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Harris plans to focus presidency on building public trust in our work and advancing collaboration between state and territorial public health agencies

Readout of CDC/ASTHO/CSTE/APHL Call Regarding Avian Influenza Preparedness ARLINGTON, VA—On Friday, Nirav D. Shah, CDC’s Principal Deputy Director, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and Dr. Vivien Dugan, Director of CDC’s Influenza Division, met with members of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) to discuss avian influenza planning. CDC officials emphasized that, although the risk to the public remains low, the agency wants state public health officials to be prepared to respond. CDC recommended that state public health officials engage with their state veterinarians and agriculture department officials to ensure that they have up-to-date operational plans to respond to avian influenza at the state level. For example, CDC emphasized the importance of having plans in place to quickly test and provide treatment to potentially impacted farm workers following positive results among cattle herds. CDC also encouraged state health officials to communicate about any challenges they are facing. ASTHO, CSTE, and APHL members support CDC’s recommendations and look forward to continuing their partnership with their state agriculture counterparts, as well as CDC and other federal agencies, as part of their preparedness efforts. ASTHO Press Release Boilerplate website yes

On March 23, 2023, ASTHO President Anne Zink testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

On Nov. 22, 2021, ASTHO President Nirav Shah, MD was an invited speaker at a Public Health Community Appreciation Town Hall, organized by the White House. He gave brief remarks of appreciation for the entire public health workforce.

On July 13, 2021, ASTHO issued a statement of support for President Joe Biden’s nomination of Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA, FACP, to serve as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

On March 18, 2021, ASTHO announced the election of its new president, Nirav D. Shah, MD, JD, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Anne Zink, MD, chief medical officer for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, will serve as president-elect.

On Jan. 19, 2021, ASTHO released a statement commending President-Elect Joe Biden's nomination of Rachel Levine, MD, to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

On July 27, 2022, Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, joined ASTHO as a senior executive consultant. Alexander-Scott is a former Rhode Island Department of Health Director and former ASTHO President, she will support states and territories in capacity building focused on health equity.

On Dec. 10, 2020, ASTHO president and Pennsylvania secretary of health Rachel Levine, MD, testified about the COVID-19 vaccine before a Senate subcommittee.

On Sept. 3, 2020, Rachel Levine, MD, ASTHO President and Secretary of Health for Pennsylvania, issued a statement of concern and called for rigorous scientific testing in response to comments from federal leadership that implied a COVID-19 vaccine could be distributed to the public prior to the completion of phase 3 clinical trials.

On July 16, 2020, ASTHO announced that Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine, MD, has been appointed to the position of ASTHO President.

As July 4, 2020 approaches, physicians and health officials across the country are urging Americans to practice social distancing, wear masks, and generally remember to follow COVID-safe procedures to help stem the spread of the virus.

On June 23, 2020, ASTHO CEO Michael Frasier and ASTHO president, and Arkansas secretary of health, Nathaniel Smith, MD, MPH issued a statement urging the American public to follow public health measures, such as wearing face coverings, to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

On June 23, 2020, Joneigh S. Khaldun, MD, MPH, the health official from Michigan, and an ASTHO member, testified before a Senate committee about the lessons learned so far from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 2, 2020, ASTHO leadership released a statement affirming that the organization remains steadfast in its work to facilitate the sharing of ideas and experiences, creating dialogue that is inclusive of all voices within the public health continuum, identifying and raising awareness of best practices in public health—that not only eliminate racism and hate, but also bring forth solutions to the communities that we serve—and uprooting elements of hate that impact our ability to effectively respond to adverse events in our communities.

On March 10, 2020, ASTHO member and Mississippi state health officer, Thomas Dobbs, MD, MPH, testified before a House subcommittee about the state of the COVID-19 response.

On March 4, 2020, ASTHO member and Illinois state public health officer Ngozi Ezike, MD, testified about the COVID-19 pandemic response before a House committee.

On Jan. 14, 2020, ASTHO members from Rhode Island and Massachusetts testified before a House subcommittee on state efforts to address the opioid epidemic.

Connecticut Health Official Renée Coleman-Mitchell Testifies on Vaping Illnesses ARLINGTON, VA—Renée Coleman-Mitchell, MPH, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, testified today on the threats of e-cigarette use before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. The hearing, “E-cigarettes: An Emerging Threat to Public Health,” featured two panels that conveyed the magnitude of the current vaping-related lung disease epidemic from e-cigarette use. “Vaping of nicotine and marijuana related products has continued to rise in Connecticut and nationally – especially among young people,” says Coleman-Mitchell. “Vaping is now super easy and convenient and doesn’t smell like cigarettes. This means it’s really easy to hide it from parents. And now, vaping is endangering the lives of our citizens.” “Providing states with the necessary resources for a structure to help us cope with both our lung injury reporting and our youth epidemic is key. We cannot afford to wait another 50 years to combat the vaping epidemic, we need to take action now.” The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is pleased that Congress continues to investigate the national outbreak and learn from state public health officials about the severity tobacco use has on our health. Coleman-Mitchell is the sixth ASTHO member to testify this year on the vaping-related lung disease epidemic. Visit the committee’s website for more information and to read Coleman-Mitchell’s testimony. ASTHO Press Release Boilerplate website yes

Panel of State Public Health Officials Testify on Lung Disease Outbreak WASHINGTON—Today, four state health officials are testifying on a panel before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about the public health impacts of youth e-cigarette use and the current lung disease outbreak. The panel includes: Joneigh Khaldun, chief deputy director for health and chief medical executive, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Elizabeth Tilson, state health director and chief medical officer, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Lee Norman, secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Monica Bharel, commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Health The hearing, “Sounding the Alarm: The Public Health Threats of E-Cigarettes,” will provide members of Congress the opportunity to examine causes of the ongoing vaporizer-linked lung disease outbreak. “State and territorial public health agencies are taking a leading role in implementing strong action to protect consumers from the harms of e-cigarette use,” says Michael Fraser, CEO of ASTHO. “We are pleased that Congress highlighted their critical work today. We strongly urge Congress and the administration to take steps to strengthen oversight of e-cigarettes, increase investments in research and prevention, and to better understand health effects associated with their use, and provide increased funding for tobacco education and cessation programs.” For more information and to read the state health officials’ testimony, visit the committee’s website. ASTHO Press Release Boilerplate website yes