Finding the right mental health or substance use treatment can be difficult, especially for people in crisis who may not know where to turn or may encounter outdated provider information and confusing terminology. Ohio is using technology and artificial intelligence to make that process easier.  Today, Jennifer Lloyd, assistant director for RecoveryOhio in the office of Governor Mike DeWine, discusses RecoveryRachel, an AI-powered treatment finder designed to help people quickly identify appropriate mental health and substance use treatment providers. Lloyd explains how conversations with families, treatment providers, and other stakeholders helped shape the tool, including a focus on making provider information easier to understand and keeping it accurate and up to date.

RecoveryOhio | Ohio.gov

Funding & Collaboration Opportunities | ASTHO

Strong public health infrastructure depends on systems and tools, and an organizational culture that promotes using them effectively. On this PHIG Impact Report, Colton Anderson, senior analyst for infrastructure and improvement at ASTHO, discusses the Quality Advisory Group, or QAG, a network of performance improvement professionals from state and territorial health departments. He explains how the group creates a space for members to share challenges, exchange practical tools, and learn from one another as they work to build stronger systems for quality improvement and performance management. Later, DeMatt Harkins, director of quality improvement at the Mississippi State Department of Health, shares his experience participating in the QAG and explains how ideas from the group have informed his agency’s work.

This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠22-2203⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government. 

Public Health Infrastructure Grant: Resources & Impact - PHIG

As public health agencies face growing demands to prepare for emergencies while maintaining essential services, strong infrastructure, data, and community partnerships are more important than ever. ASTHO member and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Raynard Washington discusses his priorities for strengthening the state’s public health system, drawing on his experience leading public health efforts in Philadelphia and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He explains why sustained investment in public health infrastructure and the workforce is critical to preparing for the next emergency, and how data can help leaders set priorities, direct resources, and measure progress.

SepticSmart Week | US EPA

Demystifying Succession Planning | ASTHO

The public health preparedness system in the United States looks fundamentally different than it did before 9/11, shaped by the attacks, the anthrax events that followed, Hurricane Katrina, and subsequent public health emergencies.  ASTHO CEO Dr. Joseph Kanter and Vice President for Government Affairs, Jeffrey Ekoma, reflect on how 9/11 transformed the nation’s approach to emergency preparedness, including the shift from a focus on bioterrorism toward an all-hazards framework and the development of stronger coordination, surveillance, laboratory, workforce, and medical countermeasure capabilities.  

Twenty-five years after 9/11, public health preparedness has evolved from an emerging function into a dedicated discipline with trained professionals, established response systems, and infrastructure designed to protect communities during emergencies.  In this episode, part of a series commemorating 9/11, Beth Maldin Morgenthau, deputy commissioner for the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, reflects on her experience responding to 9/11 and the anthrax attacks that followed. She discusses how these events shaped her career and helped transform public health emergency preparedness in New York City and across the country.

America’s aging population is creating new priorities for public health, and the latest data show both progress and persistent challenges for older adults. The 14th edition of the America’s Health Rankings Senior Report finds encouraging gains in the workforce caring for older adults, preventive screenings and premature mortality, while also highlighting troubling increases in drug deaths, excessive drinking and suicide among seniors. Today, Rhonda Randall, executive vice president and chief medical officer for United Healthcare Employer and Individual, and a United Health Foundation board member, discusses what the findings mean for state and territorial health officials and why national averages don’t tell the whole story. She explains the importance of examining health data by income, geography, race and ethnicity, and other factors; strengthening the workforce that supports older adults; and addressing social isolation, prevention and access to care. She also makes the case for closer collaboration between public health, primary care and community organizations to support healthy aging — particularly in rural communities, where health outcomes can vary significantly from one place to another.

Innovation Advisory Council | ASTHO

Data modernization is especially challenging in the U.S. territories and freely associated states, where geographic isolation, aging infrastructure, natural disasters and workforce shortages can complicate efforts to build and sustain modern public health systems. Today we hear from Luigi Leblanc, a doctoral student at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, who will discuss lessons from his research into data modernization across the territories. He’ll explain how workforce development, procurement, governance and leadership can determine whether modernization efforts succeed, and why data interoperability is critical when residents must travel off-island for health care. 

Data Modernization Strategies from Island Public Health Leaders | ASTHO

Leading Change October 2026

Supporting State and Local Health Policy Leaders Through High-Stakes Change  | Milbank Memorial Fund

Congress returns from its August recess facing a packed fall agenda, with federal funding, public health leadership and the looming midterm elections shaping what lawmakers can accomplish before the end of the year. On this View from Washington D.C., ASTHO’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Jeffrey Ekoma, discusses the latest developments on Capitol Hill: the continuing resolution that will keep the federal government funded through December 11, what to watch in negotiations over FY2027 funding, and what to watch for after the midterms in November.

FAQ for Preparing for CBRNE Emergencies at Mass Gatherings | ASTHO

How Public Health Agencies Can Use Podcasts to Tell the Stories That Matter

Medical examiners and coroners sit at a critical intersection of public health, health care, law enforcement, and vital statistics, generating data that can provide important insight into why people die. Dan Tauriello, senior analyst for public health data modernization and informatics at ASTHO, explains how modernizing data systems in medical examiner and coroner offices can improve efficiency, strengthen connections with public health, and create better access to timely information.  Tauriello discusses the importance of interoperability and common standards, including FHIR, as well as the often-overlooked challenge of getting public health agencies, medical examiners, coroners, software vendors, and other partners speaking the same language. Even relatively small improvements in the time required to process an individual case can add up to hundreds of hours of work saved each year.
Vital Insights: Medical Examiners and Coroners... : Journal of Public Health Management & Practice

Data Modernization Primer and Tactical Guides | ASTHO

Leading Change October 2026

South Carolina is investing in public health infrastructure designed not just to meet today’s needs, but to prepare for the next crisis. Brannon Traxler, acting director for the South Carolina Department of Public Health, and an ASTHO member discusses the state’s new public health and environmental laboratory, built to replace an aging facility that struggled to handle the demands of COVID-19 testing and modern laboratory equipment. The new lab is one of a small number of CDC Laboratory Response Network Level 1 facilities capable of high-volume surge testing for chemical threats and other emergencies.

Hurricane Response and Recovery | ASTHO

How Hurricane Ian Led to South Carolina’s New System for Natural Disaster Response | ASTHO

The traditional respiratory virus season hasn’t started, but Covid is already climbing | CNN