Three public health experts share how they prioritized vaccine equity for American Indian and Alaskan Native communities on the local, state, and national levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On this episode of Public Health Review: restaurant inspections go online in South Carolina, how they're working, and what's next as public health makes changes in response to the pandemic.
On this episode: public health on alert as the Ebola outbreak expands in Uganda; and David Lakey, MD (alumni-TX) tells us about lessons from 2014 when the Ebola virus made its way to Dallas, Texas.
Maine launched an innovative initiative focused on improving future health outcomes for youth by helping them connect to their communities and reminding them that that they matter.
In this podcast episode, experts offer perspectives on the value of cultivating partnerships between state public health agencies and state units on aging. In addition, officials from Georgia describe their collaboration to improve the health of older adults in the state.
COVID-19 revealed the dire straits of public health; now, with renewed funding, public health leaders discuss how to use COVID funding to build and maintain sustainable infrastructure.
Anne Zink (Chief Medical Officer, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services) and Larry Lewis (licensed psychologist and executive coach) speak on the importance of celebrating “small wins”—tangible stories of progress that can sustain the public health workforce in an otherwise trying time.
This episode dissects concerns at the southwest United States border, where health and governmental officials find themselves managing an extraordinarily complex situation: handling an increase in migration activity during a global pandemic.
Medicaid plays a critical role in providing access to health services for low-income U.S. citizens in the five U.S. territories. However, Medicaid financing in the territories has been underfunded compared to states. In this episode, guests discuss the urgent need for a permanent Medicaid solution, drawing attention to the need for equitable health financing for the U.S territories. This funding is necessary to support comprehensive public health and healthcare within these jurisdictions that include expanded prevention, testing, and treatment programs and capabilities.
People living with disabilities have borne disproportionate burden in past emergency situations due to inequities in preparedness and response. To address and prevent inequities in the COVID-19 response, ASTHO placed 14 disability and preparedness specialists into health agencies around the country to promote inclusivity of people living with disabilities. In this episode, we explore ways that two of these disability and preparedness specialists have worked to address the needs of people living with disabilities in their jurisdictions.
The experts on today’s episode make the case for how a robust public health workforce could have changed the trajectory of the pandemic response, but also explain why we can reimagine what a strong public health workforce requires as we enter into pandemic recovery.
As COVID-19 spread across the country, misinformation and conspiracy theories led to beliefs that the virus was a hoax and prevention measures were unnecessary. Efforts to limit public health authority resulted in reduced confidence from the public and an inability for public health officials to lead. Our experts on this podcast episode explore what public health officials can do to build back public confidence in our public health infrastructure, and offer lessons that work. Our experts will discuss how and why this has happened, and how we can remedy this as we enter into COVID-19 recovery and the largest vaccination campaign in decades.
On this episode, we ask public health experts to zoom out a bit and reflect on a truly remarkable year. These public health leaders discuss the politicization of public health mitigation efforts, becoming the target of hateful attacks, and being at the forefront of the biggest health crisis in a century. Our experts also reflect on what they hope people have learned about our public health infrastructure and lessons learned for future disease outbreaks.
This episode highlights ongoing efforts and provides consideration for health officials to not only limit the impact of the pandemic on the economic security and housing needs of Americans but also to rebuild systems that create a healthier, more equitable post-COVID-19 world. This podcast is the first in a series that challenges state/territorial health officials to “Bounce Forward” instead of simply bouncing back to the way things were before.
This episode will focus on lessons learned from Oregon Health Authority’s cyanotoxin education and outreach efforts, and how a water contamination emergency caused by cyanotoxins can quickly become a public information emergency. Three guests from OHA will share how they used science-based health messaging as part of their risk communication strategy, and how important partnerships are in tackling cyanotoxins. In addition, OHA staff will discuss tools on the horizon to help conduct surveillance for cyanotoxins and prepare for future events.
In 2017, nearly 64,000 children under six had elevated blood lead levels as defined by the CDC. There is no safe blood lead level in children, and even low levels of lead have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. To decrease maternal and child morbidity and mortality associated with lead exposure, families need access to systems of coordinated care in order to address their needs related to lead exposure.
On this episode, speakers will address both issues and highlight the importance of public health agencies leading with and integrating equity in their COVID-19 response. We hear from three leaders managing their COVID-19 response by prioritizing areas with the greatest need and supporting community-led decision-making to ensure the most socially vulnerable populations have increased access to treatment, testing, isolation options, and resources.
Increasing and maintaining vaccine coverage is an important way to prevent the spread of disease and keep communities healthy. Efforts to reduce COVID-19 transmission, such as social distancing, led to fewer people seeking non-urgent medical care and receiving routine vaccinations. In this episode, our guests give the national and state-level perspective of what to expect this upcoming flu season, and why it’s so important to adhere to a vaccination schedule.
Leading a governmental health department is a complex job during the best of times, but particularly so during a pandemic when leaders must navigate every step carefully. In this episode, our guests introduce and discuss a concept called "polarity thinking," which invites leaders to embrace situations or problems from the opposing perspectives, or "poles."
State and territorial health leaders are thinking long-term about how policy changes made as a response to the pandemic might be continued to support vulnerable populations. During this episode, public health experts discuss how states and territories can better support communities by addressing barriers to pain management and substance use treatment services—along with establishing wraparound services to mitigate the societal and economic impacts of COVID-19.