Public Health Review Morning Edition

As flu cases climb across the country and pediatric deaths rise, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, ASTHO member and Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive, joins us to break down what this flu season means for families, health agencies, and health care systems.  Dr. Bagdasarian discusses the troubling decline in flu vaccine uptake since 2020, the risks of overlapping surges of flu, COVID-19, and RSV, and why flu vaccination remains critical, even when it doesn’t prevent every infection. She explains how vaccines reduce severe illness and hospitalizations, helping protect already-strained health systems. The conversation also explores vaccine hesitancy during pregnancy, the importance of maternal vaccination, and how personal stories paired with data can help rebuild trust. Dr. Bagdasarian shares insight into the emerging H3N2 subclade K flu strain, what early data shows about vaccine effectiveness, and how public health officials are tracking flu trends using multiple surveillance tools.Meeting Home Page

In this episode and as part of our PHIG Impact series, Amy Perkins of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services talks about how the state is rethinking public health infrastructure funding to make life easier for local and tribal health departments. Amy explains how Wisconsin is using the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) to reduce administrative burden, decentralize funding management, and prioritize flexibility over red tape.  Amy discusses practical strategies like housing PHIG within a partnership-focused office, streamlining grant processes, supporting accreditation by directly covering PHAB fees, and quickly moving funds through regional service and resource-sharing grants. Amy also shares what she’s hearing from the field: how flexible funding is helping health departments sustain staff, invest in professional development, strengthen foundational capabilities, and better respond to community needs.About the PHIG National Partners - Public Health Infrastructure Grant

As part of our State Health Policy portfolio, ASTHO releases an annual legislative prospectus: a series of policy briefs summarizing state and territorial legislation that impacts public health. Today, Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO’s CEO, will summarize the 2026 prospectus, identify trends in public health law for the next year, and provide a high-level overview for public health professionals and policymakers in time for upcoming legislative sessions.Accredible Unveils Certified Impact Awards 2025 WinnersPH-HERO | ASTHOPH-HERO | ASTHO

For the first time, all eight U.S. territories and freely associated states have been included in PHWINS, or the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey. Rachel Hare Bork joins the show to discuss how this landmark pilot effort came together, why it took extensive travel and collaboration to make it happen, and what the results reveal about the public health workforce across the islands.  She explores key findings, like the islands’ notably younger workforce, gaps in public health education, and the powerful new data leaders can use to advocate for resources. She also digs into why counting these communities matters for both territorial planning and the national public health conversation, and what it will take to continue this work in future PHWINS cycles.Webinar Registration - ZoomSubscribe | ASTHO

As health departments modernize their data systems, an unexpected challenge has emerged: traditional public health job classifications no longer match the reality of today’s data landscape. In this episode, Ari Whiteman, ASTHO’s Senior Advisor for Public Health Data and Informatics Workforce, talks about why the field urgently needs new informatics-focused roles, and what it will take to build them. Whiteman explains how interoperability, electronic health records, and complex data pipelines have outpaced legacy classifications like epidemiologist or public health analyst. Leveraging the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG), state, local, and territorial health agencies can build classification systems that enhance recruitment and retention of an informatics-savvy workforce. Updating job classifications can help clarify new roles, alleviate pressure on existing roles, and enable health agencies to sustain workforce infrastructure that is flexible and forward-looking. He discusses the hesitancy and bureaucracy that make change difficult, the opportunity cost of doing nothing, and why modernizing job classifications is essential for faster outbreak response, stronger surveillance, and smarter public health decision-making.Data Modernization Primer and Tactical Guides | ASTHOHow to Modernize Data Infrastructure: A Toolkit for Public Health Leaders | ASTHOASTHO Announces Sixth Developing Executive Leaders in Public Health Cohort | ASTHO

In today's PHIG Impact Report, Patricia Tilley, ASTHO member and associate commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, details the critical needs the Public Health Infrastructure Grant has helped with in her state.  This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

New research out of New York shows that naloxone didn’t just save more than 6,500 lives in two years—it delivered one of the most dramatic returns on investment in public health. In this episode, Dr. James McDonald, ASTHO member and commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, breaks down the first statewide health-economic evaluation of naloxone administration. Dr. McDonald discusses how New York’s extensive overdose prevention programs provided the data needed to measure outcomes, why the study went beyond distribution counts to assess real-world effectiveness, and how the results—more than $3,200 saved for every $1 spent—can help other states make the case for investing in harm reduction. The conversation also explores lessons for policymakers, the essential role of training bystanders, and why naloxone remains the cornerstone of a comprehensive response to the opioid crisis. A clear, data-driven look at how one tool is saving lives—and why scaling it matters now more than ever.The Key Role of Cross-Sector Partnerships in Navigating Barriers | ASTHOWebinar Registration - Zoom

In this episode, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health and ASTHO member Dr. Debra Bogen joins us to break down a major change in national vaccine guidance, and why it has sparked concern among pediatric and public health leaders. Dr. Bogen explains the recent ACIP vote that weakened the long-standing recommendation for all newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, a practice that has nearly eliminated the disease in young children since the early 1990s.  She shares why this shift could create confusion for parents, what’s at stake for infant health, and how Pennsylvania is doubling down on clarity, access, and science-based information, including through a recent executive order from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Dr. Bogen also speaks to the broader moment facing public health, from rising misinformation to the importance of unified, evidence-driven messaging.Cultivating a Culture of Community and Belonging in the Workplace | ASTHO

In this episode, ASTHO member and Michigan Department of Health & Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian breaks down a major development in national vaccine policy: the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ decision to narrow its guidance on the hepatitis B birth dose. Dr. Bagdasarian, who serves as ASTHO’s liaison to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, shares why the shift toward “individual decision-making” raises concerns for newborn safety, health equity, and public trust in vaccines.  She discusses the vulnerabilities in our health system that could leave some infants unprotected, how localized transmission risks extend beyond maternal infection, and why softening long-standing guidance may unintentionally fuel doubt about other vaccines. Dr. Bagdasarian also explains why Michigan—and many other states—are choosing to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation to continue the universal birth dose.Designing for Connection Webinar Series | ASTHOHome | Public Health Careers.org

As part of our spotlight series on artificial intelligence in public health, today’s episode explores the BEACON Portal—a groundbreaking collaboration between Google and the state of Illinois designed to streamline access to behavioral health services for children and families.  Dr. Dana Weiner, Chief Officer for Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation in the Illinois Governor’s Office, and Julia Strehlow, Senior Advisor at the Illinois Department of Public Health discuss how BEACON centralizes information for families, enables secure cross-agency communication, and uses transparent AI-powered matching to connect young people to the services they’re eligible for—faster and more accurately than ever before.  The conversation highlights Beacon’s unique development process rooted in family and provider feedback, the platform’s rigorous privacy and security protections, and how Illinois is partnering with clinicians statewide to boost adoption.