In 2017, nearly 64,000 children under six had elevated blood lead levels as defined by the CDC. There is no safe blood lead level in children, and even low levels of lead have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic ...
Leading a governmental health department is a complex job during the best of times, but particularly so during a pandemic when leaders must navigate every step carefully. In this episode, our guests introduce and discuss a concept called ...
On this episode, we speak with two public health veterans who led state health departments during times of public health uncertainty—like H1N1 and Ebola. Our guests discuss the lessons they learned during trying times, the advice they’d ...
Advocating on Capitol Hill for strong public health systems is critical to advancing the work of state and territorial health agencies. ASTHO's 2019 “Washington Week” has come and gone, but the work is far from over.
Learn from the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and featured states about current efforts to implement Healthy People 2020. ODPHP also discusses what to expect during the transition from Healthy People 2020 to ...
Catherine de la Cruz-Duran, Puerto Rico's territorial health official designee, explains how the island worked after Hurricane Maria to rebuild and improve its infrastructure and processes to better recover from future natural ...
Practice-based research is the investigation of a topic of interest in a real-world setting and the application of the findings in relevant programs, settings, or populations. Health departments should explore academic partnerships, ...
Karen Smith (alumni-CA) discusses the import role informatics plays in public health and how her successes in California may help other jurisdictions as they embrace data modernization.
California’s accreditation coordinator, Leslie Stribling, discusses the department’s path to reaccreditation, including three strategies to get organized, engage others in the process, and apply lessons learned.
To help new leaders, Missouri uses a concise orientation guide that incorporates key plans and leverages the infrastructure previously developed as part of the health department’s process to achieve accreditation through PHAB.
Three strategies that public health agencies can use to complete the programmatic and administrative activities required for accreditation.
State issued documents, such as birth certificates, are often required to navigate daily life. Vital records policy is a complex and evolving issue with many of the processes and procedures left to jurisdictional policy-makers.
Scientists are working quickly to develop a safe and effective vaccine to provide immunity to COVID-19. Once a vaccine is approved, it will likely be imperative for states to authorize as many health care professionals to administer it, ...
On April 16, 2020, ASTHO CEO Michael Fraser issued a statement praising the findings of a Trust for America's Health report, The Impact of Chronic Underfunding on America’s Public Health System: Trends, Risks and Recommendations, 2020.
In-depth analysis on state health policy surrounding rural health. This is part of ASTHO's annual legislative prospectus series.
As new diseases or emergencies arise, working alongside trusted committees can help health officials quickly respond and prevent undue burden on at-risk groups such as people with disabilities, pregnant people, and children.
November 18 is National Rural Health Day, a commemoration started by State Offices of Rural Health to recognize the power and resilience of rural communities. Twenty percent of the U.S. population lives in rural communities. Recognizing ...
This infographic outlines recommendations for how PQCs can promote breastfeeding through quality improvement strategies, and includes examples of three state PQCs that have improved policies, procedures, and practices to better support ...
ASTHO helps improve public health agencies’ performance and infrastructure by offering resources and tools for performance management, quality improvement, and accreditation.