Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

939 - Unfiltered Conversations to Restore Trust in Public Health Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Back-to-back crises of the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 have pummeled American communities, eroding trust in public health. But what if restoring that trust could start with a simple conversation? In this episode: Maggie Bartlett shares how she's using her platform as co-host of the podcast, "Why Should I Trust You?", to forge human connections with those who feel left out of public health conversations and to debunk misinformation about measles, vaccines, and corporate influence.

Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zCx9YY9EBWk

Guest:

Maggie L. Bartlett, PhD, is an assistant research professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the co-host of "Why Should I Trust You?".

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:

Inside A Rare Conversation Between MAHA Grassroots and Public Health Leaders—Why Should I Trust You?
What I'm Learning from MAHA—Your Local Epidemiologist
Why Should I Trust You?—www.whyshoulditrustyou.net

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.

938 - Book Club—There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Official measures of homeless Americans omit the millions of individuals and families that make up the "working homeless"—a segment of the population that, despite working full time, cannot secure stable housing. In this episode: Journalist Brian Goldstone pulls back the curtain on America's worsening homelessness crisis and interrogates the fractured relationship between employment and financial stability.

Guest:

Brian Goldstone, PhD, is a journalist and the author of There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Harper's, The New Republic, Guernica, and Jacobin.

Host:

Show links and related content:

There Is No Place for Us—Penguin Random House
The invisible homeless crisis that official statistics miss—Vox
The New American Homeless—The New Republic

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.

937 - Meet the Future of Public Health Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Since the fifth grade, high schooler Nayesha Diwan has been fascinated by the world of public health. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she has immersed herself in research and advocacy, delivering speeches at her state's capitol and interning at an elite neurophysiology lab. In this episode: Nayesha explains how her mother's cancer diagnosis drew her to public health and reminds us how complex and impactful the field can be.

Guest:

Nayesha Diwan is a rising high school junior with a passion for science, health care, and public health. She is a semifinalist for the USA Biology Olympiad exam and is currently researching the blood brain barrier and neurological disorders. Nayesha is the host of the Global Health Frontlines podcast.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Global Health Frontlines—Spotify
Influence the Choice—www.influencethechoice.org

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.

936 - The New Reality Facing Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

The reconciliation bill passed by Congress in July is set to unravel key aspects of the Affordable Care Act that have expanded health coverage to millions of Americans. In this episode: One of the architects of the ACA, Liz Fowler, outlines how work requirements, truncated enrollment periods, and higher premiums will change health care for Americans on Medicaid and Medicare and for those buying coverage through their state's marketplace.

Guest:

Elizabeth Fowler, PhD, JD, is a distinguished scholar in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and previously served as the director of the Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Host:

Show links and related content:

How New Federal Legislation Will Affect Health Care Costs and Access for Americans—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
When Do the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's Health Care Provisions Go Into Effect?—Center for American Progress
Health Provisions in the 2025 Federal Budget Reconciliation Law—KFF

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.

935 - World Mosquito Day: Harnessing New Tools to Jumpstart the Fight Against Malaria Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Progress in the global mission to eradicate malaria has stalled due to mosquito evolution, drug resistance, and underfunding. In this episode: Dr. Michael Adekunle Charles discusses what it will take to get this mission back on track, promising new tools recommended by WHO, and why a multisector approach to defeating malaria is crucial for achieving healthy outcomes.

Guest:

Dr. Michael Adekunle Charles, MPH, is the Chief Executive Officer of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria which brings together over 500 international partners dedicated to eliminating the disease.

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:

CCP Plays Role in WHO Recommendation of Spatial Repellents for Malaria Control—Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs
Anti-malarial drug resistance is making malaria normal again—African Arguments

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.

934 - Sickle Cell Disease: Genetic Therapies and Treatment Hurdles Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Sickle cell disease affects an estimated 100,000 people in the United States. Recent advancements in gene therapies and medicines like hydroxyurea are diminishing extreme pain, reducing strokes, and extending survival times for those afflicted by the disease. In this episode: leading sickle cell disease expert Dr. Mark Gladwin explains how revolutionary new treatments work and discusses the challenges to accessing life-saving care.

Guest:

Dr. Mark Gladwin is a physician-scientist and the Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. His research focuses include sickle cell disease and hypertension.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

New sickle cell gene therapies are a breakthrough, but solving how to pay their high prices is a struggle—CNBC
Gene Therapy: What You Need to Know—Sickle Cell Disease Association of American
No More Pain: Breakthrough Sickle Cell Treatment from Johns Hopkins Offers Curative Potential—Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

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.

933 - Fall Vaccine Confusion with Your Local Epidemiologist Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Fall vaccines for flu, RSV, and—more recently—COVID have long followed a uniform rollout schedule allowing clinics and pharmacies ample time to order and administer shots. But that process looks different this year, raising concerns about access. In this episode: Katelyn Jetelina, publisher of Your Local Epidemiologist, explains how changes to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the FDA are pushing back the timeline and changing recommendations for routine vaccinations.

Guest:

Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and scientific communicator. She is the co-founder of Health Trust Initiative, an adjunct professor at Yale School of Public Health, and a Senior Scientific Advisor to several government and non-profit agencies, including the CDC. In addition, Jetelina is the publisher of Your Local Epidemiologist.

Host:

Show links and related content:

What's the plan for fall vaccines? If you're confused, you're not alone—Your Local Epidemiologist
Covid cases rising in US as officials plan to restrict booster vaccines—The Guardian
Will New Vaccine Recommendations Affect Your Fall Flu Shot?—AARP

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.

932 - Cuts to mRNA Vaccine Development Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

The Department of Health and Human Services has cancelled nearly $500 million in funding for the development of mRNA vaccines, including for vaccines against potential new pandemic threats. In this episode: Professor Bill Moss delves into the misinformation surrounding mRNA vaccines, explains their potential to treat diseases like cancer and HIV, and warns of the national security threats posed by cuts to development.

Guest:

Dr. Bill Moss, MPH, is an infectious disease specialist and the executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center 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:

Johns Hopkins expert speaks on ripple effect of federal cuts to mRNA vaccine contracts—WBAL-TV 11
How Cuts to mRNA Vaccine Development Will Set the U.S. Back—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
What to know about mRNA vaccines as Trump admin pulls funding—Axios
For mRNA Vaccines, COVID-19 Is Just the Beginning—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

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.

931 - A Big Setback for Nutrition Education Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Since 2010, the nonprofit ChopChop Family has published magazines, cookbooks, and other tools to help pediatricians and nutrition educators inform families about the positive health outcomes of cooking nutritious foods. But deep cuts to SNAP-Ed, the federally-funded nutrition education program, are placing programs like ChopChop Family in limbo. In this episode: ChopChop Family founder and president Sally Sampson explains how the rapid rollback of SNAP-Ed is crippling nutrition education.

Guest:

Sally Sampson is a cookbook author and the founder and president of ChopChop Family, a nonprofit publisher of cooking magazines, cookbooks, digital content, cooking curricula, and learning decks for children and families.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Budget cuts knock down a 'pillar of public health,' ending nutrition education—STAT
ChopChop Podcast—Apple Podcasts
ChopChop Family Newsletter—Substack

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.

930 - Peace Building in a Polarized Public Health Landscape Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

As the United States grows more polarized along regional, political, and ideological lines, it is critical to resolve conflict civilly—particularly when it comes to pressing public health concerns that implicate all of us. In this episode: Peace building experts David Addiss and John Paul Lederach draw on their careers in conflict resolution and public health to share strategies for building relationships, restoring trustworthiness, and fostering solutions-oriented conversations to bridge ideological gaps.

Guest:

Dr. David Addiss, MPH, is a public health doctor whose career has involved migrant health, mountain medicine, neglected tropical diseases, research, philanthropy, and global health. He is the Director of the Focus Area for Compassion and Ethics at the Task Force for Global Health.

John Paul Lederach, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame and a Senior Fellow with Humanity United. He is widely known for the development of culturally-based approaches to conflict transformation and the design and implementation of integrative and strategic approaches to peace building.

Host:

Show links and related content: