Public Health On Call

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
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Sep 4, 2025 • 18min

942 - Could One Health Prevent the Next Pandemic?

About this episode: Animal-to-human transmission of bacteria and viruses have triggered outbreaks of diseases like avian influenza, COVID-19, and Ebola. A public health approach called One Health can help us to better understand these cases—and possibly help prevent future pandemics. In this episode: Professors Emily Gurley and Raina Plowright explain how One Health investigations work, why they're an effective tool for addressing spillover events, and a new One Health Coursera course that you can preview for free: https://www.coursera.org/learn/one-health-investigations-of-outbreaks-and-spillover-events Guest: Emily S. Gurley, PhD, MPH, is a professor in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she focuses on infectious disease and outbreak investigation. Raina K. Plowright, PhD, MS, is a veterinarian and the Rudolf J. and Katharine L. Steffen Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: A Roadmap of Primary Pandemic Prevention Through Spillover Investigation—Emerging Infectious Diseases Healthy Ecosystems, Healthy Humans—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine What's the Difference? The Meaning of One Health—Global Health Now Can Spillover—How Viruses Move From Animals to Humans—Be Prevented?—Public Health On Call (November 2021) Transcript Information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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Sep 3, 2025 • 17min

941 - Back to School: How Vermont is Addressing Chronic Absence

About this episode: Post-pandemic rates of absenteeism continue to climb across the country as many students navigate concerns that include anxiety and food insecurity. One state is fostering new partnerships and using a public health approach to directly address hurdles to school attendance. In this episode: Pediatricians Deanna Haag and Heidi Schumacher detail their work alongside educators, policymakers, and other medical professionals to advance health and educational equity across rural Vermont. Guest: Dr. Deanna Haag is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Vermont and a pediatrician at Monarch Maples Pediatrics in Enosburg Falls, VT. Dr. Heidi Schumacher is a general pediatrician and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Vermont. She serves as faculty for the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program, a statewide initiative focused on improving children's health outcomes. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Every Day Counts: Reducing Absenteeism in Vermont's School—University of Vermont Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships All in for Attendance: Education and Public Health Leaders Release Framework to Address Chronic Absence from Schools—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Chronic Absenteeism Is a Vital Sign for Kids' Health. New Framework Seeks a Cure—The 74 Transcript Information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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Sep 2, 2025 • 8min

940 - A Brief Update: CDC in Crisis

About this episode: Last week the CDC was rocked by the abrupt removal of director Susan Monarez and the resignation of four other senior officials, following months of budget and personnel cuts. In this episode: a quick update from former CDC Director Tom Frieden about these concerning developments, how they might impact vaccine access this fall, and what they mean for public health writ large. Guest: Dr. Tom Frieden is a physician and the president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a global health mission focused on stopping preventable deaths. He previously served as the director of the CDC and commissioner of the New York City Health Department. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American's Health—New York Times CDC denies help for lead poisoning in Milwaukee schools due to layoffs—CBS News Personnel Cuts at the CDC—Public Health On Call (April 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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Aug 28, 2025 • 28min

939 - Unfiltered Conversations to Restore Trust in Public Health

About this episode: Back-to-back crises of the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 have pummeled American communities, eroding trust in public health. But what if restoring that trust could start with a simple conversation? In this episode: Maggie Bartlett shares how she's using her platform as co-host of the podcast, "Why Should I Trust You?", to forge human connections with those who feel left out of public health conversations and to debunk misinformation about measles, vaccines, and corporate influence. Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zCx9YY9EBWk Guest: Maggie L. Bartlett, PhD, is an assistant research professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the co-host of "Why Should I Trust You?". Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Inside A Rare Conversation Between MAHA Grassroots and Public Health Leaders—Why Should I Trust You? What I'm Learning from MAHA—Your Local Epidemiologist Why Should I Trust You?—www.whyshoulditrustyou.net Transcript Information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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Aug 27, 2025 • 20min

938 - Book Club—There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America

About this episode: Official measures of homeless Americans omit the millions of individuals and families that make up the "working homeless"—a segment of the population that, despite working full time, cannot secure stable housing. In this episode: Journalist Brian Goldstone pulls back the curtain on America's worsening homelessness crisis and interrogates the fractured relationship between employment and financial stability. Guest: Brian Goldstone, PhD, is a journalist and the author of There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Harper's, The New Republic, Guernica, and Jacobin. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: There Is No Place for Us—Penguin Random House The invisible homeless crisis that official statistics miss—Vox The New American Homeless—The New Republic Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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Aug 25, 2025 • 14min

937 - Meet the Future of Public Health

About this episode: Since the fifth grade, high schooler Nayesha Diwan has been fascinated by the world of public health. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she has immersed herself in research and advocacy, delivering speeches at her state's capitol and interning at an elite neurophysiology lab. In this episode: Nayesha explains how her mother's cancer diagnosis drew her to public health and reminds us how complex and impactful the field can be. Guest: Nayesha Diwan is a rising high school junior with a passion for science, health care, and public health. She is a semifinalist for the USA Biology Olympiad exam and is currently researching the blood brain barrier and neurological disorders. Nayesha is the host of the Global Health Frontlines podcast. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Global Health Frontlines—Spotify Influence the Choice—www.influencethechoice.org Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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Aug 21, 2025 • 12min

936 - The New Reality Facing Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA

About this episode: The reconciliation bill passed by Congress in July is set to unravel key aspects of the Affordable Care Act that have expanded health coverage to millions of Americans. In this episode: One of the architects of the ACA, Liz Fowler, outlines how work requirements, truncated enrollment periods, and higher premiums will change health care for Americans on Medicaid and Medicare and for those buying coverage through their state's marketplace. Guest: Elizabeth Fowler, PhD, JD, is a distinguished scholar in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and previously served as the director of the Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: How New Federal Legislation Will Affect Health Care Costs and Access for Americans—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health When Do the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's Health Care Provisions Go Into Effect?—Center for American Progress Health Provisions in the 2025 Federal Budget Reconciliation Law—KFF Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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Aug 20, 2025 • 15min

935 - World Mosquito Day: Harnessing New Tools to Jumpstart the Fight Against Malaria

About this episode: Progress in the global mission to eradicate malaria has stalled due to mosquito evolution, drug resistance, and underfunding. In this episode: Dr. Michael Adekunle Charles discusses what it will take to get this mission back on track, promising new tools recommended by WHO, and why a multisector approach to defeating malaria is crucial for achieving healthy outcomes. Guest: Dr. Michael Adekunle Charles, MPH, is the Chief Executive Officer of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria which brings together over 500 international partners dedicated to eliminating the disease. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. Show links and related content: CCP Plays Role in WHO Recommendation of Spatial Repellents for Malaria Control—Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs Anti-malarial drug resistance is making malaria normal again—African Arguments Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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Aug 18, 2025 • 25min

934 - Sickle Cell Disease: Genetic Therapies and Treatment Hurdles

About this episode: Sickle cell disease affects an estimated 100,000 people in the United States. Recent advancements in gene therapies and medicines like hydroxyurea are diminishing extreme pain, reducing strokes, and extending survival times for those afflicted by the disease. In this episode: leading sickle cell disease expert Dr. Mark Gladwin explains how revolutionary new treatments work and discusses the challenges to accessing life-saving care. Guest: Dr. Mark Gladwin is a physician-scientist and the Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. His research focuses include sickle cell disease and hypertension. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: New sickle cell gene therapies are a breakthrough, but solving how to pay their high prices is a struggle—CNBC Gene Therapy: What You Need to Know—Sickle Cell Disease Association of American No More Pain: Breakthrough Sickle Cell Treatment from Johns Hopkins Offers Curative Potential—Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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Aug 15, 2025 • 14min

933 - Fall Vaccine Confusion with Your Local Epidemiologist

About this episode: Fall vaccines for flu, RSV, and—more recently—COVID have long followed a uniform rollout schedule allowing clinics and pharmacies ample time to order and administer shots. But that process looks different this year, raising concerns about access. In this episode: Katelyn Jetelina, publisher of Your Local Epidemiologist, explains how changes to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the FDA are pushing back the timeline and changing recommendations for routine vaccinations. Guest: Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and scientific communicator. She is the co-founder of Health Trust Initiative, an adjunct professor at Yale School of Public Health, and a Senior Scientific Advisor to several government and non-profit agencies, including the CDC. In addition, Jetelina is the publisher of Your Local Epidemiologist. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: What's the plan for fall vaccines? If you're confused, you're not alone—Your Local Epidemiologist Covid cases rising in US as officials plan to restrict booster vaccines—The Guardian Will New Vaccine Recommendations Affect Your Fall Flu Shot?—AARP Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

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