Summary:

Discover how the Data Readiness Project, a collaboration between ASTHO and ASPR, strengthened medical countermeasure systems and enhanced data sharing for health agencies. Public health leaders from Virginia, North Dakota, and Massachusetts share how the project strengthened emergency preparedness and response capabilities. The discussion highlights the power of strategic investment and underscores the meaningful progress toward building systems that support faster, more effective responses to public health threats — not just through technology, but also via sustainable funding, collaboration, and scaling systems to meet unique jurisdictional needs.

Guests:

• Margaux Haviland, MPH, Director, Preparedness and Response Coordination, ASTHO
• Shane Keville-Wagner, Resource and Inventory Coordinator, Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Tim Wiedrich, Director, Health Response and Licensure Section, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
• Jonathan Kiser, MS, Planning Division Director, Office of Emergency Preparedness, Virginia Department of Health

Resources:

• Public Health Review Morning Edition - 990: Connecting Public Health Silos, Tracking Data for Emergencies
• How Washington State Leverages Data to Improve Emergency Preparedness, ASTHO
• Ohio Department of Health Using Partnerships to Improve Public Health Data and Emergency Preparedness, ASTHO
• How Massachusetts Streamlines Data Sharing to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness, ASTHO
• Successful Informatics Alignment, Policy Approaches for State and Local Data Sharing, ASTHO
• Legal and Policy Considerations for Public Health Technology Adoption: An Exploratory Guide, ASTHO
• Data Modernization Primer and Tactical Guides, ASTHO

This episode explores how strong partnerships across state and local agencies expand adolescent access to school health services in Illinois. Guests from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Chicago Department of Public Health, and Chicago Public Schools share how coordinated efforts are improving health and wellness supports for students. From district-wide initiatives like Healthy CPS to statewide infrastructure for school-based health centers, the discussion offers practical examples and lessons learned to inspire similar collaboration in other jurisdictions.

This publication was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $750,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS under the PW-24-0080 Cooperative Agreement, Grant #1NU38PW000018. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Guests

• Nikki Goodman, MSW: Healthy CPS Manager, Office of Student Health and Wellness, Chicago Public Schools

• Alexandra Sontag, DNP, MSN, APRN, CNL, FNP-BC: Director of School Nursing, Division of School Health, Chicago Department of Public Health

• Sally Lemke, DNP, WHNP-BC: School Health Nurse Consultant, Illinois Department of Public Health

Resources

• Healthy CPS | Chicago Public Schools

• CDPH School Health Programs | Chicago Department of Public Health

• School-Based/Linked Health Centers | Illinois Department of Public Health

• What Works in Schools | CDC

• Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child | CDC

• Supporting Adolescent Health Through School-Based Health Programs | ASTHO

In this episode, we spotlight a dynamic partnership between an Indiana local health department and Public Health AmeriCorps. Our guests — Jessica Baker, a dedicated Public Health AmeriCorps member, and Michelle Arnold, their host site supervisor — share how they became involved with the program and the impact of their collaboration. Michelle discusses the decision to host an AmeriCorps member and the valuable contributions Jessica has made, both locally and at the state health agency level. Meanwhile, Jessica reflects on their day-to-day responsibilities, motivations for joining, and future career goals. The episode wraps with practical advice for other agencies considering hosting AmeriCorps members and insights into what the supervisor hopes to see in future fellows. It offers a candid look at building the public health workforce through mentorship, service, and shared goals.

Guests

Jessica Baker, MPH: Public Health AmeriCorps Member

Michelle Arnold, MPH: Public Health AmeriCorps Host Site Supervisor

The Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Data for Action project supports the integration of data on brain health and caregiving into public health planning efforts. State health leaders in the brain health space from Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, and New Jersey participated in the HBI Data for Action initiative as Cohort 1, with support from the Alzheimer's Association and ASTHO. This episode showcases the inaugural cohort's accomplishments.

Guests

Meghan Fadel: Data for Action Lead; Associate Director, Alzheimer's Association

Elizabeth Conklin, MPH: Connecticut Data for Action Participant; Health Program Supervisor; Heart, Brain and Diabetes Health Unit; Chronic Diseases and Injury Prevention Section; Community, Family Health, and Prevention Branch; Connecticut Department of Public Health

Resources

• CDC: Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Aging Data Portal
• Alzheimer's Association: BRFSS and Other Data Resources
• Alzheimer's Association: E-News
• ASTHO: Healthy Aging and Brain Health
• ASTHO: HBI Road Map Module
• ASTHO: Public Health Review Morning Edition

There are many considerations when forming and managing an office of health equity or minority health. The National Association of State Offices of Minority Health shares how agencies across the United States have overcome common challenges and benefited from having a dedicated health equity office. In addition, the United States Virgin Islands Department of Health discusses initial successes and challenges experienced while establishing their office. Finally, the California Department of Public Health, with a well-established office of health equity, shares how their office utilized health equity liaisons and supported rural/tribal communities. This podcast episode complements the recently published ASTHOReport "Establishing an Office of Health Equity or Minority Health," which examines different approaches to sustainability.

Guests

· Rohan Radhakrishna, MD, MPH, MS, Deputy Director and Chief Equity Officer, California Department of Public Health

· Justa Encarnacion, RN, MBA, HCM, Health Commissioner and Chief Public Health Officer, United States Virgin Islands Department of Health

· Veronica Halloway, Executive Director, National Association of State Offices of Minority Health

Resources

· Establishing an Office of Health Equity or Minority Health | ASTHO

· Islands Health Equity Framework | ASTHO

· Office of Health Equity | California Department of Public Health

· United States Virgin Islands Department of Health

· National Association of State Offices of Minority Health

· Public Health Review Morning Edition

Community health workers (CHWs) are frontline, public health professionals who share life experience, compassion, and cultural and value alignment with the communities they serve. They work in a range of settings under different titles, but what makes them unique is their ability to build deep trust with the people they serve based on their lived experience.

Despite robust evidence demonstrating the value of CHWs, sustainability of CHW positions and funding remains a perpetual challenge. In this episode, two industry experts with direct state public health experience discuss why it is so critical to invest in the CHW workforce as part of a health equity strategy, and share resources available to help recruit, retain, and sustain the workforce.

Guests:

· Joneigh Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP: Chief Health Equity Officer, CVS Health, alum–MI

· Sherri Ohly: Co-Director, Development, Envision

Resources:

· ASTHO: CHW resources

· Center for Community Health Alignment: CHW Model Best Practice Toolkits

· Community-Based Workforce Alliance: Advancing CHW Engagement in COVID-19 Response Strategies

· CVS Health:

o ASTHO-CVS Health: High-Impact Community Investments by Health Plans

o Health Equity

· Envision:

o Community Health Worker (CHW) Training and Technical Assistance Center

o Online community

o Newsletter

o Trainings

o CHW Sustainability Summit Journal (English or Spanish)

· National Association of Community Health Workers:

o Community Health Worker Pay Equity

o Sustainable Financing of Community Health Workers Employment

· Northern Arizona University, Center for Health Equity Research: Community Health Representative Integration Tools for Vaccine Deployment and Emergency Response

· Public Health Review Morning Edition

The landscape of public health data is changing. This episode dives into the importance of modernizing data exchange for a more efficient and effective public health system. We explore a framework that utilizes cloud services, open-source software, and open data standards to revolutionize how public health data is collected, shared, and analyzed.

This innovative approach outlines tools to reduce manual effort and streamline data flow across various sources, ultimately empowering state, tribal, local, and territorial health agencies (STLTs) to improve public health outcomes.

Join us as we hear national and state perspectives on data modernization initiatives, including valuable insights, experiences, and recommendations on workforce, policy, and funding to prepare for a future of cloud-based data sharing. This episode is a must-listen for public health professionals looking to harness the power of modern technologies to improve public health data exchange and ultimately, the well-being of their communities.

Speakers:

· Rachelle Boulton, MSPH: Health Informatics Program Manager, Division of Population Health, Utah Department of Health and Human Services

· Tabatha Offutt-Powell, DrPH, MPH: Vice President, Public Health Data Modernization and Informatics, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

Resources:

· The North Star Architecture framework is one way CDC has been talking about improving data exchange and leveraging cloud technologies. The themes and tools described as part of North Star Architecture are also connected to other opportunities and initiatives at CDC and with public health partners. We expect this to continue to evolve.

· CDC Data Modernization Initiative provides a comprehensive overview of national efforts to modernize public health data collection, sharing, and analysis.

· CDC Public Health Data Strategy details a comprehensive strategy and goal-oriented plan for leveraging data to improve public health outcomes across the nation.

· Data Pipeline Pilot Project is a CDC and United States Digital Service (USDS) initiative co-piloted with the Virginia Department of Health that led to the creation of a prototype cloud-based data processing pipeline that validates, ingests, and links data across multiple data streams.

· Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) outlines a national vision for public health data and the data, technology, policy, and administrative actions essential to exchange core data efficiently and securely across healthcare and public health.

· CDC Data Enterprise Exchange (DEX) is a cloud-based service that streamlines data exchange between STLTs and CDC through a centralized entry point, accepts data in various formats from public health partners, and utilizes modern Application Programming Interface (APIs) for secure and efficient data exchange.

· CDC is working closely with partners through a number of initiatives to advance interoperability. This page covers several of these with access to additional resources and information.

Summary:

The FDA Food Code provides an evidence-based set of best practices for retail food safety that can reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses from retail food establishments. It offers a wide array of benefits that can help establish uniformity in retail food across the country, but some jurisdictions may face challenges in adopting it. There are different ways to adopt the Food Code, showcased in this podcast episode, with examples from Connecticut and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

Speakers:

· Manisha Juthani, MD: Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Public Health

· Cynthia Costa: Supervisor, Food Protection Program, Environmental Health Drinking Water Branch/Environmental Health Section, Connecticut Department of Public Health

· Maryam Hosseini, RS/REHS: Environmental Health Manager, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

Resources:

· The Importance of the FDA Food Code | ASTHO

· Helping Healthy Agencies Adopt the FDA's Updated Food Code | Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (lww.com)

· Our History | Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

· Environmental Health Program | Mashantucket Land Use Commission

· Sec. 19a-36j. Food inspectors. Certification. Inspections. | Chapter 368a – Department of Public Health

· Sec. 19a-36h. Adoption by reference of United States Food and Drug Administration's Food Code. Regulations. | Chapter 368a – Department of Public Health

· ASTHO Daily Newscast: Public Health Review Morning Edition

The Government of Guam (GovGuam)— along with many other states, territories, and freely associated states — experience s challenges with procurement, which were illuminated by the COVID-19 pandemic response. To improve their small purchase procurement process, GovGuam invested time and resources into business process improvement (BPI), forming cross-agency leadership and project teams with key staff from the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS), the Office of the Governor of Guam, and other government agencies to inform decisions. Learn about the benefits and challenges of their efforts, and listen to their hopes for the future.

Guests

· Arthur San Agustin: Special Assistant of Health to the Governor of Guam, Former Director of Guam DPHSS, ASTHO Alum

· Bertha Taijeron: Program Coordinator, Guam DPHSS

· Jon Junior Calvo: Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor of Guam

Resources

• Grants Management Office Structure Optimization Toolkit assists in establishing and maintaining a centralized grants management office to optimize the use of federal funding.
• ASTHO STAR Center provides high quality resources, tools, and model practices that modernize and strengthen administrative and organizational capacity.
• Business process improvement efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands offer insight into improving federal grants management:
• Interagency Collaboration to Improve Business Processes in the U.S. Virgin Islands
• How the U.S. Virgin Islands Is Improving Federal Grants Management
• U.S. Virgin Islands Federal Grants Planning and Set Up Process Improvement
• USVI – Business Processes Improvement
• Boundary Spanning Leadership workshops focus on leveraging boundaries to benefit a group or an entire organization.
• Using Boundary Spanning Leadership to Improve Population Health details GovGuam's Boundary Spanning efforts.
• Public Health Review Morning Edition

The social determinants of health (SDOH)—the social, economic, and built environments in which people live, learn, work, and play—have significant impacts on health outcomes. Yet, sustainably funding initiatives that address SDOH is an ongoing challenge. In this episode, Admiral Rachel Levine, MD, assistant secretary for health at HHS, and Danielle Nelson, Senior Program Analyst at the Federal Transit Administration, discuss the federal government's commitment to aligning investments and resources across agencies. In addition, Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, provides a practical example of how Michigan's state health agency works collaboratively with the housing authority to ensure access to stable housing.

Guests:

Admiral Rachel Levine, MD: Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS

Elizabeth Hertel: Director, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Danielle Nelson: Senior Program Analyst, Federal Transit Administration

Resources:

Braiding and Layering Funding to Address the Social Determinants of Health

Public Health Review Morning Edition