Public Health Review Morning Edition

Ashley Hebert, Senior Program Manager for Community and Government Relations with the Center for Black Health and Equity, says despite challenges organizations must continue their work to protect communities of color from tobacco industry campaigns; Ashley Ottewell, ASTHO Director of Public Health Data Modernization and Informatics at ASTHO, discusses a JPHMP article written about health equity science; and Kristin Sullivan, ASTHO Director of Public Health Systems Improvement and Infrastructure, discusses a project to help leaders in the U.S. Virgin Islands improve their business processes. ASTHO Brief: Engaging Communities Is a Critical Tobacco Control Strategy Journal of Public Health Management and Practice Article: Leveraging Science to Advance Health Equity ASTHO STAR Center ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Dr. Liz Wood, Scholarly Assistant Professor at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University, discusses her grant-winning research on disability data; Julia Von Alexander, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Island Support, says leaders with the Federated States of Micronesia are working to improve healthcare access for remote island populations; Veronica Halloway, Executive Director for the National Association of State Offices of Minority Health, reflects on National Minority Health Month; and Trust for America’s Health has announced that ASTHO has earned an Age-Friendly Public Health Systems Recognition. Association of University Centers on Disabilities News Release: Announcement of AUCD-ASTHO Grant Awardees ASTHO Blog Article: Improving Access to Healthcare in the Pacific: Q&A with Patrick Abraham Trust for America’s Health News Release: The Association for State and Territorial Health Officials Achieves Age-Friendly Public Health Systems Recognition

Sarah Auer, Program Analyst for the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, tells us about the Applied Epidemiology Competencies toolkit; Lillie Seels, Director of Practice Transformation at the National Community Action Partnership, says ASTHO’s vaccine equity toolkit was developed using real-world experience; Jon Junior Calvo, Chief of Staff for the Office of the Governor of Guam, discusses why ASTHO’s business process improvement approach has been time well spent; and an ASTHO webinar will focus on state communication campaigns to combat the syphilis epidemic. Applied Epidemiology Competencies Toolkit ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO Helping Agencies and Providers Advance Vaccine Equity Public Health Review Podcast: Using Business Process Improvement to Address Procurement Challenges in Guam ASTHO Webinar: Combatting the Rise of Syphilis Through State Communication Campaigns

Dr. Michelle Fiscus, Chief Medical Officer at the Association of Immunization Managers, discusses numbers released in March that show the RSV immunization for infants is 90 percent effective; Dr. Tom Frieden, President and Chief Executive Officer of Resolve to Save Lives, says public health needs to take three steps to rebuild trust in communities; Darrah Dunlap, Food Protection Program Manager at the Illinois Department of Public Health, tells us about a cottage food guide to help people in business and local health departments in Illinois; and Puerto Rico has an online dashboard to identify and address health equity concerns in their jurisdiction. CDC Webpage: CDC study shows effectiveness of RSV immunization for infants STAT Opinion Article: To rebuild trust in public health: Better communication, fewer mandates, and small wins ASTHO Webpage: Developing a Data Dashboard to Address Health Equity Concerns: Insights from Puerto Rico

Dr. Tom Frieden, President and Chief Executive Officer of Resolve to Save Lives, shares three steps he says are needed to rebuild trust in public health; Melissa Magstadt, Secretary of Health for the South Dakota Department of Health and an ASTHO Member, discusses how their states’ mobile clinics aim to bring health services to where people are; and a new ASTHO report outlines suicide prevention resources for agencies. STAT News Opinion Article: To rebuild trust in public health – Better communication, fewer mandates, and small wins South Dakota Department of Health News Release: South Dakota Department of Health Unveils Wellness on Wheels Mobile Clinics to Improve Healthcare Access to Underserved Communities ASTHO Webpage: Data Sources and Strategies for Suicide Prevention Among Disproportionately Affected Populations ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Dr. Audrey Juhasz, Researcher at the Institute for Disability Research Policy and Practice at Utah State University, discusses findings from their disability data analysis research; Nada Hassanein, Health Inequities Reporter at Stateline, talks about her article which details research from UC San Francisco dealing with maternal implicit bias training; and ASTHO’s PH-HERO Workforce Resource Center can help protect and support your teams. Association of University Centers on Disabilities Webpage: Announcement of AUCD-ASTHO Grant Awardees The Salt Lake Tribune Article: Opinion – Too often, Utah neglects the mental health needs of individuals with disabilities Chronic Health Conditions Among People with Disabilities Living in the Mountain West Stateline News Article: To close racial gap in maternal health, some states take aim at implicit bias ASTHO PH-HERO Workforce Resource Center ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Dr. Edward Simmer, Director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, talks about a dashboard for state-wide overdose data; Chevelle Glymph, Senior Director of Public Health at the Association for University Centers of Disabilities, discusses grant funding that focuses on disability data analysis; an ASTHO brief emphasizes the need for specialized care for high-risk pregnant persons and infants; and Dr. Jerome Larkin is the new Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Webpage: Overdose Biosurveillance Dashboard Association of University Centers on Disabilities Webpage: Announcement of AUCD-ASTHO Grant Awardees ASTHO Brief: Enhancing Consumer Awareness Improves Access to Risk-Appropriate Care ASTHO Webpage: Jerome Larkin

Denise Octavia Smith, Executive Director of the National Association of Community Health Workers, discusses the need for sustained funding for Community Health Workers; and Dr. Scott Hadland, Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Mass General for Children, discusses a survey that reveals most pediatricians don’t feel equipped to help teenage patients struggling with drug addiction. National Association of Community Health Workers Webpage American Academy of Pediatrics Webpage: Perceptions, Preparedness & Practices Treating Adolescent Opioid Use in Primary Care KFF Health News Article: More Kids Are Dying of Drug Overdoses. Could Pediatricians Do More to Help?

Monika Salvage, Project Director for Cayuga County in New York, explains their participation in the HEALing Communities Study; Dr. Hao Yu, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, conducted a national study on the effect of record heat on EMS; and ASTHO has a new resource to help health agencies address suicide. Healing Cayuga Webpage HEALing Communities Study Webpage NIH HEALing Communities Initiative County-Level Disparities in Heat-Related Emergencies Study ASTHO Webpage: Suicide Indicator Tool ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Chris Teale, a journalist with Route Fifty, discusses a federal rule that requires websites to adopt standards outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act; Courtney Youngbar, ASTHO Director of Environmental Health, tells us about the concern over a tick-borne disease called Alpha-Gal Syndrome; an ASTHO brief explains how agencies can help pregnant people and infants find the specialized care they need; and an ASTHO framework outlines public health's role in mental health promotion and suicide prevention. ADA Fact Sheet: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities Route Fifty News Article: Feds move to make gov websites more accessible to people with disabilities ASTHO Blog Article: What Health Officials Should Know About Alpha-Gal Syndrome ASTHO Brief: Implementing Levels of Maternal Care Improves Access to Risk-Appropriate Care ASTHO Report: Public Health's Role in Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention

Ellen Cartmell, Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program Manager at the Kentucky Department for Public Health, updates us on her state’s tobacco situation for World No Tobacco Day; an ASTHO blog article outlines how your jurisdiction might leverage its JUUL settlement funds to promote public health; and Dr. Timothy Hunt, Research Scientist at Columbia University, discusses the Healing Communities Study which aims to provide possible solutions to the opioid crisis. World No Tobacco Day Webpage ASTHO Blog Article: How States Can Leverage JUUL Settlement Funds to Promote Public Health NIH Webpage: Healing Communities Study ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

John Bowman, Executive Vice President for U.S. Tobacco Programs at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, sounds the alarm about the tobacco industry’s relentless drive to encourage young people to use their products; Kayley Humm, ASTHO Senior Analyst on the Overdose Prevention Team, says there is some encouraging news about the rate of overdose deaths; ASTHO continues its celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month; and learn how to promote healthy aging as a public health priority in an ASTHO learning module now online. ASTHO Legislative Prospectus: Tobacco and Nicotine Products – The Unwavering Public Health Crisis CDC Webpage: Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts ASTHO Webpage: Integrating Healthy Aging into Public Health

Helen Branswell, Senior Writer on Infectious Diseases and Global Health at STAT, reflects on her early coverage of the avian flu virus impacting mostly dairy cows across the country; Betsy Mayotte, President of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, discusses an upcoming webinar on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program; ASTHO continues its celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with reflections from public health leaders in the island areas; and an ASTHO blog article outlines how public health agencies are preparing for another wildfire season. ASTHO Blog Article: From the Chief Medical Officer – Key Takeaways from ASTHO’s HPAI Scientific Symposium Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinar Webpage: Public Service Promise Webinar for BCHC, APHL and Safe States Alliance ASTHO Blog Article: Where There’s Fire, There’s Smoke—States Prepare for Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke

Maggie Davis, ASTHO Director of State Health Policy, updates us on public health policy updates from state legislatures across the country; Cody Kinsley, North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services, says North Carolina will continue to build a network of behavioral health urgent care centers; and Moses E. Pretrick, Assistant Secretary for Health at the FSM Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO's 2024 Legislative Session Update – Part Two ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO’s 2024 Legislative Session Update – Part One North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services News Release: Investment in Strengthening North Carolina’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response System ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

ASTHO staff, members, and alumni, discuss a recent meeting focused on the implementation of the Public Health Infrastructure Grant program for the island areas; Dr. Mark Levine, Commissioner of Health for the State of Vermont, says his state’s Facing Suicide Vermont website is more than a collection of online links to available resources; Dr. Ari Bernstein, Director of the National Center for Environmental Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at the CDC, tells us about a new tool available to help people avoid the dangers of hot weather. FacingSuicideVT Webpage Vermont Support Line Webpage ASTHO Webpage: Supporting Mental Health – Addressing a New Public Health Crisis NWS HeatRisk Webpage ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Elizabeth Hertel, Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, tells us how her department is working to improve mental health; Kathleen Ho, Deputy Director for Environmental Health with Hawaii’s State Department of Health, explains her team’s response to the historic wildfires in 2023; and an ASTHO blog article looks at five trends from across state legislatures that you should be aware of. Michigan Webpage: Mental Health Mental Health Awareness Month Webpage Hawaii Department of Health Webpage: Maui Wildfire Response ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO’s 2024 Legislative Session Update: Part One ASTHO Public Health Review Morning Edition Episode 669 ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Dr. JP Leider, Associate Professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, tells us what the ASTHO Profile reveals about the public health workforce; Dr. Carolyn Wester, Director of the CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis, talks about national viral hepatitis elimination goals; and an ASTHO webinar will help you communicate more effectively through an equity lens. ASTHO Profile CDC Webpage: Viral Hepatitis ASTHO Webinar: Bi-directional Communication Through a Health Equity Lens with Public Health Practitioners ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Lillian Colasurdo, ASTHO Director of Public Health Law and Data Sharing, tells us about part one of ASTHO’s 2024 Legislative session update; Dr. Katrina Piercy, Director of the Division of Prevention Science in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, discusses the federal government’s report on physical activity guidelines for older adults; healthy aging is the focus of a new ASTHO resource; and podcasters in the software space says the ASTHO Profile dashboard is one of the best-designed websites they have ever seen. ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO’s 2024 Legislative Session Update: Part One HHS Webpage: Midcourse Report – Implementation Strategies for Older Adults Older Americans Month Webpage The White House Webpage ASTHO Brief: Public Health Frameworks to Advance Healthy Aging ASTHO Profile

Liz Gipson, Senior Program Officer at the Center for Healthcare Strategies, discusses a case study about New Jersey contraception legislation that ASTHO partnered on; Catherine Jones, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Government Affairs, says the federal government is beginning to have discussions about the rapidly aging U.S. population; and an ASTHO blog article offers several perspectives on how a diverse public health workforce can be beneficial. ASTHO Webpage: Contraception Access Learning Community – Resources New Jersey Webpage: A Study of New Jersey Assembly Bill 4503 ASTHO Blog Article: Federal Discussions on Aging Move Center Stage ASTHO Blog Article: Infusing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into State Public Health Agencies – Perspectives from Connecticut, New York, and Tennessee ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Dr. Sameer Vohra, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, tells us about his state’s “Pause to Heal” campaign; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, discusses a recent meeting she attended where she heard from staff members with the House Minority Leader’s office; the National Coalition of STD Directors and ASTHO will host a webinar on May 22 that will feature a “policy 101” perspective focused on state legislative sessions; and Emma Talkington, ASTHO Senior Analyst on the Environmental Health team, recaps the State Environmental Health Directors meeting. Illinois Press Release: Illinois Launches New "Pause to Heal" Firearm Restraining Order Education Campaign MyStateline News Article: Illinois reaches milestone in distribution of gun locks: 100,000 in one year NCSD Webinar: Navigating the State Legislative Session and Department Collaboration: SPEAKS Session with ASTHO and NCSD