems PHIG Newsletter ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed

David Harvey, Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors and the ASTHO Affiliate Council Chair, tells us how the ASTHO Affiliate Council assists public health; Patrick Allen, former Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health, explains how a renewed public health order will lead to more syphilis testing; and a new ASTHO brief outlines several recommendations for developing state firearm surveys. National Coalition of STD Directors Web Page ASTHO Web Page: Joint and Affiliate Councils New Mexico Department of Health News Release: Renewed public health order targets congenital syphilis uptick ASTHO Web Page: Recommendations for Developing State Firearm Surveys and Applying Findings ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan, discusses the launch of the Take Control of Your Birth Control program; Catherine Jones, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Government Affairs, tells us what the priorities are for the lame duck period; and a new ASTHO report details how health agency staff can collaborate across sectors to address climate risks. Michigan News Release: Gov. Whitmer Announces New Program to Provide Free Contraception to Michiganders, Lowering the Cost of Access to Family Planning ASTHO Blog Article: Lame Duck Session Priorities in Congress ASTHO Report: Health Agency Staff Collaborate Across Sectors to Address Climate Risks

Christina Severin, ASTHO's Director of Public Health Law, dives into the ins and outs of the status of hemp; Linda Helland, Manager of California's Climate Change and Health Equity Branch at the California Department of Public Health, tells us more about the work the branch is doing; ASTHO is looking for qualified candidates to be its Senior Director of Accounting Operations; and Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan and an ASTHO Member, shares her thanks for public health. ASTHO Report: Integrating Environmental Justice and Health Equity into Statewide Climate Planning ASTHO Blog Article: Hemp's Hazy Legal Status Challenges Public Health Efforts California Department of Public Health: Climate Change and Health Equity ASTHO Web Page: Senior Director, Accounting Operations

Linda Helland, Manager of the Climate Change and Health Equity Branch in the Office of Health Equity at the California Department of Public Health, tells us how the California Department of Public Health is working to incorporate health equity into climate work; Tyrone Bethune, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Health Improvement and Healthy Aging, discusses support ASTHO provides for Alzheimer's; ASTHO has a resource on the legal requirements for state funding core public health services; and Patrick Allen, Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health, shares thanks for public health. ASTHO Report: Integrating Environmental Justice and Health Equity into Statewide Climate Planning California Department of Public Health Webpage: Climate Change and Health Equity ASTHO Web Page: Healthy Aging and Brain Health ASTHO Web Page: Needs Assessment Toolkit for Dementia, Cognitive Health and Caregiving ASTHO Web Page: State Funding Requirements for Core Public Health Services in Local Health Agencies – A Legal Overview

Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO President and State Health Officer of the Alabama Department of Public Health and Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, share their thoughts on Public Health Thank You Day; and Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, delivers a message for Public Health Thank You Day. ASTHO Blog Article: Public Health Thank You Day American Public Health Association Web Page: Public Health Thank You Day ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed

Dr. Awele Maduka-Ezeh, Medical Director for the Delaware Division of Public Health, details the launch of the Health Equity Institute of Delaware; Ken Rose, Branch Chief for the Physical Activity and Health Program in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the CDC, tells us how community design can affect health aging; an ASTHO blog article focuses on building more equitable communities through policy; and Dr. Kenneth Fink, Director of the Hawaii State Department of Health, shares his thoughts as we near Public Health Thank You Day. Delaware News Release: Health Equity Institute of Delaware Offers Training to Clinical and Public Health Workers CDC Web Page: Community Design ASTHO Blog Article: Building More Equitable Communities Through Public Health Law

Caroline Wroczynski, Education Manager for the National Organization of State Health Offices of Rural Health, tells us about the impact of National Rural Health Day; Dr. Robyn Cree, Epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, evaluated the success of the Public Health Disability Specialists Program; the Great American Smokeout is also today; and the CDC has issued a Health Alert Network Health Advisory focused on the first case of Clade I Mpox. National Rural Health Day Web Page Journal of Public Health Management Practice Article: Best Practices and Lessons Learned From the Public Health Disability Specialists Program – Addressing the Needs of People With Disabilities During COVID-19 American Cancer Society Web Page: The Great American Smokeout ASTHO Web Page: Menthol Capacity Building CDC Web Page: First Case of Clade I Mpox Diagnosed in the United States