Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

949 - A Roadmap for Helping Adolescents Thrive Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Teenagers get a bad rap. They're seen as defiant and disrespectful, when, in reality, they're navigating a critical development period that teaches them how to regulate emotions, take responsibility, and build relationships. In this episode: Lisa Lawson debunks common misconceptions about adolescence and offers her recommendations for creating conditions that allow young people to thrive.

Guest:

Lisa Lawson, JD, is the president and chief executive officer of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a philanthropy creating better outcomes for children. She is also the author of the new book, "Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children".

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:

Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children—The New Press
Lisa Lawson explores the neuroscience of adolescence in 'Thrive'—PBS News Hour
New Book Shows Why Equipping Adolescents to Thrive Is Key to a Brighter Future—Annie E. Casey Foundation

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.

948 - Recent "Expert Panels" Could Undermine the FDA's Credibility Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

The FDA has long convened scientifically rigorous advisory committees to review data and offer recommendations for regulating a range of food and drug products. However, it has recently pulled back and leaned heavily into ad-hoc "expert panels" that are not held to the same standards. In this episode: Caleb Alexander, an epidemiologist and drug safety expert who has served on over a dozen FDA advisory committees, raises concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in these new panels and suggests that their lax standards might undermine the agency's credibility.

Guest:

Dr. G. Caleb Alexander, MS, is a practicing internist and drug safety expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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:

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.

947 - "Taxpayer Money Went to Buy Food to Feed People… Now It's Being Burned" Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Over the past few months, USAID has been dismantled, forcing the abandonment of aid projects and flushing away millions of dollars worth of food and medicine. In this episode: Journalist Hana Kiros talks about her reporting on the thousands of USAID-funded projects that have been terminated, the potential PR nightmare for the U.S., and what is happening to lifesaving supplies.

Guest:

Hana Kiros is a writer and an assistant editor at The Atlantic, where she covers human rights and technology.

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:

Inside the USAID Fire Sale—The Atlantic
Sudden Impact: When Health Programs End—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
What Foreign Aid Means for National Security—Public Health On Call (February 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.

946 - Baltimore's Back-to-Back Mass Overdoses Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

This July, a dangerous influx of opioids triggered two mass overdose events in the Penn North neighborhood of Baltimore. A swift and nimble response from the city and community stakeholders resulted in zero fatalities. In this episode: Dr. Letitia Dzirasa and Sara Whaley from the City of Baltimore explain what happened, detail the multipronged emergency response, and share how the city plans to move forward in addressing the opioid crisis.

Guest:

Dr. Letitia Dzirasa is the Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services with the City of Baltimore.

Sara Whaley, MPH, MSW, is the executive director of the City of Baltimore's Overdose Response Team.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Overdose Response Strategic Plan—City of Baltimore
Community leaders, experts address Baltimore's overdose crisis—WEAA
Baltimore mass overdose: 'Coordinated neighborhood stabilization response' launched in Penn-North—WBAL

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.

945 - Keeping Cool in One of America's Hottest Cities Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Through the summer, the city of Phoenix consistently hits temperatures upwards of 110 degrees, creating dire conditions for vulnerable populations like outdoor workers and those with substance use disorders. In this episode: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and City Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington detail the city's extreme heat challenges, how other communities can deal with rising temperatures, and the successful cooling interventions championed by local leaders in the Valley of the Sun.

Guest:

Kate Gallego is the 62nd mayor of Phoenix, AZ. During her time in office, she has focused on diversifying the city's economy, investing in infrastructure, and forwarding sustainability.

Kesha Hodge Washington is the District 8 city councilmember for the city of Phoenix. She serves on the Audit Committee, the Economic Development and Housing and Transportation Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittees.

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:

How Climate Change and Extreme Weather Can Hurt Your Health—U.S. News & World Report
Drop in Heat-Related Deaths Show Importance of Heat Relief Sites Efforts—City of Phoenix
Extreme Heat Hazards—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine

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.

944 - How Credit Scores Impact Your Health Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Credit scores are more than just a number—they can determine your ability to access critical financial assets like loans, leases, and jobs that, in turn, have a huge impact on your health. In this episode: Professor Catherine Ettman shares new research that explores the relationship between low credit scores and mental health, and discusses a recent ruling reinstating medical debt as a metric of creditworthiness.

Guest:

Catherine K. Ettman, PhD, is an assistant professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she studies population mental 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:

Americans' medical debt can stay in credit reports, judge rules. What does that mean?—NPR
Area-level credit scores and symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults—American Journal of Epidemiology
An Asset Framework to Guide Nonhealth Policy for Population Health—JAMA Health Forum

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.

943 - Who Can Get a COVID Vaccine This Fall? Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

The FDA and CDC are tightening eligibility requirements for COVID-19 vaccines this year, pushing effective treatments out of reach for millions of Americans including young children. In this episode: Dr. Fiona Havers, formerly a senior adviser on vaccine policy at the CDC, draws on recent hospitalization rates to identify who is most at risk for severe COVID-19 infection and in need of immunization for protection.

Guest:

Dr. Fiona Havers, MHS, is an infectious disease physician, a medical epidemiologist, and an expert on vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases and vaccine policy. She previously led the Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network Team at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory 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:

Recent FDA, CDC changes to COVID vaccination guidelines lead to confusion—WBAL
Covid-19 vaccine license change: 12 key questions answered—Your Local Epidemiologist
Despite federal shift, state health officials encourage COVID vaccines for pregnant women—Stateline

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.

942 - Could One Health Prevent the Next Pandemic? Sep 04, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Animal-to-human transmission of bacteria and viruses have triggered outbreaks of diseases like avian influenza, COVID-19, and Ebola. A public health approach called One Health can help us to better understand these cases—and possibly help prevent future pandemics. In this episode: Professors Emily Gurley and Raina Plowright explain how One Health investigations work, why they're an effective tool for addressing spillover events, and a new One Health Coursera course that you can preview for free: https://www.coursera.org/learn/one-health-investigations-of-outbreaks-and-spillover-events

Guest:

Emily S. Gurley, PhD, MPH, is a professor in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she focuses on infectious disease and outbreak investigation.

Raina K. Plowright, PhD, MS, is a veterinarian and the Rudolf J. and Katharine L. Steffen Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.

Host:

Show links and related content:

A Roadmap of Primary Pandemic Prevention Through Spillover Investigation—Emerging Infectious Diseases
Healthy Ecosystems, Healthy Humans—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
What's the Difference? The Meaning of One Health—Global Health Now
Can Spillover—How Viruses Move From Animals to Humans—Be Prevented?—Public Health On Call (November 2021)

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.

941 - Back to School: How Vermont is Addressing Chronic Absence Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Post-pandemic rates of absenteeism continue to climb across the country as many students navigate concerns that include anxiety and food insecurity. One state is fostering new partnerships and using a public health approach to directly address hurdles to school attendance. In this episode: Pediatricians Deanna Haag and Heidi Schumacher detail their work alongside educators, policymakers, and other medical professionals to advance health and educational equity across rural Vermont.

Guest:

Dr. Deanna Haag is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Vermont and a pediatrician at Monarch Maples Pediatrics in Enosburg Falls, VT.

Dr. Heidi Schumacher is a general pediatrician and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Vermont. She serves as faculty for the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program, a statewide initiative focused on improving children's health outcomes.

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:

Every Day Counts: Reducing Absenteeism in Vermont's School—University of Vermont Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships
All in for Attendance: Education and Public Health Leaders Release Framework to Address Chronic Absence from Schools—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Chronic Absenteeism Is a Vital Sign for Kids' Health. New Framework Seeks a Cure—The 74

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.

940 - A Brief Update: CDC in Crisis Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Last week the CDC was rocked by the abrupt removal of director Susan Monarez and the resignation of four other senior officials, following months of budget and personnel cuts. In this episode: a quick update from former CDC Director Tom Frieden about these concerning developments, how they might impact vaccine access this fall, and what they mean for public health writ large.

Guest:

Dr. Tom Frieden is a physician and the president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a global health mission focused on stopping preventable deaths. He previously served as the director of the CDC and commissioner of the New York City Health Department.

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: