Public Health On Call

Dr. Jirair Ratevosian was a high level global health official in the State Department—a job he left to pursue a Congressional seat in California’s 30th district. In this episode, he details what it takes to run for Congress (including knocking on more than 30,000 doors) and how he talked about public health with voters. Spoiler alert: He didn’t win, but he did learn a lot and is hopeful that Congress can again be a place where people go to solve problems.

Dr. Jirair Ratevosian is an associate research scientist at Yale, an infectious disease fellow at Duke, and a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department.

• What Running For Congress As An HIV Activist Has Taught Me—The Body

• Congressional Hopeful Jirair Ratevosian on Armenia, LGBTQ+ Rights, and the American Dream—Advocate

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The rise of misinformation and the appeal of “alternative medicine” is coupled with a decline in trust of the U.S. health care system. In a new book, Dr. Sara Gorman explains how an inaccessible health care system has fed the rise of misinformation and what policymakers and providers need to do to earn back some credibility.

Dr. Sara Gorman is a public health researcher and author of a new book called “The Anatomy of Deception: Conspiracy Theories, Distrust, and Public Health in America.”

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department.

• Who is most vulnerable to misinformation?—Psychology Today

• The burden of medical debt in the United States—Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker

• A Playbook For Addressing Health Misinformation—Public Health On Call (March, 2024)

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Since the 2022 Dobbs decision, women’s healthcare in the U.S.—which was already underperforming in everything from access to maternal mortality rates—has faced a new set of challenges. In today's episode: All about a Commonwealth Fund report that updates the status of women’s health care and reproductive health across the nation and why even services not related to reproductive care—like cancer screenings and having a primary care provider—have been disrupted.

Dr. Sara Collins is senior scholar and vice president for health care coverage and access and tracking health system performance at The Commonwealth Fund.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department.

• 2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care—The Commonwealth Fund

• These are the states that rank highest and lowest for women’s health in new report—CNN

• How Does Your State Rank on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care?—Ms. Magazine

• OB-GYN Training and Practice in Dobbs’ Shadow—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health

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Respiratory syncytial virus can be particularly dangerous for older adults and infants and this year, for the first time, there are three approved and readily available products to help prevent severe disease: A vaccine for pregnant women and people over age 65, and an antibody treatment for infants born during RSV season. In this episode: all about these products and the promise they show for dramatically reducing the number of hospitalizations and deaths from RSV this year.

Dr. Georgina Peacock is the director of the Immunization Services Division in the National Center on Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department.

• Surveillance of RSV—CDC

• Why So Many Babies Didn’t Get RSV Vaccines This Winter—Public Health On Call (February, 2024)

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In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act—the first comprehensive federal legislation to recognize the often-overlooked dangers of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other gender-based violence. In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, researchers Tiara Willie and Michelle Decker join the podcast to talk about the legislation’s initial goals, why gender-based violence is still a neglected issue 30 years later, and how far we still have to go in truly protecting all women from violence.

Tiara Willie is a Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health in mental health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a researcher in gender-based violence, mental health, and sexual health.

Michele Decker is a Bloomberg Professor of American Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is the founder and director of the Center for Global Women’s Health and Gender Equity at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

• Proclamation on the 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act—The White House Briefing Room

• Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls—Public Health On Call (September, 2023)

• The first office for missing and murdered Black women and girls set for Minnesota–NPR

• The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting—Public Health On Call (February, 2024)

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What will the Presidential election mean for immigration—and for immigrants? A look at how each administration might approach one of the most polarizing issues on voters’ minds. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode belong solely to those interviewed. As a nonprofit entity, the Johns Hopkins University cannot take a position for or against any candidate running for elected office. Information is being provided solely for academic or educational purposes and is not an endorsement of any individual candidate.

Kiara Álvarez is an immigration and behavioral health equity researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Sarah Polk is a pediatrician at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the co-director of pediatrics at CentroSOL.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department.

• The Health Care Crisis at the U.S.-Mexico Border Part 1: Children and Families–Public Health On Call (April, 2024)

• The Health Care Crisis at the U.S.-Mexico Border Part 2: Border Walls and Traumatic Brain and Spinal Injuries–Public Health On Call (May, 2024)

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An outbreak of Marburg virus, one of the deadliest viruses in the world, has been reported in Rwanda. In this episode: an overview of the rare, hemorrhagic fever with an 88% mortality rate and how it's impacting Rwanda, and why we’re seeing more and more instances of zoonotic disease spillovers.

Kari Debbink is a virologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

• Marburg Outbreak in Rwanda Situation Summary—CDC

• WHO: cases at border and capital among Marburg concerns in Rwanda—CIDRAP

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The grand opening of a new research hub in Rapid City, South Dakota marks an exciting moment for the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health. The Hub will bring together community members and researchers to advance the Center’s lifesaving work in a central—and meaningful—location. In this episode: a look at some of the Hub’s first projects including lung cancer and diabetes research, and the Center’s approaches through the lenses of scientific rigor and unique cultural strengths.

Dr. Donald Warne is co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health and a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe.

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

• Grand opening of Great Plains Hub for Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health—Native Sun News

• Johns Hopkins indigenous health hub comes to Rapid City—SDPB Radio

• The Power of Positive Childhood Experiences—Public Health on Call (April, 2024)

• Why the Health of Indigenous People Impacts Us All—Public Health on Call (October, 2022)

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A look at the frontlines of the response 13 days after Hurricane Helene hit Tennessee—the state’s most devastating natural disaster in history. County commissioners Dr. Robert Acuff and Danny Deal report from the Elizabethton Municipal Airport which has become a staging area for relief supplies. Note: In the podcast, the commissioners request that supplies such as propane heaters and cylinders, and kerosene heaters, containers, and pumps can be sent to the attention of Commissioner Danny Deal at 415 Highway 91, Elizabethton, TN 37643. For updated information and a list of urgent needs, please check the links in the show notes.

Dr. Robert Acuff and Danny Deal are both commissioners of Carter County in Elizabethton, TN, on the border with North Carolina.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department.

• Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center Urgent Needs List—Facebook

• TEMA’s Hurricane Helene disaster updates

• Hurricane Helene Updates—Knoxville News Sentinel

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Gun violence is a top-of-mind issue for Americans and there are evidence-based solutions for prevention. In this episode: a focus on the stark differences between potential Trump and Harris presidencies when it comes to addressing gun violence. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode belong solely to those interviewed. As a nonprofit entity, the Johns Hopkins University cannot take a position for or against any candidate running for elected office. Information is being provided solely for academic or educational purposes and is not an endorsement of any individual candidate.

Cass Crifasi is co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center For Gun Violence Solutions.

Josh Horwitz is co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center For Gun Violence Solutions.

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

• President Biden and Vice President Harris Announce Additional Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Save Lives—White House Briefing Room Statement, September, 2024

• 2023 Results: National Survey of Gun Policy—Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions

• The National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center

• Oregon’s Measure 114: Reducing Gun Violence By State Referendum—Public Health On Call Podcast (November, 2022)

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