Co-authors from CDC and the Alzheimer’s Association provide details about the new 2018-2023 Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map, which offers strategies for public health agencies to promote cognitive health and support people living with dementia and their caregiver, and a forthcoming companion guide for Indian Country.
The second half of Public Health Review's story on the opioid epidemic explores how coalitions in Kentucky are driving prevention efforts, what public health practitioners in West Virginia are doing to identify and care for newborns who have been exposed prenatally to addictive drugs, and how one federal agency is working to ensure that rural communities get access substance abuse and mental health services.
Economic security and well-being, job stability, access to safe and affordable housing, access to healthy and nutritious foods, and access to resources to manage mental and physical health—all of these things impact individual, family, and community health. The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally impacted each of these social determinants of health for many Americans. Furthermore, some communities and industries have faced harder economic impacts than others, including households with low incomes, non-white households, and households with children. Human services and public health leaders can collaborate to make sure we are rebuilding systems and programs in a way that creates healthier, more resilient families and communities.
On Oct. 4, 2023, ASTHO, CDC, the Center for Law and Social Policy, and Mental Health America released a framework for public health leaders with effective strategies to improve mental health and prevent suicide for all people, in every community in the settings where they live, learn, work, and play.
Each year, ASTHO tracks and analyzes key legislation that impacts public health, and highlights the emerging trends for our members. While the bulk of the tracked legislation arises in state legislatures, ASTHO also follows legislation from the territories and Freely Associated States, jurisdictions collectively referred to as the insular areas. The insular areas often face different challenges than the states, while also sharing many common concerns. This post contains a brief look at some of the public health related legislation introduced in the insular areas during their current legislative sessions.
On Jan. 23, 2023, ASTHO announced it has been awarded funding from the FDA to advance retail food safety initiatives and reduce food-borne illness.
On Feb. 15, 2022 ASTHO announced the launch of a new public health workforce development program, the Public Health, Equity, Resilience, and Opportunity Program (PH-HERO)—aimed to address workforce burnout, resiliency, and morale.
Alabama shares six ways a cross-cutting approach successfully impacted its PHIG workplan implementation.
Health agencies play a key role in preparing for and responding to hurricanes and other severe weather events.
Six DELPH scholars give their insights to learn more about how the data modernization initiative and DEI intersect with public health.
Whatever stage agencies are in addressing the intersection of suicide, overdose, and ACEs, ASTHO’s SPACECAT Capacity Elements Toolkit simplifies action ideas for health agency staff and leadership to begin or continue their efforts.
Sandra Powell, deputy director of Rhode Island Department of Health, how her department was able to increase the number of permanent positions to meet critical public health needs.
As the United States begins to see more wildfires, it is important for health agencies to be ready to address concerns from the public and collaborate with other state agencies to mitigate the health risks of wildfire smoke.
An in-depth look at how Wisconsin state agencies are partnering across sectors and systems to strengthen supports for children and youth to stop the cycle of incarceration.
Colleen Arceneaux and Jantz Malbrue from the Louisiana Department of Health to discuss why forgoing community health worker certification was the right course of action for their state.
An interview with ASTHO President Anne Zink (SHO-AK) about strengthening state and federal connections for public health.
Samuel Walker of Java Jam, a fatherhood initiative dedicated to amplifying the lived experiences of men experiencing the birthing and lactation journey alongside their partners.
In February 2023, ASTHO staff traveled to Koror, Palau for a four-day health equity summit and held workshops to identify, select, and prioritize measures for Palau’s health equity work.
The Louisiana Department of Health HAI/AR program highlights the current landscape of HAI/AR programs, the benefits of having leadership dedicated to the HAI/AR program mission and priorities, and the need for alignment of HAI/AR program communications and structure with state and territorial health agencies.
Exploring the Effect of Public Health Crises on Health Equity Leadership ASTHO, association of state and territorial health officials, public health, social determinants of health, centers for disease control, public health crisis, health disparities, health crises, health leaders, health departments, public health professionals, health leadership, achieve health equity, advancing health equity, health equity, public health crises, public health leadership, covid 19, covid-19 pandemic, public health leaders, health equity leader ASTHO Staff ASTHO | DELPH scholars reflect on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health leadership. Health equity is at the center of the Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health (DELPH) program. ASTHO, in partnership with the Morehouse School of Medicine’s Satcher Health Leadership Institute, challenges DELPH scholars to reflect on what it takes to bring this equity work to their own health departments. Given the unique circumstances presented over the past few years by the COVID-19 pandemic, ASTHO reached out to a few of our DELPH scholars to discuss what type of leader this moment in public health requires and their experience in health equity leadership during the pandemic. In this blog post, DELPH scholars Ryan Natividad, Sounivone Phanthavong, Krystle White, and Felicia Veasey contemplate whether the times produce the leader or the leader produces the times. This conversation continues a discussion held with the same scholars in a post about elevating community voices through health equity leadership. KRYSTLE WHITE: I recently found a quote from Joaquin de Castro, co-founder of MindReform, that stated, “Great leadership arises through the proper action at the proper time,” and I couldn’t agree more. When it comes to being a public health leader and, more importantly, a health equity leader, what is impacting our community the most shapes our efforts. In a picture-perfect world, certain health crisis interventions would not exist if it wasn’t for health leaders responding with innovative tools to combat the issue. Without the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the way we responded to certain underserved communities would not have been as robust and impactful. The pandemic, along with the layered issue of medical mistrust, forced us to be innovative in our approach when attempting to remedy social determinants of health for certain communities where the pandemic further exacerbated these engrained issues. We had to adjust or redevelop local policies and interventions during this time, as what had worked in the past no longer served those impacted. Effective leaders are tried and tested and can push past difficulties and power forward during some of the tensest times in our history. FELICIA VEASEY: Who I am as a leader now versus who I was before COVID-19 are different. Three years ago, I would have never thought that I could or would serve as the COVID-19 Operations Director for 11 counties while maintaining my role as the community systems director. However, seeing the need of the community, its correlation to chronic diseases, and those most impacted by COVID-19, fueled my desire to lead. I saw the need to lead, in part to speak up for those not around the table making decisions. The pandemic stretched me professionally and spiritually. The ever-changing COVID-19 environment birthed abilities and skills that I didn’t know I possessed. RYAN NATIVIDAD: “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. We saw a need that needed to be filled, and we stepped in to help.” This Benet Wilson quote captures the ardent spirit of my current millennial generation. Among previous generations, millennials are considered the unluckiest generation after surviving various recessions (i.e., the dot-com bubble recession, the Great Recession, and the COVID-19 recession) and powering through the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to these circumstances, I feel that millennials are the “Resilient Generation.” Whatever we endure, we keep our heads high and work towards the future we want. SOUNIVONE PHANTHAVONG: Leaders must be responsive to the environment and conditions in which they are operating. Promoting health equity requires not only an understanding of the structural, social, political, and environmental conditions of health but also the root causes of such conditions. Even with these understandings, well-structured plans are still subject to infinite variables. A leader should be ready to adapt to changes and address emerging needs. A leader working with the times considers what is needed, works towards growth, leverages strengths, identifies opportunities for improvement, provides responsive support, and builds capacity. A leader should aid in addressing conditions that impact the time it takes to make progress towards achieving health equity. A leader who aims to produce the times may face unanticipated challenges that will hinder their ability to achieve their desired outcomes. Systemic issues have limited health equity, with many issues rooted in historical and intentional oppression. These systemic issues require systemic changes. A health equity leader must prepare to work within these systemic conditions to produce macro- and micro-level outcomes. Large Padding 3 Related Content-Blog - DELPH desciption - cake layer website yes