Public Health On Call

1 in 3 Americans believes the pandemic is over, but waves of illness and hospitalizations continue to cause signifiant disruption and death. Dr. David Dowdy returns to the podcast to talk with Lindsay Smith Rogers about how COVID-19 is impacting both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, why there were so many deaths of vaccinated people from omicron (hints: sheer numbers and outsize impacts on older and immunocompromised individuals), and a look at where we are now and what we can expect in the coming months.

As the world watches reported outbreaks of monkeypox, researchers are trying to learn more about how and why the virus is spreading. Dr. Eric Toner, an expert in bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about what monkeypox is and where it comes from, how it spreads, treatments and prevention, and why these outbreaks are important to know about but not necessarily cause for alarm.

Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health and author of the book "The Contagion Next Time" talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about why the US was a "sitting duck" at the onset of the pandemic. They also discuss what needs to change in public health—and society—to be better prepared for day-to-day challenges and the next emergency.

This week, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is holding its spring graduation ceremonies. Today, Caitlin Ceryes, a soon-to-be PhD in Environmental Health and Engineering, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what led her to a career in public health, her diverse research ranging from soda taxes to sustainable aquaculture, and how the pandemic caused her to pivot her dissertation work to focus on COVID-19 occupational hazards for essential food workers.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness month, Christen Linke Young, the deputy assistant to President Biden for Health and Veteran's Affairs, talks with Josh Sharfstein about the mental health component of the President's Unity Agenda. The ambitious plan aims to build the mental health workforce, make mental health care much more accessible, and invest in resilience to prevent mental health disorders. You can read about the President's mental health agenda here.

During the pandemic, the US Surgeon General declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health—a recognition of a crisis long in the making. Psychologist and researcher Tamar Mendelson, talks with Josh Sharfstein about what young people are experiencing, who is most affected, and what can be done to help young people thrive.

Since February 2021, Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security, has been working with HHS as part of the government response to COVID-19. Now, Dr. Inglesby returns to the podcast to talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what he learned from inside government, the importance of renewed funding from Congress, the potential of test-to-treat programs, and his assessment of the state of the pandemic.

Since 1893, public health nurses have served the rural communities of Alaska, mainly providing individual patient care for infectious diseases like TB. Public health nurse Lorne Carroll serves an area of about 15,000 people across four Alaskan native villages. He talks with Stephanie Desmon about how public health nursing has changed in recent years with more emphasis on community and systems care, the unique demands of a public health nurse in Alaska, and how COVID has impacted their work, highlighting both challenges and strengths.

Humanitarian expert Dr. Paul Spiegel is back from Poland where he has been working with the WHO for the last six weeks. Spiegel talks with Stephanie Desmon about his work helping to coordinate the massive response for millions of Ukranian refugees seeking shelter throughout Europe. They talk about providing psychological first aid and basic care for refugees, what makes this situation different from others, and the frustration that many humanitarian crises aren't always met with the same resources and support.

On this special Mother's Day episode, Public Health On Call host Dr. Josh Sharfstein interviews retired pediatrician, Dr. Margaret Sharfstein, aka Josh's mom. Together they discuss the early stages of COVID, the impact it had on her perception of age, her concerns throughout the pandemic, and even why she nicknamed him "Dr. No".