Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

1029 - What We Know About CTE Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

A neurodegenerative disease that can only be diagnosed after death, CTE has made headlines for its prevalence in professional football players. But where does it stand as a public health issue? In this episode: Jesse Mez of the Boston University CTE Center gives an overview of what we know and don't yet know about CTE, as well as tips for parents of children who play contact sports.

Guest:

Jesse Mez, MD, MS, is the co-director of clinical research at the Boston University CTE Center and associate professor of neurology at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Transcript information:

Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

1028 - Vaccine Policy in the States Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

As policy has shifted at the federal level, state legislatures are considering a broad range of vaccine-related bills. In this episode: Jennifer Herricks and Northe Saunders of American Families for Vaccines talk about the landscape of vaccine policy, from "medical freedom" bills to those seeking shore up vaccine access.

Guests:

Jennifer Herricks, PhD, is the founder of Louisiana Families for Vaccines and the advocacy director of American Families for Vaccines.

Northe Saunders is a grassroots organizer and the president of American Families for Vaccines.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Vaccine Policy Atlas—American Families for Vaccines
Assessing the Impact of Changes to Federal Vaccine Recommendations on State Immunization Policies—International Vaccine Access Center
States Weigh Their Options Amid Fed Changes to Vaccine Policy—National Conference of State Legislatures

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

1027 - The EPA's Approval of Two New Pesticides Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

In late 2025, the EPA approved two pesticides for agricultural use that opponents argue contain PFAS—"forever chemicals" that pose hazards to human health. In this episode: the debate around what constitutes PFAS and the EPA's role in regulating these harmful chemicals.

Guest:

Rachel Frazin covers energy and environmental policy for The Hill and is the co-author of the book "Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America".

Host:

Show links and related content:

E.P.A. Moves to Weaken Limits on a Cancer-Causing Gas—New York Times
EPA just approved new 'forever chemical' pesticides for use on food—Washington Post
Trump EPA will defend Biden rule forcing polluters to pay for 'forever chemical' cleanup—The Hill
Uncovering America's Decades-Long PFAS Contamination—Public Health On Call (June 2025)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

1026 - A Mental Health Crisis for Adults with IDDs Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience higher rates of anxiety and depression than those without IDDs. Barriers like cost, a lack of trained providers, and societal biases keep many from accessing the care they need. In this episode: what's fueling this crisis hidden in plain sight and what needs to change in order to fix it.

Guests:

Kayte Barton is a former Special Olympics Minnesota athlete, a founding member of the Athlete Leadership Program, and an Athlete Advisory Board member.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis, MPH, is the Chief Health Director for the Special Olympics and the George Adkins Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Anxiety, Depression, and Care Barriers in Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities—JAMA Network Open
Strong Minds (Mental Health)—Special Olympics
Young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who participate in Special Olympics are less likely to be diagnosed with depression—Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
The Implicit and Explicit Exclusion of People with Disabilities in Clinical Trials—National Council on Disability

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

1025 - Advancing the Elimination of Schistosomiasis Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease transmitted to human hosts via freshwater snails. It can cause serious and debilitating chronic conditions, but the Pan American Health Organization is leading a charge to end transmission in the Americas. In this episode: PAHO Parasitologist Ronaldo Scholte details how locations like Puerto Rico are successfully working to eliminate schistosomiasis.

Guest:

Ronaldo Scholte, PhD, MS, is a technical officer at the Pan American Health Organization where he oversees efforts to treat and eliminate neglected tropical diseases.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

Schistosomiasis—WHO
Tracking the last signs of Schistosomiasis in Puerto Rico—PAHO
Ending Neglect of Tropical Diseases—Public Health On Call (March 2025)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

1024 - "Healing in a Changing America"—Starting with Florida Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

From working in immigrant health care under the Reagan administration to tackling today's measles outbreak in Florida, George Rust has decades of experience caring for the disadvantaged. In this episode: Dr. Rust discusses the state of public health in Florida, the need to return to a community-focused model, and his new book "Healing in a Changing America: Doctoring in a Nation of Needless Suffering."

Guest:

Dr. George Rust, PhD, is a family physician, a preventative public health specialist, and a professor at the Florida State University School of Medicine.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

Healing in a Changing America: Doctoring in a Nation of Needless Suffering—Johns Hopkins University Press (book)
Concerning outbreak of measles reported in SW Florida—FOX 35 Orlando
Florida Removes Over Quarter of People From Health Care Plan—Newsweek

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

1023 - How Social Media is Changing the Way We Talk About Health Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Once a useful tool for sharing critical information during the pandemic, social media has evolved into an oversaturated and underregulated marketplace for health disinformation. In this episode: Infectious disease epidemiologist and science communicator Jessica Malaty Rivera analyzes the online landscape and advises listeners on how to approach alarmist and misleading health content.

Guest:

Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, is a DrPH student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a researcher at the Center of Health Security.

Host:

Show links and related content:

CDC Urges 'Shared Decision-Making' on Some Childhood Vaccines; Many Unclear About What That Means—Annenberg Public Policy Center
Facts About VISs—CDC
How Americans' changing views on health paved the way for RFK Jr.—ABC News
How Public Health Found Its Voice—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
"Information Sick"—Public Health On Call (December 2025)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

1022 - Preventing Teen Car Crashes and Deaths Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Getting your license as a teenager is an exciting time but it's also a dangerous one. In this episode: Johns Hopkins researcher Johnathon Ehsani discusses why teens are more vulnerable to serious crashes, how driving tests and licensing laws can improve safety, and how parents can best support their new drivers. Please send this podcast to a new driver or their parents—today.

Guest:

Johnathon Ehsani, PhD, MPH, is an internationally recognized road safety researcher and an associate professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

Learner Driver Experience and Teenagers' Crash Risk During the First Year of Independent Driving—JAMA Pediatrics
What Helps a New Driver? More Driving—New York Times
Keeping Teen Drivers Safe—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
Carrying Passengers as a Risk Factor for Crashes Fatal to 16- and 17-Year-Old Drivers—JAMA

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

1021 - Antibiotic Overuse in Dentistry Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Dentists prescribe about 10% of all antibiotics in the U.S., but research shows that a large share may be unnecessary. In this episode: the grave public health risks of inappropriate antibiotic use, how this can be curbed, and the questions you should ask next time you're in the dentist's chair.

Guest:

Liz Szabo, MA, is an investigative health reporter with CIDRAP News.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

1020 - TrumpRx and High Drug Prices Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

The Trump administration's online prescription drug platform promises the world's lowest prices on medications. In this episode: Dr. Mariana Social explains how the site's discounts work, who they benefit, and whether they're truly the most affordable prices.

Guest:

Dr. Mariana Socal, PhD, MPP, MSc, studies the pharmaceutical market and is an associate professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Launches TrumpRx.gov to Bring Lower Drug Prices to American Patients—The White House
TrumpRx launches, but it's unclear if it will lower drug prices for most patients—CNN
Tariffs on Pharmaceuticals—Public Health On Call (June 2025)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

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