Dr. Lynn Bufka, Deputy Chief of Professional Practice at the American Psychological Association, discusses the Surgeon General’s recent general advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents; A.C. Rothenbuecher, ASTHO Director of Workforce, details ASTHO’s new workforce planning guide; and an ASTHO blog article focuses on how to better protect children’s health through emergency preparedness.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web Page: Parental Mental Health & Well-Being

ASTHO Web Page: Workforce Planning Guide – Guidance, Tools, and Resources to Assist Public Health Agencies in Workforce Planning

ASTHO Blog Article: How Emergency Preparedness Can Better Protect Children’s Health

Dr. Steven Stack, MD, MBA, Commissioner for Public Health and Chief Medical Officer, Commonwealth of Kentucky, and ASTHO President, discusses a partnership with HBCU Kentucky State University to bolster the public health workforce; Julia Greenspan, MPH, CHES, Director, Infectious Disease Infrastructure and Policy, ASTHO, lists the benefits of FDA approval of the first at-home syphilis test; a new ASTHO blog article looks at the Ohio Department of Health’s effort to improve public health data and emergency preparedness through partnerships; a new ASTHO toolkit is available on advancing contraceptive care to improve maternal health outcomes.  

New Partnership with Kentucky State University Will Expand Pathways to Public Health Careers

FDA: Marketing Authorization Enables Increased Access to First Step of Syphilis Diagnosis

ASTHO: Ohio Department of Health Using Partnerships to Improve Public Health Data and Emergency Preparedness

ASTHO Toolkit: Advancing Contraceptive Care to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes

Alison Cammack, PhD, MPH, lead author and health scientist on the CDC suicide prevention team, provides an overview of the CDC’s new Vital Signs report, with new data on suicide rates and variables; Stacy Scott, PhD, National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, discusses the role of public health in the effort to reduce infant mortality; an ASTHO blog article looks at better protecting children’s health through emergency preparedness. 

CDC: Vital Signs: Suicide Rates and Selected County-Level Factors - United States, 2022

NICHQ: Infant Mortality CoIIN Prevention Toolkit

NICHQ: National Infant Mortality Awareness Month Toolkit

ASTHO: How Emergency Preparedness Can Better Protect Children’s Health

Dr. Diane Hall, Director of the CDC Office of Rural Health, dives into the CDC’s new Rural Public Health Strategic Plan; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, tells us how Congress avoided a government shutdown this week; and Dr. Manisha Juthani, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health and an ASTHO Member, announces the launch of the new Lead-Free CT Campaign.

CDC Web Page: Rural Public Health Strategic Plan

ASTHO Web Page: Summary of FY25 Continuing Resolution

Connecticut Network Web Page: Capitol News Briefing

Dr. Sheena Patel, Executive Director for Public Health Modernization at Crisp Shared Services, discusses the role Crisp Shared Services will play in the Implementation Center program; Lisa Peterson, ASTHO Senior Director for Preparedness, discusses the upcoming annual Directors of Public Health Preparedness Meeting; and the CDC has issued a Health Update for Mpox through the Health Alert Network.

Data Modernization Implementation Center Program Web Page

CDC Web Page: Prevention Strategies for Mpox, including Vaccinating People at Risk via Sexual Exposure, for U.S. Travelers Visiting Countries with Clade I Mpox Outbreaks

Brianne Zaborowske, Lead Crisis Coordinator in the Division of Care and Treatment Services at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, discusses new crisis stabilization facilities across Wisconsin; Elizabeth Conklin, Connecticut Data for Action Participant, tells us about being part of the first cohort for the Healthy Brain Initiative Data for Action Project; and it is Falls Prevention Awareness Week.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services News Release: Five Crisis Stabilization Facilities Now Open Across Wisconsin

Public Health Review Podcast Episode: Enhancing Brain Health with Data-Driven Solutions

ASTHO Report: Expanding Falls Prevention Through Surveillance, Community-Clinical Linkages, and Strategic Planning and Evaluation

CDC Web Page: Trends in Nonfatal Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2012–2018

Dr. Lisa Richardson, Division Director of Cancer Prevention and Control at the CDC, breaks down a recent ASTHO report on cancer messaging; Andy Baker-White, ASTHO Senior Director for State Health Policy, tells us about two ASTHO webinars focused on public health agency rulemaking; and Dr. Umair Shah, Secretary of Health for the Washington State Department of Health and an ASTHO Member, was recently featured on an episode of the podcast “Reimagining Government for the Digital Age”.

ASTHO Report: Improving Public Health Messaging: Exploring the Reach and Effectiveness of Cancer Prevention Communications

ASTHO Webinar: Navigating the Rulemaking Process

Podcast Episode: Reimagining Public Healthcare with globally renowned innovator, Dr. Umair A. Shah, M.D., MPH

Karl Ensign, ASTHO Vice President of Island Support, talks about the work to address COVID-19 health disparities in the U.S. territories and freely associated states; Christina Severin, ASTHO Director of Public Health Law, summarizes several recent Supreme Court decisions that could affect public health; and you can still ask your questions about the new Data Modernization Implementation Center Program at an upcoming office hours opportunity.

American Journal of Public Health Article: Reducing COVID-19 Health Disparities in the Territories and Freely Associated States

Journal of Public Health Management and Practice Article: Defining and Advancing Health Equity in the US Territories and Freely Associated States

ASTHO Blog Article: Public Health Full-Court(s) Press

PHIG Web Page: Data Modernization Implementation Center Program

Captain Heather Dimeris, Director for the Office of the Advancement of Telehealth at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, discusses investments in telehealth as we celebrate Telehealth Awareness Week; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO Senior Director for Government Affairs, updates us on the latest federal spending developments; and ASTHO has a new guide to help you procure data visualization software.

HHS Telehealth Web Page

ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed

ASTHO Web Page: Procuring Contractor Support to Build a Data Dashboard

Tanya Carter, Suicide Prevention Supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Health, discusses the state’s preventable death data which showed some improvements; Chikamso Chukwu, ASTHO Analyst with the Population Health Team, tells us about a Primary Care Office survey; an ASTHO brief has five recommendations to enhance governmental public health workforce recruitment and hiring; and the CDC has a toolkit that promotes emotional well-being during October and beyond.

Minnesota Department of Health News Release: Preventable deaths by suicide declined in 2023

ASTHO Web Page: 2024 Primary Care Office Annual Technical Assistance Survey

ASTHO Brief: Five Recommendations for Enhancing Governmental Public Health Workforce Recruitment and Hiring

CDC Emotional Wellness Month Partner Toolkit