Support from postpartum doulas can can increase parental self-efficacy and adherence to treatment for those experiencing SUD, leading to lower rates of postpartum depression and, subsequently, improved health outcomes.
This brief analyzes the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to participation in the Suicide and Opioid Overdose Prevention Public Health Initiative.
Information on disability status and type is not systematically collected during emergency department visits and, as such, it cannot be used during surveillance. ASTHO conducted six key informant interviews with disability professionals to inform development of this new diagnostic code-based definition.
This ASTHOBrief discusses how breastfeeding acts as a protective factor for maternal mental health, negative impacts of COVID-19 on breastfeeding and maternal mental health, state actions to improve maternal mental healthcare and lactation support during the pandemic, and additional recommendations for state actions.
Tobacco use causes 480,000 premature deaths each year, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. In collaboration with CDC, ASTHO is leading an effort to explore how states can use Medicaid data to quantify tobacco use within this population, identify related best practices, and make recommendations for scaling.
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.
In 2021, ASTHO convened state environmental health directors and directors of public health preparedness to discuss innovations developed during the COVID-19 pandemic such as virtual inspections. This ASTHOBrief explores how state health and partner agencies developed methods to support environmental health work and how they are continuing to adapt moving forward.
In this infographic, ASTHO highlights some of the biggest takeaways, successes, and data collected from the Breastfeeding Learning Community.
This infographic series features topics including Plans of Safe Care, expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder for pregnant and postpartum women, and using family-centered programs to treat opioid use disorder.
States and territories can reduce adverse childhood experiences through evidence-based primary prevention strategies designed to reduce risk factors.
The digital divide in health care has created a growing division between communities who have access to digital health technologies and broadband versus those who experience limited access to these resources. Marginalized communities such as communities of color and rural populations are hardest hit by these access challenges. This brief shares information on how federal agencies and states are expanding digital access through funding investments, unique partnerships, and other innovative interventions to improve digital equity and access to care.
While the COVID-19 response has strained tobacco prevention and control efforts, the pandemic has afforded health officials unique opportunities to retool their tobacco prevention response. This brief spotlights new findings on tobacco use and COVID-19, opportunities for tobacco prevention during the pandemic, guidance for communicating risk, and recommendations for engaging state health officials.
ASTHO placed 14 disability and preparedness specialists in health agencies to support inclusivity of people living with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. In this brief, three of these specialists share their experiences with ensuring COVID-19 vaccination sites are accessible to people living with disabilities. They share their perspectives and recommendations for expanding vaccine site accessibility.
Developing and implementing contact tracing programs in K-12 schools presents a crucial opportunity for both health department and school leaders to keep students healthy, and schools open. This brief shares considerations for health departments working with schools to develop and implement contact tracing programs.
The unintended consequences of substance use disorder policies can be significant for women and families impacted by substance use disorders (SUD).
Learn how public health agencies and pharmacy stakeholders can support pharmacies as contraception access hubs through policy, outreach, and more.
Creating an Informatics Job Classification Series for Health Departments Creating an Informatics Job Classification Series for Health Departments Ari Whiteman Learn why public health informatics jobs are critical for health departments in this brief. Why a Public Health Informatics Job Classification Matters The push to modernize public health data infrastructure has highlighted that traditional job classifications (e.g., Epidemiologist, IT Specialist, or Developer) do not fully capture the unique skill set and value of public health informaticians. Informatics professionals specialize in integrating, standardizing, and managing health data systems to ensure interoperability across platforms and agencies. Their expertise includes health data standards (e.g., HL7, FHIR, LOINC, USCDI), database management, extract-transform-load (ETL) processes, business intelligence tools, and cross-system data exchange, all of which are skills and proficiencies needed for data modernization transitions and processes. According to the 2022 ASTHO Profile of State and Territorial Public Health, 25 states and territories did not have a dedicated public health informatics job classification series, which would create several key advantages over forcing informaticians into traditional public health classifications that may not adequately reflect their job duties or the expertise needed to perform them: Recruitment: Public health informatics job descriptions are likely to attract more qualified and better-fit candidates for the responsibilities of the role, which differ from that of IT professionals or epidemiologists. Retention: Informaticians often leave for the private sector due to higher pay opportunities, as governmental roles often pay less than similar roles in the private sector. A well-defined classification series with competitive salary benchmarks helps retain talent. Role Clarity: Differentiating informaticians from epidemiologists or IT ensures staff are linked to projects that fit their skills and experience, which can improve performance and morale across disciplines. Future-Readiness: Quality health data infrastructure is a preparedness necessity. Informatics positions enable agencies to respond to emerging health crises by linking response and surveillance data with other state and national reporting systems. Common Challenges and Solutions Anticipating challenges can help maintain progress and understanding across all involved parties. Challenge: Resistance to creating new classifications. Solution: Propose consolidation or sunsetting of outdated roles and highlight national best practices. Challenge: Salary constraints compared to private sector. Solution: Emphasize total rewards (retirement, benefits, meaningful work) and seek flexibility for exceptions. Provide salary data from sources like Lightcast, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, American Health Information Management Association, or surveys from the American Medical Informatics Association. Challenge: Limited internal public health informatics expertise. Solution: Build capacity through “train-the-trainer” models, upskilling, and leveraging partnerships with universities. Challenge: Slow civil service processes. Solution: Start early, maintain persistence, and adapt business case arguments to different decision-makers (HR, unions, leadership). See ASTHO’s Data Modernization Primer and Tactical Guides for more information, in particular: See the Tactical Guide on Building, Equipping, and Sustaining a Data Modernization Workforce for strategies for upskilling, training, recruitment, and retention of a data modernization workforce. See the Tactical Guide on Planning Data Modernization Activities for strategies to mobilize a team, conduct current state assessments, develop plans, and gain support from leadership. Challenge: Overlap with other roles (e.g., epidemiologists). Solution: Clearly define distinctions between public health informatics and other roles, then communicate role clarity to benefit morale and efficiency. Conclusion Creating a public health informatics job classification series is both a strategic investment and a practical necessity. By distinguishing informatics as a professional path within public health, states and territories can strengthen their workforce, address long-standing recruitment and retention barriers, and prepare for the rapidly evolving demands of data modernization. While the process requires persistence, clear documentation, and negotiation across HR and leadership, the payoff is a resilient workforce equipped to manage the data infrastructure that underpins modern public health practice. Reference the How-To Guide for more details on creating public health informatics job classification series. Learn More - Brief - Creating an Informatics Job Classification Series OE22-2203 PHIG article yes
PAHO guide on designing AI prompts for public health: covers objectives, audience, tone, format, and treating prompts as living protocols.
UNEP overview of AI's environmental footprint—energy, water, e-waste, emissions—with policy recommendations for greening data centers.
BCG analysis of 165M U.S. jobs: 50–55% reshaped (not replaced) by AI in 2–3 years; only 10–15% at risk of elimination. Six-category framework.