The Truth Initiative is America’s largest nonprofit public health organization committed to making tobacco use a thing of the past. Last week, Dr. Elizabeth Hair and Dr. Barbara Schillo discussed the Truth Campaign’s evidence-based health communication process, their innovative implementation of peer-to-peer campaign strategies, and the direct impact of their campaigns to include reductions in combustible use increased cessation resources. In part two of this two-part episode, we learn about policy initiatives and FDA regulation for vaping and e-cigarettes, communicating with patients about vaping, the environmental impact of vaping and nicotine products, and the upcoming surgeon general’s report on oral health. 

The number of young adults between 18 and 21 years old who tried vaping- or e-cigarettes- increased more than 400% from July 2017 to October 2018. It’s one of the fastest growing sources of nicotine use for youth and young adults, largely influenced by social media advertising and appealing flavors. The Truth Initiative is America’s largest nonprofit public health organization committed to making tobacco use a thing of the past. Since its inception, the Truth Campaign has won countless awards for their work in advertising and health communication, not to mention preventing over 2.5 million new smokers and awarding almost a million dollars in grant funding.Dr. Elizabeth Hair and Dr. Barbara Schillo join this week's episode to discuss theTruth Initiative’s evidence-based health communication process, their innovative implementation of peer-to-peer campaign strategies, and the direct impact of their campaigns to include significant reductions in combustible use.

The health care industry is powered by women.Women account for more than 76% of hospital employeesmore than77% of people who work in doctors' officesand more than 88% of home health workers. When we consider leadership positions- executive or senior level administration- only 16% of health care leadership positions are held by women with only 11% of those positions being held by women of color. In academia, women have earned the majority of doctorates for eight consecutive years but are only 32 percent of full professors and 30 percent of college presidents.On this episode, Dr. Rena d'Souza and Dr. Tamanna Tiwari help us understand wewe see such a disparity in ourheathleadership, their approaches to leadership in male-dominated areas, strategies for identifying mentors, and empowering women in the health workforce.

Oral health often works in parallel to other primary care systems creating barriers to effective and comprehensive person-centered care. Bridging the gap requires forward-thinking and innovation in several key areas including interprofessional education and practice, financial system alignment, and supportive health information technology. So how can we co-create systems that merge medical and dental care? Dr. Steve Geiermann, Senior Manager of Access, Community Oral Health Infrastructure and Capacity with the American Dental Association, and Dr. Hugh Silk, a family physician in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School join this week's episode of Anecdotal Evidence to share their stories.

Americans living in rural areas often face significant health inequities driven by barriers to accessing care including reduced health workforce, geographic distance to care centers, lack of infrastructure, and cultural factors inhibiting treatment. Dr. Marcia Brand, Senior Advisor at the DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement, and Mr. Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, help us understand that despite significant barriers, these communities often support some of the most innovative responses to care delivery in the U.S.  

Mentorship in public health is critically important to fostering effective leadership and providing support to a future public health workforce. Dr. Karl Haden, President and CEO of the Academy for Academic Leadership, and Dr. Caswell Evans, the Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences at the University of Illinois, Chicago College of Dentistry explore diversity in mentorship, how to approach a potential mentor for guidance, and setting effective expectations for mentoring relationships.

Dr. Baker Harrell, Founder and Executive Director of It’s Time Texas, shares his views on fulfilling the mission of radical collaboration. He suggests that prioritizing the needs of “the other” and leveraging collaboration to bring more seats to the table will lead to greater organizational success and public health impact. At the end of the day, your organization has to be driven by a larger purpose. He provides strategies for organizations to lean into multi-sector collaboration and to adopt a new paradigm of thinking toward collective social change. 

Dr. Robert Weyant, editor of the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, and Dr. Michael Mackert, Director of the UT Austin Center for Health Communication, join us today to discuss evidence-based strategies for public health practitioners. We discussed topics like implementation and translational science, predatory journals, peer-review processes, and applying evidence to our daily work. Is the peer review process dead? Why does it take so long to apply research in practice? Why aren't we replicating studies? Join us to hear their answers.

Dr. Georges Benjamin and Dr. Catherine Hayes join us today on our inaugural episode of Anecdotal Evidence. They share their thoughts on how to cultivate diverse leaders to meet the ever-changing needs of the public health landscape. Where is the future of public health leadership? How can we fill the gaps we have now? Drs. Benjamin and Hayes help us understand where to go and how to get there.