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Accurate and timely communication from health officials during a public health emergency is critical to ensure people can reduce their risk of illness or death. Karen Smith (alumni-CA) talks about her experiences communicating policy changes, as well as key strategies for maintaining public trust.

ASTHO Recognizes State, Territorial, and National Leaders in Public Health ARLINGTON, VA—The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) presented several awards during its 2018 Annual Meeting this week to commend public health leaders for their service and dedication to improving our nation’s health. “On behalf of ASTHO, I am pleased to recognize this distinguished group of public health professionals who continuously strive to promote health and well-being in communities across the country,” says Karen McKeown, state health officer at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and ASTHO past president and chair of ASTHO’s Nominations, Awards, and Membership Committee. “We admire their commitment to raising the bar and ensuring that state and territorial health agencies play an active role in creating the conditions that allow us all to be healthy. We are grateful for the work of these dedicated individuals and for their contributions to the field of public health.” The 2018 ASTHO awardees include: Anne Schuchat, MD, Principal Deputy Director, CDC Ed Thompson Lifetime Achievement Medal Schuchat has been CDC’s principal deputy director since September 2015 and has played key roles in CDC emergency responses including the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, the 2003 SARS outbreak in Beijing, and the 2001 bioterrorist anthrax response. Upon completing 30 years of service in 2018, Schuchat retired from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service at the rank of Rear Admiral. Karyl Rattay, MD, MS, Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health Arthur T. McCormack Award Rattay leads over 600 employees as state health officer and director of the Delaware Division of Public Health. As a board-certified pediatrician, Rattay has practiced pediatrics for nearly 14 years. Between 2001-2004, she served as a senior public health advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General and HHS Assistant Secretary of Health. Joan Duwve, MD, MPH, Associate Dean for Practice, Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health Noble J. Swearingen Award Duwve is the Associate Dean for Practice at the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health in Indianapolis and the former chief medical officer at the Indiana State Department of Health. Duwve was a private practice family physician for 11 years. Prior to medical school, she served in the Peace Corps and worked in international public health in North Africa and the Middle East. Grant Baldwin, PhD, MPH, Director, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, CDC Injury Center National Excellence in Public Health Co-Award Baldwin began his career at CDC in September 1996. In his nearly 10 years of leadership at the Injury Center, he has helped raise the profile of motor vehicle injury prevention and scaled up CDC’s response to the prescription drug overdose epidemic. He has also advanced the work in older adult fall prevention and CDC’s efforts in the prevention of traumatic brain injury. Patricia Mitchell, MPH, Deputy Director, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, CDC Injury Center National Excellence in Public Health Co-Award Mitchell joined CDC’s Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention as deputy director in March 2014. After over 20 years in the agency’s diabetes division, Mitchell quickly got up to speed on pressing and high priority unintentional injury prevention topics, including opioid overdose, traumatic brain injury, transportation safety, and older adult falls. Jennifer Clarke, MD, MPH, FACP, Medical Programs Director, Rhode Island Department of Corrections State Excellence in Public Health Award Clarke led a treatment program for opioid addiction launched by the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, which was associated with a significant drop in post-incarceration drug overdose deaths and, ultimately, resulted in an overall drop in overdose deaths statewide. The first-of-its-kind program screens all Rhode Island inmates for opioid use disorder and provides addiction treatment medications for those in need. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) 2018 Legislative Champion Award Blunt was elected to the United States Senate in 2010. He serves on the Appropriations Committee; the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; the Select Committee on Intelligence; and the Senate Rules Committee. Before serving in Congress, he was a history teacher, a county official, and in 1984 became the first Republican elected as Missouri’s Secretary of State in more than 50 years. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) 2018 Legislative Champion Award Serving as a member of Senate Democratic leadership since 2007, Patty has established herself as a tireless and effective leader on education, transportation, budget issues, port security, healthcare, women, and veterans’ issues. She is currently Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Terry Dwelle, MD, FAAP ASTHO Alumni Award Dwelle served as the state health officer for the North Dakota Department of Health from 2001-2016. He was previously the clinical director for the Indian Health Service clinic at Fort Totten, an assistant professor of pediatrics, an infectious disease consultant, and a medical missionary to Central and East Africa. Dwelle is the founder and director of the North Dakota Public Health Training Network and serves as the alumni society representative on the ASTHO Board of Directors. de Beaumont Foundation ASTHO Partner Award The de Beaumont Foundation’s mission is to strengthen and transform public health in the United States. The foundation improves the effectiveness and capacity of local and state health departments through research, collaboration, and strategic grantmaking. Texas Department of State Health Services Model Policies and Practices Challenge Winner ASTHO, in partnership with the de Beaumont Foundation, recognizes Texas’ health department for its grand rounds program, an organization-wide strategy that encourages thought-provoking conversations around the science of public health. Since its inception in 2008, the program has hosted 132 presentations and engaged nearly 25,000 learners on topics ranging from human trafficking to food access/insecurity and Zika to illegal pain clinics.    San Francisco Department of Public Health Model Policies and Practices Challenge Winner ASTHO, in partnership with the de Beaumont Foundation, recognizes San Francisco’s health department for its trauma informed systems model, designed to create a healing public health system of care that fosters wellness and resilience for everyone in the system. In addition, ASTHO presented its 2018 Vision Awards to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Tennessee Department of Health, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. <!--Learn more about their award-winning programs here.--> ASTHO congratulates the 2018 award winners for demonstrating excellence in public health leadership and working tirelessly to protect and promote our nation’s health. ASTHO Press Release Boilerplate website yes

Health Officials Respond to Alarming Increases in Congenital Syphilis ARLINGTON, VA—Newborn syphilis cases have more than doubled in the last 4 years, and last year, the United States saw the most cases of congenital syphilis since 1997, according to a new CDC report. Babies born with untreated syphilis can face serious consequences, including an array of neurological and developmental health problems. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and its members are committed to protecting the health of mothers and infants by raising awareness and urging action to address this alarming disease. Several states are also seeing a rise in congenital syphilis cases. Many women are not receiving timely prenatal care for early detection and treatment, so the increase may be partly because more women of reproductive age are infected with the disease. “In California, and nationwide, we are seeing a significant and concerning increase in the number of congenital syphilis cases,” says Karen Smith, state public health officer and director of the California Department of Public Health. “It is critical that pregnant women be tested for syphilis at their first prenatal visit, and women at risk for syphilis should receive repeat screening during the third trimester and again at delivery.” John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, also recognizes the importance of prenatal care for every pregnancy: “We’re partnering with healthcare providers and community organizations to increase awareness about congenital syphilis. Texas, along with other high burden areas, has also convened case review teams to help us better understand what’s leading to an increase in cases, including possible barriers to prenatal care.” In late 2017, California, Texas, and seven other jurisdictions received grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen local capacity to address and respond to congenital syphilis. “The data in CDC’s 2017 STD Surveillance Report reiterates the need for continued work on STD prevention,” says Hellerstedt. “It presents a significant challenge, but with support from our partners in healthcare, public health efforts can stem the tide of congenital syphilis.” “With cuts to public health budgets, it’s no surprise we’re seeing a rise in rates,” says Michael Fraser, CEO of ASTHO. “What we’re hearing from states is that the unfortunate increases in congenital syphilis cases has a lot to do with decreases in funding for the core work for STD prevention. These statistics remind us that we need to sustain funding for public health – we know what we need to do, we just need to have the resources to do it.” ASTHO Press Release Boilerplate website yes

In this episode, our guests tell us how they put One Health into practice in a state health department, how health departments can connect across agencies to address One Health issues, and what falls under the One Health umbrella.

A Blueprint for Establishing a Health Equity or Minority Health Office 30:37 minutes Learn how to form and manage an office of health equity or minority health, based on several firsthand experiences. Listen to the podcast episode now. <!-- Podcast Embed ep 93 --> There are many considerations when forming and managing an office of health equity or minority health. The National Association of State Offices of Minority Health shares how agencies across the United States have overcome common challenges and benefited from having a dedicated health equity office. In addition, the United States Virgin Islands Department of Health discusses initial successes and challenges experienced while establishing their office. Finally, the California Department of Public Health, with a well-established office of health equity, shares how their office utilized health equity liaisons and supported rural/tribal communities. This podcast episode complements the recently published ASTHOReport “Establishing an Office of Health Equity or Minority Health,” which examines different approaches to sustainability. Show Notes Guests Rohan Radhakrishna, MD, MPH, MS, Former Deputy Director and Chief Equity Officer, California Department of Public Health Justa Encarnacion, RN, MBA, HCM, Health Commissioner and Chief Public Health Officer, United States Virgin Islands Department of Health Veronica Halloway, Executive Director, National Association of State Offices of Minority Health Resources Establishing an Office of Health Equity or Minority Health | ASTHO Islands Health Equity Framework | ASTHO Office of Health Equity | California Department of Public Health United States Virgin Islands Department of Health National Association of State Offices of Minority Health Podcast Transcript ep 93 website yes