Public Health Review Morning Edition

Kathy Jorgensen, member of the Board of Directors for the National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs, explains why it’s essential to account for animals in all emergency planning; Jeffrey Ekoma, Senior Director of Government Affairs at ASTHO, discusses HHS nominations, recissions, and more news from Capitol Hill in this week’s View From Washington D.C. report; a new ASTHO report assesses capacity gaps in the radiation readiness workforce; and Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, was a guest speaker this month for the Michigan State Medical Society, where she updated physician leaders on health priorities.   National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs ASTHO Report: Assessing Capacity Gaps in the Radiation Readiness Workforce MSMS and MDHHS Join Forces to Keep Physicians Informed: Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, on Key Health Priorities

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, ASTHO member and Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan, explains how Michigan’s multifaceted approach has reduced overdose deaths across the state; Heidi Westermann, Director of Public Health, Data Modernization and Informatics at ASTHO, shares how ASTHO’s new Data Modernization Primer and Tactical Guides can help public health departments improve data modernization efforts by giving them a place to start; Dr. Jewel Mullen, ASTHO alum and Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, earned the W. Neal Kocurek Health Advocacy Award from the People’s Community Clinic for outstanding leadership and dedication to health equity; Dr. Ngozi Ezike, ASTHO alum and President and CEO of Sinai Chicago, will be a speaker at the upcoming 2025 TEDxArlington Heights “Under the Surface” Conference; and ASTHO will host the third session of the Accelerate series in the Ignite, Accelerate, and Activate workshop on August 14th, discussing accountability and feedback.      Bagdasarian Op-Ed: We must work to keep overdose deaths down in Michigan ASTHO Resource: Data Modernization Primer and Tactical Guides People's Community Clinic: 2025 There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch - Honoring Dr. Jewel Mullen TEDxArlington Heights  ASTHO Webinar: Ignite, Accelerate, and Activate: Series 2, Session 3: Accountability, Performance, Feedback  

Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and CEO of Your Local Epidemiologist, addresses the intersection between health and politics and provides words of encouragement to her fellow colleagues in public health; Grace Lee, Senior Analyst at ASTHO, describes a recent ASTHO blog article that dives into how strategic public health messaging can make it more approachable for communities; and a new ASTHO brief dives into how to cultivate a culture of community and belonging in the workplace.  Your Local Epidemiologist ASTHO Blog: Strategic Public Health Messaging Drives Change ASTHO Brief: Cultivating a Culture of Community and Belonging in the Workplace  

Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and CEO of Your Local Epidemiologist, shares how her public health newsletter helps to educate readers about the policies and science impacting public health today; Tracy Gruber, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, explains how the state’s new behavioral health commission works to connect its fragmented mental health infrastructure; ASTHO will host a webinar on Wednesday, July 30th, to teach participants how to navigate the new suicide prevention infrastructure legal maps; and a new ASTHO resource can help jurisdictions promote public health and avoid adverse childhood experiences by prioritizing economic support policies.  Your Local Epidemiologist Utah Behavioral Health Master Plan ASTHO Webinar: State and Territorial Infrastructure for Suicide Prevention: Exploring New Legal Maps ASTHO Web Page: Prioritizing Economic Support Policies to Prevent ACEs and Promote Public Health  

Ali Maffey, Vice President of Social and Behavioral Health at ASTHO, explains how ASTHO’s new legal map assists with suicide prevention infrastructure; Noell Stone, Practicum and Capstone Director at the University of New Mexico’s College of Population Health, shares why two of New Mexico’s universities developed a unified framework for applied public health training; ASTHO is now accepting applications for its DELPH program; ASTHO member Dr. Brooke Cunningham of Minnesota and ASTHO alumni Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman of Maryland and Paula Nickelson of Missouri were announced as new board members of the Public Health Accreditation Board; and a new ASTHO blog article describes a recent assessment of public health data aimed at better understanding the health needs of people with disabilities.  ASTHO Web Page: New ASTHO Legal Map Illuminates State and Territorial Suicide Prevention Infrastructure ASTHO Webinar: State and Territorial Infrastructure for Suicide Prevention: Exploring New Legal Maps University of New Mexico: New Mexico Universities Join Forces to Bolster Public Health Training ASTHO Leadership Development Public Health Accreditation Board: PHAB Announces 2025-26 Board of Directors ASTHO Blog: Designing With, Not For: Stakeholder-Centered Approaches to Disability Health Data  

Dr. Kris Mork, Chief Data Officer for Leidos’ Health & Civil Sector, explains how Leidos is modernizing Medicaid. Leidos Web Page: Leidos awarded Medicaid Enterprise Systems Integrator contract Leidos Web Page: Modernizing CDC's information technology to meet growing public health needs ASTHO Web Page: Innovation Advisory Council  

Catherine Murphy, Analyst of Government Affairs at ASTHO, describes the impact of potential cuts to federally funded public health preparedness programs in a new ASTHO Federal Health Policy Update; Monique Farmer, President of Avant Solutions, shares what she’ll be discussing in today’s ASTHO webinar on public health communication strategies; the highlights from ASTHO’s recent INSPIRE: Readiness webinar on rumors and public trust are available online now; and Sheila Sjolander, Interim Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, is welcomed as ASTHO’s newest member.  ASTHO Federal Health Policy Update: Federal Preparedness Programs Support Health Departments ASTHO Webinar: Enhancing Public Health Communication: Tools for Engagement & Visibility ASTHO Web Page: Highlights from INSPIRE: Readiness - Tackling Public Health Communication Conundrums: Rumors and Public Trust Sheila Sjolander Bio  

Amy Ciarlo, Senior Analyst for Chronic Disease Risk Factors at ASTHO, describes ASTHO’s new Health Policy Update on recent legislation focused on limiting the risk of older adult falls; Rebecca Ruvane, Senior Program Analyst at the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, discusses their joint webinar with ASTHO taking place tomorrow, July 24th, at 11 a.m. ET on data collection methods that are used to analyze people with disabilities; ASTHO is hosting a webinar tomorrow, July 24th, at 2 p.m. ET on tools for communication in public health; and John Auerbach, ASTHO past president and Senior Vice President for ICF, will participate in a Public Health Institute webinar next Wednesday, July 30th, to talk about how AI in public health can help meet community needs.  ASTHO Health Policy Update: Strengthening Policies to Prevent Older Adult Falls CSTE + ASTHO Webinar: Building an Infrastructure for Disability Health Surveillance ASTHO Blog: Creating Inclusive Disability Data Systems ASTHO Blog: Designing With, Not For: Stakeholder-Centered Approaches to Disability Health Data ASTHO Webinar: Enhancing Public Health Communication: Tools for Engagement & Visibility Public Health Institute Webinar: AI in Public Health: Amplifying Our Ability to Meet the Needs in Our Communities  

Dr. Robert Goldstein, ASTHO Member and the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, takes us through how his department is using the Public Health Infrastructure Grant. PHIG Partners Web Page PHIG Newsletter  

Dr. Vanessa Coffman, Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, shares how the organization’s new Food Safety Culture Toolkit can help public health officials strengthen food safety efforts; Dr. Michelle Morse, Acting Commissioner for the New York City Health Department, explains how their new series, “Living with Long Covid,” is helping to educate New Yorkers about the illness; ASTHO will host a webinar on Thursday, July 24th, about effective communication strategies to enhance public health messaging; ASTHO has developed resources to help jurisdictions implement upstream policies that prevent adverse childhood experiences; and next Wednesday, July 23rd, the second session of the Accelerate series in ASTHO’s Ignite, Accelerate, and Activate online workshop will take place to discuss conflict and collaboration.  Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness Web Page: Food Safety Culture Toolkit New York City Department of Health Web Page: The risks and realities of Long COVID: A discussion with Dr. Michelle Morse and Matt McGorry New York City Department of Health Web Page: Living with Long COVID - Matt McGorry's story New York City Department of Health Web Page: Facts vs Fiction - What is Long COVID? A discussion with Dr. Michelle Morse and Matt McGorry ASTHO Webinar: Enhancing Public Health Communication: Tools for Engagement & Visibility ASTHO Web Page: Upstream Policies to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences ASTHO Workshop: Ignite, Accelerate, and Activate: Series 2, Session 2: Conflict & Collaboration