Dr. Kaitlan Baston, ASTHO Member and Acting Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, discusses a new law in New Jersey that decriminalizes many harm reduction supplies; Andra Samoa, a Department of Health Consultant and Liason, wants Congress to know that it’s hard to make improvements in an isolated island environment; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, tells us what he told a recruiter who called him about the ASTHO job more than seven years ago; and ASTHO leaders have issued a statement about the alarming number of measles cases now being reported across the country.

Insider NJ News Article: Governor Murphy Signs Legislation to Expand Access to Crucial Harm Reduction Supplies

ASTHO News Release: Public Health Leaders Will Visit Congress and Stress the Need to Invest in Infrastructure, the WIC Program, and Island Priorities

ASTHO Public Health Review Podcast

ASTHO News Release: State Health Officials Alarmed by U.S. Measles Outbreaks, Stress the Importance of Adhering to Established Public Health Practices and Vaccinating the Unvaccinated

Gaafar Uherbelau, Minister of Health for the Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services, tells us his priorities in Washington D.C. for ASTHO’s Spring Meeting; this week the third cohort of public health professionals in the Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health program will graduate; Dr. Puthiery Va, the Maine CDC Director, has a plan to recruit and retain more public health nurses; and ASTHO is hiring for several positions.

ASTHO Webpage: Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health

ASTHO Webpage: 2023 DELPH Cohort

Portland Press Herald News Story: Maine’s new CDC director is expanding public health workforce, access, mission

ASTHO Webpage: Careers At ASTHO

ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Iyanrick John, Vice President of External Affairs at ChangeLab Solutions, tells us about his organization partnering with the CDC to create a legal and policy assessment tool; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, will be leaving the organization after more than seven years leading ASTHO; Amber Williams, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Leadership and Organizational Performance, says members from state and island jurisdictions are in Washington D.C for ASTHO’s spring meeting; and an ASTHO blog article outlines how the Alabama Department of Public Health is working to implement the state’s public health infrastructure grant workplan.

CDC Webpage: HIV Criminalization Legal and Policy Assessment Tool

ChangeLab Solutions Webpage: HIV Criminalization Legal & Policy Assessment Tool

ASTHO Public Health Review

ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

ASTHO Blog Article: Alabama’s Positive Transformation Through Cross-Cutting PHIG Workplans

Dr. Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, and Dr. Brian Castrucci, de Beaumont Foundation President and CEO, tell us why their new book is beneficial for all public health professionals; Maggie Davis, ASTHO Director for State Health Policy, says states are beginning to assess the use of AI in public health and beyond; ASTHO has a course to teach best practices for building and understanding data visualization through a health equity lens; and ASTHO launches a three-part video series to showcase how public health can build program sustainability into their Healthy Brain Initiative work.

ASTHO Webpage: Building Strategic Skills for Better Health – A Primer for Public Health Professionals

ASTHO Blog Article: States Assessing and Mitigating Risks of Agencies Using Artificial Intelligence

ASTHO Webpage: Designing Data Dashboards Using a Health Equity Lens

ASTHO Webpage: Integrating Sustainability into Healthy Brain Initiative Implementation

Amber Williams, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Leadership and Organizational Performance, previews ASTHO’s upcoming Spring Meeting; Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO, prepares to say goodbye as he ends his time at ASTHO next week; and an ASTHO blog article explains why it’s never too early to prepare for hurricane season.

Public Health Review Podcast Webpage

ASTHO Blog Article: Why It’s Never Too Early to Prep for Hurricane Season

ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer, discusses the supply and demand challenges impacting new RSV antibody products; Luke Kenley, Former Indiana State Senator, tells us how he helped lead the committee to develop and promote the public health funding package that would raise spending by 1500 percent; and an ASTHO Blog Article outlines strategies to address hypertension disorders in pregnancy.

CDC Webpage: RSV Immunization for Children 19 months and Younger

ASTHO Report: Investing in Indiana’s Public Health Infrastructure Through Community-Driven Policy Change

ASTHO Webinar: Investing in Public Health Infrastructure – Indiana's Success Story

ASTHO Brief: Addressing Hypertension in Pregnancy to Reduce Maternal Morbidity and Mortality

ASTHO Webpage: Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain

ASTHO Webpage: Strategic State and Local Policies for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention

ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Dr. Ashwin Vasan, New York City Health Commissioner, discusses New York City’s decision to declare social media a public health hazard; Anya Nystrom, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Director of Culture, Strategy, Equity, and Innovation as well as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer, says equity and inclusion are the focus of work happening in Colorado; an ASTHO blog article outlines an urgent need to make sure public health data represents all communities; and Mike Fraser, ASTHO CEO and de Beaumont Foundation President and CEO Dr. Brian Castrucci are hosting a webinar discussion based on their new book.

New York City News Release: Mayor Adams Announces Lawsuit Against Social Media Companies Fueling Nationwide Youth Mental Health Crisis

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Webpage: 2023 - 2026 Strategic Plan

ASTHO Blog Article: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Public Health Data Modernization

ASTHO Webinar: Lunch and Learn – Building Strategic Skills for Public Health Professionals

Dr. Nizar Wehbi, ASTHO Member and North Dakota State Health Officer, says North Dakota has a plan to attract healthcare workers; Lindsey Myers, ASTHO Vice President for Public Health Workforce and Infrastructure, tells us Pacific Island area public health leaders are working on plans to invest their public health infrastructure grant funding; learn what to do during the first three days following a nuclear detonation in an ASTHO webinar; and an ASTHO webinar will explain how to implement a performance management system within an environmental health division.

North Dakota Webpage: Healthcare Workforce

Prairie Public News Article: HHS launches 'Love You to Stay'

ASTHO Webinar: Planning For the First 72 Hours

ASTHO Webinar: Performance Management in Environmental Health

Dr. Gabriel Seidman, Director of Policy at the Ellison Institute of Technology, details the need for a stronger nationwide health data ecosystem; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO Senior Director for Government Affairs, tells us how some topics on the Hill that are seemingly unrelated to public health can have an impact; and an ASTHO blog article discusses the connection between built environments and adverse childhood experiences.

American Journal of Public Health News Release: Public Health Leaders Urge Federal Government to Incentivize State-led Health Data Management to Create a Stronger National Health Data Ecosystem

American Journal of Public Health Webpage: Regulations and Funding to Create Enterprise Architecture for a Nationwide Health Data Ecosystem

ASTHO Blog Article: Improving the Built Environment Prevents ACEs and Creates Safer Communities 

ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

Amber Williams, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Leadership and Organizational Performance, previews next week’s webinar about strategic skills for public health professionals; Dr. Sejal Hathi, ASTHO Member and Director of the Oregon Health Authority, tells us her new role in Oregon is the perfect assignment; Dr. Khalilah LeGrand, the new Vice President for Communications and Public Relations at ASTHO, outlines her goals for the role; and authentic community engagement is on the agenda at the first national meeting of the STRETCH 2.0 initiative planned for February 21.

ASTHO Webpage: Building Strategic Skills for Better Health – A Primer for Public Health Professionals

ASTHO Webinar: Lunch and Learn – Building Strategic Skills for Public Health Professionals

ASTHO Webinar: Healing Relationships Authentically to Sustain a Healthy Community – A STRETCH National Convening

ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed