J.T. Lane, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Population Health and Innovation at ASTHO, tells us how the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition is pushing health data modernization forward; Alex Wheatley, ASTHO Senior Director of Island Support, explains why this week is so important for the Island Areas; and ASTHO’s Board of Directors will meet on Monday, March 10.

HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition Web Page

ASTHO News Release: State and Territorial Health Leaders Convene on Capitol Hill to Advocate for Sustained Funding

Avia Mason, ASTHO Vice President of Leadership and Learning, tells us what to expect from ASTHO’s 2025 Executive Leadership Forum; Jeffrey Ekoma, ASTHO Senior Director for Government Affairs, takes us through some of the priorities for meetings on Capitol Hill; and ASTHO has an entire web page dedicated to rulemaking.

ASTHO Web Page: Rulemaking

ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed

Dr. Spencer Fox, Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia, explains how a new course on mathematical models could help public health professionals; Dr. Lana McKinney, ASTHO Senior Policy Analyst on the State Health Policy Team, tells us how states are addressing rural healthcare access issues; an ASTHO self-assessment can help prepare your agency for structured planning; and ASTHO’s newest member is Sarah Wilson, the Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

How To Think Like A Modeler Web Page

ASTHO Blog Article: State Legislatures Moving to Increase Rural Healthcare Access

ASTHO Web Page: Foundational Planning Readiness Organizational Self-Assessment

ASTHO Web Page: Sarah Willson

Dr. Susan Kansagra, former ASTHO Member and most recently the Assistant Secretary and State Health Officer for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, has been named ASTHO’s new Chief Medical Officer; Jennifer Schmidt, North Dakota Health and Human Services Public Health Division PHIG Fund Manager, tells us how her office is transitioning from a “career ladder” to a “career honeycomb”; and the deadline to apply for ASTHO’s Leadership Institute has been extended.

ASTHO News Release: Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA, Named Chief Medical Officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

ASTHO Blog Article: How Staffing and Workload Can Impact Public Health Agencies

ASTHO Web Page: ASTHO Leadership Institute

ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed

Dr. Sarah Lyon-Callo, Senior Deputy Director for Public Health Administration and the State Epidemiologist for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, tells us how the unique ability to use PHIG across sectors helps break down silos.

PHIG Partners Web Page

PHIG Newsletter

Elle Talsma, Project Supervisor for the INSPIRE Program at the Minnesota Department of Health, tells us how the program encourages students to take an interest in public health; Chris Baumgartner, Deputy Chief Informatics Officer at the Washington State Department of Health, discusses his time in the ASTHO Leadership Institute; and the Implementing Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception Learning Community is currently accepting applications.

Minnesota Department of Health Web Page: INSPIRE Program

ASTHO Web Page: ASTHO Leadership Institute

ASTHO Web Page: Implementing Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception Learning Community

ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed

Dr. Dylan George, Director of the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics at the CDC, tells us about Insight Net which aims to improve analytics in outbreak forecasting; Mark Miller, Vice President of Communications at the deBeaumont Foundation, explains how a deBeaumont Foundation toolkit could help build trust; and on March 1st we will recognize “Remembrance Day” to honor the victims and survivors of U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands.

CDC Web Page: Insight Net

deBeaumont Foundation Web Page: Communicating About Public Health

Marshall Islands Story Project Web Page: Remembrance Day

ASTHO Web Page: Stay Informed

Dr. Robert Kruse, State Medical Director and the Division Director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and an ASTHO Member, tells us about his state’s response to a confirmed case of Lassa Fever; Clarie Miller, Lead Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the New Mexico Department of Health, explains how her team helped reduce suicide rates in women and Indigenous peoples; an ASTHO Report can help your state learn about resiliency planning; and the deadline to apply for ASTHO’s Leadership Institute has been extended to March 10th.

Iowa Health and Human Services Web Page: State and Hospital Officials Follow Federal Guidance After Lassa Fever Death

USA Today News Article: Have the flu or know someone with it? Flu cases surge to highest levels in 15 years, CDC says

New Mexico Department of Health News Release: State suicide rate decreases in key groups in 2023

ASTHO Report: State Resiliency Planning Considerations

ASTHO Web Page: ASTHO Leadership Institute

Dr. Bradley Stoner, Director of the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC, reports the findings in the latest STI Surveillance report; Katherine Feldman, Chief Performance Officer at the Maryland Department of Health, details the success of Maryland’s State Health Improvement Plan; an ASTHO blog article outlines heart disease and stroke prevention in the pacific territories; and the Alabama Department of Public Health marks 150 years in existence.

National Coalition of STD Directors Web Page: NCSD Congratulates Dr. Bradley Stoner on CDC Appointment; Applauds Leadership During STI Crisis

CDC Web Page: Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2023

Maryland Web Page: Building a Healthier Maryland

ASTHO Blog Article: Maryland Achieves Success Through Thoughtful Planning

ASTHO Blog Article: Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention in the Pacific Territories

Dr. Bradley Stoner, Director of the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC, discusses the first few weeks in his new role; Dr. Barbara Van Der Pol, Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, explains how the UAB Circle Project will work to combat syphilis; the deadline to apply for the 2025 ASTHO Leadership Institute in March 3rd; and Dr. Erica Pan, Director and State Public Health Officer for the California Department of Public Health, is ASTHO’s newest member.

National Coalition of STD Directors Web Page: NCSD Congratulates Dr. Bradley Stoner on CDC Appointment; Applauds Leadership During STI Crisis

ASTHO Web Page: Syphilis

ASTHO Web Page: ASTHO Leadership Institute

ASTHO Web Page: Erica Pan