Public Health Review Morning Edition

Dr. Lisa Piercey, Tennessee's Health Commissioner, reflects on her time in office as she prepares to leave her position at the end of this week; Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director of the District of Columbia Department of Health, says her department created programs to address vaccine access and hesitancy by listening to community feedback; and ASTHO's Dr. Kim Wyche Etheridge and Wisconsin State Health Officer Paula Tran talk about health equity in a video conversation now online. Washington Post – Live: Health Equity Vaccines ASTHO Q&A: Health Equity, Minority Health & COVID-19 – A Conversation with Paula Tran and Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge

Gaafar Uherbelau, the Minister of Health in Palau, discusses the COVID-19 pandemic making landfall last December; Angela Minicuci, former Communications Director for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, reflects on lessons learned from the contaminated water supplies in Flint, Michigan, and their application today; and one last reminder to register for the ASTHO Public Health TechXpo to still watch all the discussions on demand. ASTHO Website: Public Health TechXpo

Linda Mendonca, President of the National Association of School Nurses, discusses nurses needing a break, but also wanting more input regarding school health policy; Dr. Tom Simon, the Associate Director for Science in the Division of Violence Prevention with the CDC, elaborates on a way forward among record increases in the firearm homicide rate with public health leading the way; and a new ASTHO blog article explains recent changes to HRSA's Women's Preventive Services Guidelines. CDC Webpage: Vital Signs – Changes in Firearm Homicide and Suicide Rates ASTHO Policy Statement: Preventing Firearm Misuse, Injury, and Death ASTHO Blog Article: Understanding the Updated Women's Preventive Services Guidelines

Brian Dittmeier, Senior Director of Public Policy at the National WIC Association, tells us how public health agencies can support parents through the baby formula shortage; Lindsey Myers, ASTHO's Vice President for Social and Behavioral Health, discusses how public health agencies can help curb gun violence; ASTHO released an infographic offering ten strategies to help schools improve their behavioral health programs. CDC Webpage: Vital Signs – Changes in Firearm Homicide and Suicide Rates ASTHO Policy Statement: Preventing Firearm Misuse, Injury, and Death ASTHO Infographic: Improving Youth Behavioral Health Through School-Based Strategies

Lena Sun, National Health Reporter at The Washington Post, joined a closing panel at last week's ASTHO Public Health Tech Expo to offer her wishlist for public health data; Paula Tran, State Health Officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, says leaders need to think beyond data tech if they want to make progress; ASTHO's Public Health TechXpo may be over, but you can catch recordings of the discussions and panels by registering or logging in from the Expo home page. ASTHO Website: Public Health TechXpo ASTHO News Release: Getting Ahead of the Next Pandemic, Leaders Convene to Identify Solutions to Transform U.S. Health Data

Dr. Brian Dixon, Associate Professor at the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, says the workforce pipeline is filling up with public health students; Dr. Umair Shah, Washington Secretary of Health, explains the challenge of keeping people engaged when a crisis ends or lasts too long; and the ASTHO Public Health TechXpo may be over, but you can catch recordings of the discussions and panels by logging in from the Expo home page. ASTHO Website: Public Health TechXpo ASTHO News Release: Getting Ahead of the Next Pandemic, Leaders Convene to Identify Solutions to Transform U.S. Health Data

Dr. David Rhew, Microsoft's Global Chief Medical Officer, says there is technology available to help public health agencies standardize and modernize data; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, notes the challenge is not with technology; Janet Hamilton, Executive Director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, says data modernization efforts must protect communities; Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, wants public health agencies to consider new solutions; Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky's Health Commissioner, tells us his state has made great progress building its health information exchange, but it wasn't without challenges; and there's still time to access TechXpo content even though the event is over. ASTHO Website: Public Health TechXpo ASTHO News Release: Getting Ahead of the Next Pandemic, Leaders Convene to Identify Solutions to Transform U.S. Health Data

Dr. John Halamka, President of the Mayo Clinic Platform, kicked off the second day of ASTHO's Public Health TechXpo urging public health leaders to take advantage of what he calls a "golden period" in history; Dr. Lisa Piercey, Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health, explains how data systems must work better together if we hope to meet the nation's goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030; and you can still catch recordings of the discussions and panels by logging in from the TechXpo home page. ASTHO Website: Public Health TechXpo ASTHO News Release: Getting Ahead of the Next Pandemic, Leaders Convene to Identify Solutions to Transform U.S. Health Data

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia says continued federal investment can help keep the nation on the right track in the fight against the COVID-19 virus; Dr. David Rhew, Global Chief Medical Officer at Microsoft, explains how Smart Health Cards can give patients more control over their health information; and there's still time to sign up for ASTHO's Public Health TechXpo, kicking off its second day of discussions this morning at 11 a.m. eastern time. ASTHO Website: Public Health TechXpo ASTHO News Release: Getting Ahead of the Next Pandemic, Leaders Convene to Identify Solutions to Transform U.S. Health Data

Dr. Karen Remley, Director of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities with the CDC, discusses the SET-NET project to protect the health of pregnant people and their babies; Dr. Philip LoBue, Director of the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination for the CDC, puts tuberculosis infection rates into context; and the ASTHO Public Health TechXpo kicks off today, but there's still time to sign up. CDC Webpage: Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET) CDC Webpage: Treat TB Campaign ASTHO Website: Public Health TechXpo ASTHO News Release: Getting Ahead of the Next Pandemic, Leaders Convene to Identify Solutions to Transform U.S. Health Data