Alex Karydi, State and Territory Initiatives Director at the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, details a recent assessment from SPRC that looked at the ability of states and territories to prevent suicide successfully; Emily Lapayowker, ASTHO’s Assistant Director of Web, uses Global Accessibility Awareness Day to explain why digital access and inclusion are so important; publichealthcareers.org might be where you find your next great hire; and ASTHO Alum, Dr. Umair Shah, received an award from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center Web Page: State and Territorial Suicide Prevention Needs Assessment Homepage

Suicide Prevention Resource Center Web Page: State Suicide Prevention Infrastructure Recommendations

Global Accessibility Awareness Day Web Page

ASTHO Brief: Website Accessibility – Enhancing Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Registration and Beyond

PublicHealthCareers.org

Brittany Giles-Cantrell, Program Director at the de Beaumont Foundation, tells us why de Beaumont’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health program is so valuable; Catherine Jones, ASTHO Government Affairs Senior Analyst, tells us her journey to ASTHO in this week’s “Get to Know ASTHO” segment; an interactive ASTHO tool compiles data to help your health agency in identifying measures for your suicide prevention programs; and ASTHO’s “Strengthening Administrative Preparedness” webinar will dive into everything you need to know for public health agency preparedness.

de Beaumont Foundation Web Page: 40 Under 40 in Public Health – Nominations

ASTHO Web Page: Suicide Indicator Tool

ASTHO Webinar: Strengthening Administrative Preparedness in Public Health Agencies

Esther Muña, Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation and Territorial Health Official for the Northern Mariana Islands, explains how their Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) funds allowed them to improve security and integrate care through a new electronic health record system; Jerry Larkin, Director of the Department of Health of Rhode Island, describes how PHIG has been an asset to his department in preventing illness and enabling advancements; Jacki Tulafono, Division Head for the Department of Health in American Samoa, shares how PHIG dollars support key functions at their agency, allowing them to provide services to those that need it most.

PHIG Partners Web Page

PHIG Newsletter

Rita Condon, Program Manager for obesity, nutrition, and physical activity with the Department of Health in New Mexico, discusses the agency’s annual child obesity update and the new initiatives in place to promote healthy eating; Andy Baker-White, Senior Director for State Health Policy at ASTHO, reports a new legislative trend of banning certain food dyes and additives in states across the country; ASTHO’s INSPIRE Readiness webinar on the importance of regional data in decision-making takes place May 22nd; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO past president and former Alaska State Health Officer, was appointed to the Steering Committee for the Vaccine Integrity Project.

New Mexico Childhood Obesity 2024 Report

ASTHO: States Moving to Prohibit Additives and Dyes in Food

ASTHO: INSPIRE: Readiness - Building a Data-Ready Ecosystem for Public Health Response

Vaccine Integrity Project

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s new Health and Environment Laboratories improve the state's ability to respond to disease outbreaks and health threats; Get to know Catherine Murphy; the impact of the Public Health AmeriCorps program at the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services; the Pennsylvania Department of Health celebrates 120 years; and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation of the Northern Mariana Islands has been awarded a 2025 Network of Practice Grant from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative.

New Kansas Health & Environment Laboratories

AmeriCorps in Action: Strengthening Public Health in Iowa

PA Department of Health Celebrates 120 Years of Service

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation of the Northern Mariana Islands awarded a 2025 Network of Practice Grant

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for the state of Michigan, explains the state’s Public Health Data Dashboard, which visualizes public health trends by district and helps to shape awareness of public health’s role in the community; David Stone, Accreditation Analyst at ASTHO, discusses the importance of accreditation and ASTHO’s guide to sustaining efforts across health departments; Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO President and State Health Officer for Alabama, appeared on a recent Public Health on Call podcast; Dr. Nirav Shah, former ASTHO President and former Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will give the commencement address at the University of Maine in Farmington; ASTHO will host an event being an effective crisis communicator Thursday, May 8th.

Michigan’s Public Health Data Dashboard 

ASTHO: A Guide for Sustainable Public Health Accreditation

Podcast: A Conversation with Alabama’s State Health Officer

ASTHO: Don’t Panic: A Panel on How to be an Effective Crisis Communicator

UMF Announces Dr. Nirav Shah as Commencement Speaker

Dr. Alex Walley, professor of medicine at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, addresses the opioid overdose crisis and community engagement, topics at the Rhode Island’s Community Overdose Engagement (CODE) Summit; Sean Graham, Deputy Director of Emergency Preparedness for the State of Georgia Department of Public Health, discusses the importance of radiological preparedness; ASTHO resources for Mental Health Awareness Month; Dr. Victor Ramos Otero, Secretary of Health for the Puerto Rico Department of Health, honored at the 11th Preventive Health and Immunization Congress for his leadership and accomplishments.

Rhode Island’s Community Overdose Engagement (CODE) Initiative and Summit

National Alliance for Radiation Readiness

ASTHO: Public Health’s Role in Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention

Victor Ramos Otero, MD, Puerto Rico Department of Health

Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO Senior Director for Government Affairs, explains how he came to ASTHO and how his team provides value for members; Vish Viswanath, Professor of Health Communication and Population Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, explains how an upcoming ASTHO webinar will prepare you to be a better crisis communicator; the Association of Immunization Managers, is celebrating its 25-year anniversary; and Jeff Brown, Acting Commissioner of Health for the State of New Jersey, is ASTHO’s newest member.

ASTHO Webinar: Don't Panic! A Panel on How to be an Effective Crisis Communicator

Association of Immunization Managers Web Page: AIM 2024 Annual Report

ASTHO Web Page: New Jersey | Jeff Brown

Brian Weaver, Lead Policy Advisor at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, tells us about an emergency rule to strengthen standards that protect children from lead exposure; Annie Evans, ASTHO’s Director of Preparedness, discusses a recent project that aimed to create an official definition of disability for the National Syndromic Surveillance Program; a new ASTHO Legislative alert details President Trump’s FY-26 discretionary budget proposal; and ASTHO’s “Don’t Panic!” webinar on how to be an effective crisis communicator is on May 8th at 1 p.m.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services News Release: As Previewed in 2025 State of the State Address, Gov. Evers Approves DHS Emergency Rule to Strengthen Standards to Prevent Further Hazardous Lead Exposure to Wisconsin Kids

Medscape Web Page: Data Routinely Captured in ED EMRs Can Support People With Disabilities During Public Health Emergencies

ASTHO Legislative Alert: President Trump Releases FY26 Budget Proposal

ASTHO Web Page: Subscribe

ASTHO Webinar: Don't Panic! A Panel on How to be an Effective Crisis Communicator

Kelly Crosbie, Director of the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, tells us about the community crisis center initiative in her state; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO's Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, discusses Congress’ to-do list as they return from a break; an ASTHO webinar later this month will dive into administrative preparedness for public health emergencies; and two members have been elected as ASTHO Board of Directors Regional Representatives.

NCDHHS News Release: NCDHHS and Trillium Health Resources Announce New Crisis Centers

ASTHO Webinar: Strengthening Administrative Preparedness in Public Health Agencies