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Initial estimates from 2020 suggest that annual drug overdose deaths in the United States reached a record high of 93,000. Fortunately EMS strategies are being put in place to combat this nation-wide issue.

Investing in Indiana’s Public Health Infrastructure Through Community-Driven Policy Change public health infrastructure, community driven policy, indiana state health commissioner, public health system, indiana department of health, outpatient facilities, technical assistance, data and information integration, emergency preparedness, child and adolescent health, legislative action, state and local elected officials, health problems, health care, health system, health departments, federal agencies, essential public health services, centers for disease control, state and local levels, health outcomes, health organization, covid-19 pandemic, health infrastructure, promoting health, public health organizations, states public health, federal funding, astho, association of state and territorial health officials Maggie Davis, Keith Coleman Indiana enacts historic public health funding through community engagement and legislative support. In April 2023, Indiana passed bill SB 4, which was a historic investment in the state's public health funding and restructuring its public health system. This case study shares how the Governor's Public Health Commission and the Indiana Department of Health approached community listening sessions, formulated recommendations, and successfully built legislative support to reform the public health system in the state. Get the Report (PDF) website yes

Read a detailed summary of the FY26 Senate Appropriations Bill, which was released on July 31.

Explore INSPIRE: Readiness by ASTHO—an innovative hub for public health preparedness. Share strategies, tools, and solutions to boost readiness.

How Washington State Leverages Data to Improve Emergency Preparedness Erin Laird Learn how Washington State has created a robust system for distributing public health and medical supplies during emergencies. When an emergency strikes, supplies like personal protective equipment (PPE) need to be deployed rapidly and strategically. Local, state, and federal partners must work together to identify and meet community needs—a process that requires timely access to actionable data about medical countermeasures and other vital public health supplies. State health agencies need to know how many public health supplies are on hand so they can make informed decisions and react to developing situations. In March 2024, ASTHO, with support from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and HHS Coordination Operations and Response Element, selected three state health agencies—Ohio, Massachusetts, and Washington—to identify and pilot scalable solutions to improve data and information sharing for public health response. ASTHO conducted a site visit to the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) in June 2024 to learn about their medical logistics center and observe the first in a series of regional tabletop exercises—Highly Efficient Local Logistics Operations Tabletop Exercise (HELLO TTX)—they conducted to better understand logistical considerations of requesting, receiving, and distributing PPE and medical countermeasures and tracking last mile distribution. Medical Logistics in Washington State: Moving Faster to Save Lives Key Term - Blog - How WA Leverages Data to Improve Preparedness The Washington State Medical Logistics Center plays a pivotal role in emergency response, supporting WA DOH’s ability to quickly distribute vital supplies and medical countermeasures before and during major incidents. Through the COVID-19 response, the WA DOH medical logistics effort expanded to include vehicles, systems, and a 198,000 sq. ft., temperature-controlled warehouse. This effort ultimately supported WA DOH’s ability to distribute over 150 million gloves, 66 million surgical masks, 30 million N95 respirators, and other vital supplies throughout the COVID-19 emergency response. This increased logistical capacity has allowed WA DOH to respond to many other events. In 2023, in response to wildfire smoke, WA DOH distributed 850 air cleaners across the state in just two days to support points of dispensing (PODs) in tribal communities. The Yakima Fire Department experienced an opioid overdose outbreak in September 2023 and WA DOH coordinated statewide to identify supply of naloxone and support mutual aid. Finally, in May 2024, WA DOH distributed 96 portable air cleaners and pallets of N95 respirators to the Benton Franklin Health District to support POD operations for communities with air quality impacted by the Lineage Cold-Storage Fire. Receiving, storing, and distributing medical countermeasures and other supplies requires strong data management systems and practices. WA DOH strives for a collaborative approach to enhance data management for logistics. By facilitating bidirectional data sharing among health care, emergency management, public health, and tribal partners, WA DOH aims to enhance its ability to track assets and “last mile” logistics. To this end, WA DOH conducted a series of in-person tabletop exercises (TTXs) with each region of the state. These TTX discussions focused on the logistical considerations of requesting, receiving, and distributing PPE and medical countermeasures using a scenario of a novel influenza outbreak. Leveraging TTX Discussions to Understand Local Logistics Washington Department of Health staff gathered for a tabletop exercise with ASTHO staff. The tabletop discussions were organized into two modules: Medical Logistics Requesting, and Medical Countermeasures Planning and Last-Mile Distribution. The tabletop discussions focused on understanding how local jurisdictions source, receive, and distribute supplies. Cory Portner, director of WA DOH’s Office of Emergency Medical Logistics, praised the discussions: “The HELLO-TTX series highlighted the power of collaboration and gave us actionable insights into refining our response strategies and logistics operations. Effective communication across agencies is key. As always, at the end of the day it comes down to relationships and knowing who to call.” Many jurisdictions indicated they do not have the space or staff to manage more than a small stockpile of supplies. Once requested from the state, local jurisdictions coordinate with local partners—such as libraries, foodbanks, fire departments, and immigrant assistance centers—to get materials distributed to the community, often using either PODs or using trusted partners to distribute to the population they serve. Space came up as an issue repeatedly, with some jurisdictions utilizing creative solutions such as leveraging storage available at fairgrounds, a county-owned airport, and even an old jail (a solution that raised some unique challenges for receiving). Last mile tracking depended on the type of asset. For example, tracking for PPE typically ended at the community partner level (the agency or site that received the supplies), while tracking for vaccines could show more data on number of vaccines administered by a provider. The focus of last mile tracking for local jurisdictions centered around using last mile information to ensure that the requestors received what was needed. Looking ahead, additional last mile tracking could shed light on equity and a better sense of whether community needs were met, rather than just whether orders were filled. Portner reflected, “HELLO TTX showcased that local partnerships vary widely: larger urban areas typically focus on health care and emergency management organizations, while smaller rural areas engage a broader range of local sectors like fire departments and veterinary services. Medical logistics operations also differ, with urban areas having greater storage capacity and more advanced data tracking, while rural areas face limitations in both. Additionally, local prioritization of PPE and medical countermeasures affects how each area tracks logistics and manages storage.” Looking Ahead This 198,000 sq. ft., temperature-controlled warehouse serves as the Medical Logistics Center for WADOH, housing PPE, medical countermeasures, and other supplies. Effective public health response requires an understanding of what supplies are needed, where they are needed, and to track whether those needs were met. To achieve this, coordination and communication across multiple levels of public health is critical. "Next up, we’re focusing on asset tagging and improving supply chain visibility through enhanced data readiness. Our goal is to create a more transparent and responsive logistics system, to make sure that we’re fully prepared for any future emergencies in support of communities in Washington state and beyond,” explained Portner. The strategies explored by these data readiness pilot sites can improve critical processes and demonstrate sustainable methods to meet the demand of bidirectional information sharing for public health agencies and their partners. article yes

Leading Health Security Efforts Through Strategic Collaboration and Innovation Margaret Nilz This blog post illustrates how health agencies' strategic plans can improve health security and emergency preparedness. Strategic planning is a cornerstone of effective public health systems, guiding organizations in preparing for and responding to health threats. Three pivotal documents—the CDC Office of Readiness and Response (ORR) Strategic Plan, the ASTHO Strategic Plan, and the ASTHO Environmental Scan—are part of the foundation of ASTHO’s work. Each plays a critical role in shaping public health policies and practices. Understanding their synergies and differences is beneficial and crucial for enhancing our collective efforts in safeguarding public health. ASTHO’s Environmental Scan tracks U.S. public health concerns and trends. Through qualitative analyses of select health agency materials and health official feedback, this blog identifies state, territorial, and freely associated state health agencies’ (S/THAs) top current and emerging priorities across public health programs, infrastructure, and health equity and agency strategies to address them. Across 2023 and 2024, S/THAs consistently identified emergency preparedness and response as a critical priority. Callout 1-Blog - Leading Health Security Efforts through Strategic Collaboration and Innovation It is essential to align strategic plans and address emerging public health priorities in order to effectively respond to new health challenges. The ORR and ASTHO Strategic Plans share several common goals, such as implementing equitable, evidence-based practices, partnering for sustainable infrastructure improvements, and focusing on operational excellence while providing technical assistance. However, each plan also has unique missions. Callout 2-Blog - Leading Health Security Efforts through Strategic Collaboration and Innovation ASTHO’s Health Security team has a unit mission and vision that align with ORR goals and focus on supporting the needs of ASTHO members, as identified in the Environmental Scan. Callout 3-Blog - Leading Health Security Efforts through Strategic Collaboration and Innovation Aligning these strategic goals with current public health priorities is crucial in addressing existing and emerging health threats. Values The ORR and ASTHO plans express shared values like collaboration and innovation. These values guide strategic decisions and foster a cohesive public health community. Table-Blog - Leading Health Security Efforts through Strategic Collaboration and Innovation Competencies and Priorities Both organizations focus on developing competencies like leadership and technical expertise. ORR concentrates heavily on competencies specific to preparedness, including planning, response, and research for public health emergencies. ASTHO emphasizes competencies to support S/THAs, such as technical assistance, communication, capacity building, and advocacy. Building and aligning these competencies is essential for improving public health outcomes and ensuring workforce preparedness. With that in mind, ASTHO’s competencies are specifically aimed at aiding and supporting its members, and consequently the nation, in achieving the ORR competencies. Environmental Scan Observations The ASTHO Environmental Scan thoroughly evaluates current public health trends, challenges, and opportunities. Key highlights from the 2023 and 2024 Environmental Scans include: Focus on emerging threats such as infectious diseases and the impact of climate change. Changes in public health funding and resource availability. Technological advancements and their implications for public health practice. Common trends identified include a heightened focus on health equity, the importance of data-driven decision-making, and the need for increased interagency collaboration. Organizational competencies, including performance management and quality improvement, were listed as current priority areas for public health infrastructure and capacity-building. Focus issues include financial infrastructure, business processes, including procurement, recruitment, and grants management, policy development, and public health governance structures. Workforce development was listed as a priority for public health infrastructure and capacity building. Focus issues include recruitment and retention, local academic pipelines and training opportunities, staff compensation, and staff salary gaps. Data modernization and informatics are priority areas in states with state health improvement and strategic plans and were listed as current public health infrastructure and capacity-building priorities. Accountability, performance management, and quality improvement are priority areas in states with state health improvement and strategic plans and were listed as current public health infrastructure and capacity-building priorities. Implementation While ORR and ASTHO aim to achieve similar overarching goals of supporting health agencies, their implementation strategies vary. The ORR Strategic Plan focuses on four primary strategies that directly address the emerging threats and challenges highlighted by S/THAs, including: Modernizing and integrating data and systems across multidisciplinary public health entities to support data readiness and interoperability. Advancing readiness and response science to improve public health practice, including maturing and implementing evidence-based research in preparedness. Building and enhancing the response capability of CDC and state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments and driving collaboration among partners to enable rapid and effective response to public health emergencies through improved capabilities, partnerships, and funding mechanisms. Conducting rapid and ongoing readiness and response evaluation to inform continuous improvements across the detection of public health threats, readiness science, and emergency operations. While ASTHO’s Strategic Plan is less explicitly focused on preparedness, its guiding mission in supporting, equipping, and advocating for S/THOs and their agencies with a focus on leadership development highlights several strategic priorities critical to improving public health preparedness and addressing emerging priorities. Health and Racial Equity: A state and territorial public health system that prioritizes implementing policies and programs advancing health and racial equity to achieve optimal health for all. Workforce Development: A diverse state and territorial public health workforce that is engaged, well-resourced, well-trained, and connected to the communities it serves. Data Modernization and Interoperability: A state and territorial public health system supported by an enterprise-level data infrastructure in which public health data systems are interoperable, secure, and supported by a well-trained workforce. Collaborative Opportunities Maximizing the impact of these strategic plans involves leveraging the strengths of each organization through collaboration and innovation. There are numerous areas where ORR and ASTHO can collaborate to enhance public health outcomes: Joint programs leveraging CDC’s national scope and ASTHO’s state-level connections. Shared research initiatives pooling resources and expertise from both organizations. Coordinated emergency response efforts that create a unified front addressing public health emergencies. By continuing to communicate, these organizations can effectively address complex public health challenges and enhance overall public health resilience. Future Outlook Looking ahead, the strategic efforts of ORR and ASTHO will play a crucial role in shaping the future of public health infrastructure and preparedness. Engaging with and supporting these initiatives is essential for all stakeholders. To adapt to the changing health security threats, future iterations of all documents must be routinely updated to meet the needs of the nation and ASTHO’s members. A collective effort is required to improve public health resilience and response capabilities, ensuring we are well-prepared for future challenges. Ultimately, the synergy between ORR and ASTHO’s strategic plans presents a powerful opportunity to enhance public health outcomes. We can create a more resilient and effective public health system by fostering collaboration, building competencies, and addressing emerging trends and challenges. website yes

In May 2021, President Biden released full details of the fiscal year 2022 budget. Overall, the budget request combines President Biden's American Jobs Plan, his American Families Plan, and funding priorities for the Pentagon and domestic agencies, for a projected total of $6 trillion. Read more about what the president is proposing in this post.