Displaying 101-120 of 207 results for

State and Territorial Health Leaders Convene on Capitol Hill to Advocate for Sustained Funding ARLINGTON, VA—The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) leadership and public health officials will gather in Washington, D.C. from March 10-13 for the annual Spring Leadership Forum. Attendees will gather to discuss key policy issues, attend peer learning sessions, and advocate for critical funding on Capitol Hill. Health officials are expected to highlight the value of federal funding to public health agencies as well as infrastructure needs, with the looming expiration of federal funding on March 14. Specifically, ASTHO requests Congress provide $365 million in FY25 and invest $1 billion, which equates to about $3 per person in the United States, in FY26 for vital public health infrastructure. “This week, ASTHO members are meeting with Congress to advocate for adequate resources to sustain vital, life-saving public health operations,” says Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH, ASTHO CEO. “In-person meetings allow health officials to shed light on the impact of legislation on state-level health systems. Our goal is to foster bipartisan collaboration and advocate for Americans across the country who rely on federally funded programs to stay healthy.” Additionally, senior leadership from the five U.S. territories and three freely associated states (T/FAS) will participate in an island-tailored set of meetings with Congressional and federal agency partners. On Capitol Hill, ASTHO’s T/FAS members will discuss the impact of the recently renegotiated Compacts of Free Association, as well as emphasize the importance of territorial Medicaid funding and the challenges associated with the Section 1108b cap on territorial Medicaid funding. "ASTHO’s Spring Leadership Forum is a critical opportunity for U.S. territorial and freely associated state health officials to make our voices heard in Washington, D.C. We look forward to working with members of Congress and federal agencies on emerging federal and island public health priorities," says Dr. Esther Muña, CEO of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, chair of the ASTHO Insular Affairs Committee, and Director on the ASTHO Board. ASTHO Press Release Boilerplate website yes

Discover why community health workers are crucial for health equity and require sustained investment in this episode of Public Health Review.

Description (ideally 120-160 characters)

ASTHO President Scott Harris, MD, MPH, Testifies to Congress Advocating for Sustainable and Predictable Public Health Funding ARLINGTON, VA — Scott Harris, MD, MPH, president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and state health officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, testified today before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and Related Agencies. Harris emphasized the importance of providing sustainable and predictable federal funding for key programs and initiatives at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Resources and Services Administration, and other federal health agencies that enhance our nation’s public health. In addition, he mentioned the challenges associated with the recent cancellation of COVID-19 grants by HHS. “Governmental public health agencies are on the front line protecting our nation and improving the health and well-being of the entire U.S. population. Our country continues to face many public health challenges, deaths associated with chronic diseases, the re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases, and opioid misuse,” says Harris. “To build long-term resilience, public health funding must be consistent, forward-looking, and rooted in community-driven initiatives that address the needs of people where they live.” ASTHO calls on Congress to provide stable and long-term financial support for public health agencies. Without consistent investment state, local, tribal and territorial health agencies will struggle to strengthen their infrastructure, build public trust and protect the health and safety of all Americans. We must have a firm commitment to lasting resources that ensure a healthier future for our communities. For more information about the hearing, please visit the committee YouTube channel and read Harris’s full testimony. ASTHO Press Release Boilerplate website yes

In this podcast episode, Scott Harris and Mei Kwong explore the current state of telehealth during COVID-19 and how it’s being used as a tool to access care, spotlighting examples from public health.

This episode highlights how the current equity efforts can integrate with established performance management practices.

ASTHO’s Senior Leadership Reserve Corps is helping state health officials and their agencies achieve their goals, like the revitalization of Wisconsin’s Public Health Council.

ASTHO’s membership comprises chief health officials from across the nation who receive ongoing capacity building, technical assistance, and leadership development.

This ASTHOBrief addresses the importance of developing robust, culturally competent risk-appropriate care systems for American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Scott Harris Testimony Regarding Sustainable and Predictable Public Health Funding Testimony Title Scott Harris 20250409 On behalf of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), I respectfully submit this testimony on FY26 appropriations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ASTHO is the national nonprofit representing state and territorial public health agencies. ASTHO's members — the chief public health officials of these agencies — are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and assuring excellence in public health practice. We respectfully request that Congress provide sustained and predictable federal funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) for state and territorial health departments. The funding requests mentioned below are illustrative of the ongoing needs of our jurisdictions; we acknowledge that these levels may not be achievable in the next fiscal year. I am sincerely grateful to Congress for providing resources in FY25 to support and maintain investments in public health, ensuring our nation’s preparedness for current and emerging health threats. As a former state health official once eloquently stated, “The U.S. public health system is not a singular entity but a decentralized, uneven patchwork of federal agencies and state, local, tribal, and territorial public health authorities. As a result, the collaborative endeavor for public health is only as strong as the weakest link.” State health department budgets are a mix of state and federal funding streams. For some states, up to 80% of all funding comes from federal sources, with CDC being the single largest funder. Any disruption or decrease in federal funding will result in a significant impact on the ability of state and territorial health departments to protect and promote the health and safety of our population. Public health officials remain deeply concerned that our country faces significant challenges, including, but not limited to, the ongoing opioid overdose epidemic, chronic disease, preventing the spread of infectious diseases, rising health debt, access to health care in rural areas, and mental health crises. Furthermore, the recent abrupt cancellation of grants totaling as much as $11 billion caught state and territorial health departments by surprise; unfortunately, these actions will significantly impact our public health preparedness and response activities. Although the majority of this funding had already been spent, it was appropriated by Congress and obligated to health departments with work plans, budgets, and timelines approved by federal agencies for ongoing activities. These funds were intended not only for pandemic response, but also for mitigating key health security vulnerabilities that became apparent during the pandemic as well as strengthening our preparedness and response framework for the future. With congressional and executive branch support, these funds were being used to modernize data systems, bolster laboratory capacity, improve electronic case reporting of time-sensitive infectious disease outbreaks, improve H5N1 avian influenza and measles testing, and enhance biomedical terrorism preparedness, to name just a few examples. To meet not only the next public health emergency threat but also address our current challenges, it is critical that Congress invest in a stronger public health system by providing sustained and flexible funding that meets the needs of state, territorial, and local public health departments. America’s state and territorial public health departments work in partnership with CDC toward this goal. CDC plays a vital role in supporting communities to expand the capacity of our nation’s frontline of public health defense: our country’s state, tribal, territorial, and local public health departments. Regardless of the politics in our individual jurisdictions, state and territorial health officials are united in our mission to protect the health of our country. As the committee and incoming administration consider modernizing the federal government infrastructure, we respectfully request the following: Congress must work to sustain investments to state and territorial health departments: As Congress grapples with reducing our nation’s debt and deficit, the savings or return on investment generated by investing in public health has long been documented. Moreover, our membership relies on federal funding to address a myriad of illnesses through targeted interventions with the shared goal of preventing injury and disease. For example, in the fall of 2023, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services identified apple cinnamon fruit puree as the likely source of elevated blood lead levels in children. Even low levels of lead exposure in children can have long-lasting health effects, including potential brain damage and permanent reduction of IQ. Following their assessment, FDA issued a safety alert advising parents not to buy or feed the identified brand of fruit puree. Consultation: As the boots on the ground who put federal policy into action on the front lines, it is vital to consult with state and territorial health leaders about the potential impacts of funding reductions and/or administrative changes. Pausing or preventing money from going to states and territories, especially when done with little or no notice, creates disruptions and further harms our ability to rebuild trust with the public. As the recipients of numerous grant programs, we have first-hand knowledge of administrative changes that may actually benefit the system and could help reduce redundancies in the federal government. Flexibility: Federal funding mechanisms are often focused on specific programs, such as lead poisoning or food safety, and cannot be used flexibly to accomplish broad programmatic goals. We are grateful for the subcommittee’s ongoing support for public health infrastructure and capacity by funding this line at $350 million and we respectfully request $1 billion for this program at CDC in FY26. This disease-agnostic, flexible, and sustainable funding will support efforts within agencies that build capacity to detect and respond to threats both domestic and global, while improving and supporting activities in core public health capabilities, including assessment, policy, preparedness and response, community partnership, communications, equity, accountability, and performance management. Moreover, this funding will build a highly trained workforce that can be rapidly scaled to meet local, regional, or national threats. We strongly encourage Congress to prioritize flexibility in programmatic funding wherever possible to ensure the needs of the population can be met. Along with partner organizations, ASTHO supports the Data: Elemental to Health Campaign. Previously, we called on Congress to provide the first-ever dedicated funding for public health data systems and build a 21st-century public health data superhighway. Thanks to the work of this Subcommittee, Congress answered the call and provided annual funding for CDC's Public Health Data Modernization Initiative (DMI). For FY26, we request $340 million for data modernization efforts at CDC, which includes funding for the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics and the Response Ready Enterprise Data Integration platform. DMI is necessary for building a world-class data workforce and data systems to ensure we can meet the next public health emergency at full capacity. Our state and territorial health departments need robust, sustained, yearly funding to complete the foundational investment in DMI and ensure we are providing resources for public health systems and infrastructure, including at state and local health departments, to keep pace with evolving technology. States use the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant (Prevent Block Grant) to offset funding gaps in programs that address leading causes of death and disability. In some cases, this grant serves as seed funding for crucial, innovative projects so a state or territorial health department can meet otherwise unfunded community health goals. ASTHO respectfully requests $175 million for this program. For more than 30 years, the Prevent Block Grant has served as an essential funding source for state and territorial health agencies. CDC’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement (PHEP) provides vital support for public health preparedness and response. ASTHO requests $1 billion for PHEP to sustain and improve governmental public health programs. Established in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, PHEP has been a core public health preparedness program that supports 62 state, local, and territorial public health departments. The pandemic response demonstrated the need to invest in these programs to rebuild and bolster the nation’s preparedness capabilities. CDC has refreshed its strategy with critical lessons learned from COVID-19 to support public health jurisdictions with an updated response framework that prioritizes essential areas for the public to prepare for, respond to, and recover from health threats in the next five-year funding cycle that begins in the current fiscal year. Under ASPR, ASTHO is requesting $500 million for Health Care Readiness and Recovery, which includes the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Cooperative Agreement. This includes developing mechanisms for effective patient movement, communicating situational awareness, and providing resource sharing across disparate health care entities. HPP allows individual health care facilities and coalitions to access a truly national response network, enabling the system to save lives and protect Americans from 21st-century health security threats.

This brief draws on health officials’ experiences in territories and Freely Associated States to illustrate opportunities to lead improvement efforts by building relationships, committing to data use, establishing regular communication, and investing in workforce development.

How states are building sustainable health equity programs.

Many states have experienced considerable challenges in recruiting and retaining HAI/AR staff, in this interview, public health officials from Kansas discuss their successes and lessons.

ASTHO Celebrates Women’s History Through the Decades ASTHO, association of state and territorial health officials, public health infrastructure, vice president, population health, health science, health system, public health workers, american women, career path, environmental health, public health mph, national women s history, international women s day, public health careers, health education specialist, week of march, history month, master of public health, black women, women s history week, women s history, public health work, public health leadership, woman president, public health practitioner, racism and sexism, public health system, women s history month, women leaders, women in public health Kimberlee Wyche Etheridge ASTHO | Celebrating ASTHO's past, present, and future of women in leadership. With a movie ticket costing $2.50 and gas hovering at $1.10 / gallon, the year 1984 ushered in many new eras. Apple debuted the Macintosh personal computer with its Superbowl commercial based on George Orwell’s dystopic novel in the Winter. Over the next generation, this technology would change the way we interact with the world. Prince’s Purple Rain and the accompanying concert-type movie were released, ushering in a new generation of forever fans. Space travel catapulted into the future with the launch of the space shuttle Discovery, which flew an additional 38 times. Childhood hunger took center stage with the release of the benefit song, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid, which would sell millions of copies and raise millions of dollars. It was the Eighties—a key decade in U.S. history. It also marked a critical first in ASTHO’s history. ASTHO has a long history of pioneering women leaders. Below, you'll find several of them whose work has inspired mine. (Read the full list of ASTHO's women presidents.) 1980s After 42 years of public health work and leadership, ASTHO elected its first woman president—Kristine Moore Gebbie, DrPH, RN (alumni-WA)—in 1984. Gebbie was an educator who taught generations of nursing students around the world. She was a public health practitioner and served as Secretary of Washington State’s Department of Health. Her legacy highlights the importance of working across multiple levels of government and healthcare agencies, especially as it relates to preparedness. As ASTHO president, she was a trailblazer, best known for her commitment to work focused on AIDS. While in this role, she was tapped to serve as the first White House AIDS Policy Coordinator. She received numerous awards and accolades from many different organizations, including the American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA). 1990s In 1992, Joycelyn Elders, MD (alumni-AR) also celebrated a first—becoming ASTHO’s first African American woman president. Elders served as the Director of the Arkansas Department of Health. Her public health accomplishments include reducing teen pregnancy in her state, increasing early childhood screenings as well as the percent of children immunized at 24 months. During her time in Arkansas, she was recruited to serve as Surgeon General, where she became the first African American—and only the second woman—to hold the post. She contended with both racism and sexism while in the job, and despite criticism and waning support from the administration, she stayed true to her public health beliefs. She fervently believed that poverty plays a critical role in public health crises such as teen pregnancy, and that education is as an essential strategy to breaking the cycle of poverty. She became the first person to be board certified in pediatric endocrinology. She has published more than 100 papers focused primarily on juvenile diabetes and adolescent health. 2000s Known for saving many lives by successfully cutting smoking rates by one-third during her time as Washington State Secretary of Health, Mary Selecky (alumni-WA) served as ASTHO president in 2003 and 2004. She holds the title as one of the nation’s longest serving secretaries of health having worked under three governors. During her time as the top state health official, Selecky moved Washington to become one of the first state health agencies to receive national accreditation. Childhood immunization rates in the state catapulted from among the bottom in the nation to in the top third. She worked to improve the state’s public health system after a 2001 earthquake. As ASTHO president, Selecky worked to elevate ASTHO’s status as a vital partner after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She worked to ensure that public health preparedness funds were granted to health departments. 2010s Jewel Mullen, MD, MPH (alumni-CT) was serving as the Commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Public Health when she was elected President of ASTHO in 2014. During her time in Connecticut, Mullen focused on the state’s public health system, specifically chronic disease prevention programs and improving coordination between public health and medical care. She was also a crucial figure in bringing the community to the public health table. She created an Office of Health Equity Research, Evaluation and Policy while in her role to ensure integration of health equity in the states programming. Mullen used her ASTHO presidential challenge to highlight healthy aging and issue a call to action to help older adults live and age well in their communities. Through her Presidential Challenge, states committed to healthy and safe community environments, injury and falls prevention, empowered people, Alzheimer’s plan, active living, and clinical and community preventive services. Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH (alumni-RI) was elected ASTHO president in 2018. In that role, she led a presidential initiative encouraging state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments to build healthier, more resilient communities through community-led, place-based approaches. This initiative mobilized strategic investments to address socioeconomic and environmental determinants of health to transform systems and policies in ways to empower local communities. Alexander-Scott has also worked as a specialist in infectious diseases for children and adults. She is board certified in pediatrics, internal medicine, pediatric infectious diseases, and adult infectious diseases, and served as faculty at Brown University in pediatrics, medicine, and public health (with a focus on health services, policy, and practice). She continues to work with ASTHO to promote health equity. 2020s Rachel Levine, MD (alumni-PA) served as president of ASTHO in 2020. She is the first openly transgender woman to serve in the role. Levine is a pediatric and adolescent medicine physician and an educator. In 2015, while practicing clinical medicine at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, she was nominated by the governor-elect to serve as Pennsylvania’s physician in general. Two years later, she was named as Pennsylvania Secretary of Health. Levine led the state through the COVID-19 public health response and helped the state respond to the growing opioid epidemic. While serving as ASTHO president, the White House nominated Levine to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health. She achieved another first when she was commissioned as the first woman four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She remains a strong advocate for the well-being of LGBTQI+ youth. Continuing in this strong tradition of trailblazing women in leadership, Anne Zink, MD (SHO-AK) took the reins as ASTHO President in September 2022. Zink plans to focus her presidency on improving health information systems to empower the public, healthcare providers, and the public health workforce with the tools and information they need to promote individual and population health. There are others who have helped pave the way for future women leaders at ASTHO. This month of March, we celebrate all the past, present, and future women who have served as Presidents of ASTHO. We are because they were. ASTHO's Women Presidents: 2023  Anne Zink, MD, FACEP (SHO-AK) 2021  Rachel Levine, MD (alumni-PA) 2019  Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH (alumni-RI) 2015  Jewel Mullen, MD, MPH, (alumni-CT) 2009  Judith Monroe, MD (alumni-IN) 2007  Mary M. Hansen, RN, PhD (alumni-IA) 2006  Leah Devlin, DDS, MPH (alumni-NC) 2004  Mary C. Selecky (alumni-WA) 2003  Mary C. Selecky (alumni-WA) 2000  Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH (alumni-RI) 1993  Molly Coye, MD (alumni-CA) 1992  M. Joycelyn Elders, MD (alumni-AR) 1990  Suzanne Dandoy, MD (alumni-VA) 1985  Joan K. Leavitt, MD (alumni-OK) 1984  Kristine Gebbie, RN (alumni-WA) website yes

This interview is part of ASTHO’s Leadership Trailblazers series, which shares outstanding public health leaders’ inspirations, motivations, and accomplishments. This post features José Romero, MD, the former state health official in Arkansas.

Two key considerations for those working with state and territorial legislators considering vaccine legislation: work with trusted messengers and craft informative and compelling testimony.

ASTHO’s Leadership Trailblazers series shares outstanding public health leaders’ inspirations, motivations, and accomplishments. This post features Jay C. Butler (alumni–AK), Deputy Director for Infectious Disease at CDC.

Hispanic Heritage Month takes place annually from September 15-October 15 to celebrate the history, culture, achievements, and influence of the Hispanic and Latinx community in the U.S. In recognition of this month, ASTHO interviewed one of our newest members, José Romero, MD, Secretary of Health at the Arkansas Department of Health. In this blog post, he speaks with us about how his experiences as a Hispanic working in healthcare have impacted him and his leadership style.

A year ago, it was unthinkable that we would have 600,000 cases and more than 17,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the state of Massachusetts. Many of us know someone who has become ill or has died from COVID-19 and the toll in suffering is immense. I am hopeful that the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine will be a light at the end of this long pandemic tunnel. In Massachusetts, the three pillars of our vaccine effort are to preserve life, preserve our healthcare system, and prioritize equity by focusing on reaching our hardest hit communities. So, equity is at the core of our vaccine allocation work.

As the response to COVID-19 transitions from response to recovery, advocacy efforts continue to intensify on Capitol Hill, to help shape negotiations on the fifth emergency supplemental package.