Public Health Review Morning Edition

Mike Ellsworth, Federal Relations Director at the Washington State Department of Health, says his organization has released a study of telehealth activities and opportunities; Erika Kirtz, an Epidemiologist at the Tennessee Department of Health, tells us the power of ASTHO's Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health program; and ASTHO has collected its top 10 public health resources from 2023 for your viewing. Washington State Department of Health Webpage: 2023 Telehealth Report Washington State Department of Health Webpage: Clarion Call for Public Health's Role in Telehealth & Digital Health v1 ASTHO News Release: Leading the Change: ASTHO Program Advances Diversity in Public Health Leadership ASTHO Webpage: Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO's 10 Most Popular Resources of 2023 ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Brianna Gorman, ASTHO Analyst for Performance Excellence, explains ways to connect public health and health care in communities; Dr. Lindsay Weaver, ASTHO member and State Health Commissioner for the Indiana Department of Health, tells us how Indiana was able to get lawmakers to approve a 1500% increase in funding last year; Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer, reminds readers there's still a lot of concern about COVID and possible mutations of the virus in a news article; and ASTHO in collaboration with the CDC has made it easier to search and examine overdose legislation with an online dashboard. ASTHO Blog Article: Legislative Action Bridging Public Health and Clinical Healthcare ASTHO Webinar: Investing in Public Health Infrastructure – Indiana's Success Story Scripps News Article: CDC says no peak anytime soon for COVID-19, flu and RSV ASTHO Webpage: ASTHO's Public Health Legal Mapping Center

Natasha Harper Levy, ASTHO Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, reflects on the National Day of Racial Healing's value and purpose; Margaux Haviland, ASTHO Director of Preparedness and Response Coordination, explains what users will see first as ASTHO's new INSPIRE Readiness website goes live; and Dr. Steven Stack, ASTHO President and Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, talks about the increase in respiratory illness cases across the country. National Day of Racial Healing Webpage ASTHO Blog Article: How the Civil Rights March on Washington Embodied Key Public Health Tenets ASTHO Webinar: INSPIRE – Readiness Website Launch - Strengthening Public Health Preparedness NPR News Article: Navigating the respiratory illnesses — including COVID — going around post-holidays ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Kyle Gasaway, ASTHO Communications Manager for the Leadership and Learning Unit, talks about the very successful Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health program; Jeffrey Ekoma, Senior Director for Government Affairs, is monitoring progress on bills that fund public health as Congress faces deadlines to approve key spending measures; Melissa Lewis, ASTHO Senior Director, Health Equity and Diversity Initiatives, examines the connections between public health and the March on Washington; and ASTHO launches a new website on Tuesday. ASTHO Webpage: Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health ASTHO Blog Article: How the Civil Rights March on Washington Embodied Key Public Health Tenets ASTHO Webinar: INSPIRE - Readiness Website Launch - Strengthening Public Health Preparedness

Dr. Sameer Vohra, ASTHO Member and Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, tells us new laws in Illinois will seek to address the deadly effects of fentanyl; Paul Schramm, Health Scientist for the CDC, details the far-reaching and worsening impacts of human-caused climate change; and ASTHO's webinar on "Leveraging Policy and Funding to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences" is on January 29. Peoria Journal Star News Article: New laws in Illinois 2024 – Dangers of fentanyl a priority Fifth National Climate Assessment ASTHO Webinar: Leveraging Policy and Funding to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Margaux Haviland, ASTHO Director for Preparedness and Response Coordination, shares that the Inspire Readiness website goes live on January 16; Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer, wants public health to focus its COVID vaccine promotion on key audiences; an ASTHO webinar focused on the success story of Indiana's public health transformation through SB 4 is on February 6; and ASTHO is hiring for several positions. ASTHO Webinar: INSPIRE - Readiness Website Launch - Strengthening Public Health Preparedness The Hill News Article: Why fears over a 'tripledemic' are surging ASTHO Report: Investing in Indiana's Public Health Infrastructure Through Community-Driven Policy Change ASTHO Webinar: Investing in Public Health Infrastructure – Indiana's Success Story ASTHO Webpage: Careers At ASTHO

Dr. Edward Simmer, Director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, dives deep into a new state health assessment; Melissa Touma, ASTHO's Director of the Public Health Infrastructure Program, tells us how Colorado used public health infrastructure grant funding to support a subscription to the public health digital library; and an ASTHO resource provides tools, recommendations, and literature to support the well-being of the public health workforce. South Carolina State Health Assessment Webpage ASTHO Webpage: PH-HERO Workforce Resource Center ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Tequila Terry, Director of State Innovation and Population Health at the CMS Innovation Center, discusses a new approach to health care costs and population health; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Relations, says Congress already has two funding deadlines important to public health; Kirk Smith, Director of the Minnesota Department of Health, tells us about a recent salmonella outbreak; and state and territorial health agencies face challenges in securing funding to address social determinants of health. CMS Webpage: States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model CMS Webpage: AHEAD Model Frequently Asked Questions Grants.gov Webpage ASTHO Public Health Review Morning Edition Episode 574: Tracking Respiratory Illness, Congressional Deadlines Loom CIFOR Webpage ASTHO Webpage: Braiding and Layering Funding to Address Housing and Food Insecurity

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer, is tracking reports of respiratory illness across the U.S.; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Relations, discusses a federal funding deadline that is quickly approaching; the first census of state and island area public health agencies compiled since before the pandemic is now online; and an ASTHO report focuses on stigma associated with opioid therapy. ASTHO Blog Article: From the Chief Medical Officer: Preventing Respiratory Disease Spread with Less Authority, More Influence ASTHO Webpage: Profile of State and Territorial Public Health ASTHO Report: How State Health Departments Can Reduce Stigma to Improve Care for Patients Taking Long-Term Opioid Therapy

Annie Evans, ASTHO Director of Preparedness and Disability Integration, tells us ASTHO is working to create a definition of disability to be used in the ESSENCE program; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO Senior Director for Government Affairs, says legislative priorities are organized into three categories; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser helped write and edit a book that outlines skills that could be helpful to public health professionals; and an ASTHO report outlines new approaches to public health challenges in rural areas. ASTHO Brief: Better Defining Disability Will Make Data More Inclusive and Usable ASTHO Brief: Defining Disability for Syndromic Surveillance ASTHO Webpage: 2024 Federal Legislative Agenda ASTHO Webpage: Building Strategic Skills for Better Health: A Primer for Public Health Professionals ASTHO Report: Supporting Resilience in Rural Areas Through Cross-Sector Partnerships