Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

909 - From the Archives: Reflecting on Juneteenth with Janice Bowie Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in 2021 but many people don't know the history or how to recognize the day. In this episode: a look back at a 2022 conversation with Janice Bowie about how to celebrate, reflect, and recommit to social justice this Juneteenth.

Guest:

Janice Bowie is a Bloomberg Centennial Professor in Health, Behavior, and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on health equity and disparities.

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:

Juneteeth: Sun, Sounds and the Spirit of Freedom—Smithsonian Instutition
Juneteenth National Independence Day Act—Congress.gov
9 Places to Celebrate Juneteenth This Year—The New York Times

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.

908 - A Sharp Decline in Homicides Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Homicides in the U.S., particularly those involving gun violence, peaked in 2022 following a rapid rise during the COVID pandemic. In the years that followed, there were notable decreases and 2025, so far, shows one of the most dramatic reductions in homicides in decades. In this episode: A look at some of the reasons behind the rise and fall of deaths, and why staying the policy course may be key to avoiding another spike.

Guest:

Daniel Webster is a Bloomberg Professor of American Health who has studied gun violence and prevention for more than thirty years.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Deadly decisions? Trump guts anti-crime program as summer violence looms—USA Today
Supreme Court upholds Biden regulations on 'ghost gun' kits—NBC News
City of Baltimore Reaches Settlement in Polymer80—Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore City
A Safer Gun Buying Process—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.

907 - Humanitarian Health in Gaza and Beyond Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Humanitarian health systems provide relief like food, water, and medicine in crisis situations. They operate within a carefully organized framework built on core principles including impartiality and neutrality. In this episode: what's happening with humanitarian aid in Gaza and the importance of a new framework for global humanitarian efforts.

Guest:

Dr. Paul Spiegel is a physician, epidemiologist and the director of the Center for Humanitarian Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr Spiegel has worked in humanitarian emergencies for the last 30 years.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Group Accuses Hamas of Threatening Aid Workers in Gaza—The New York Times
A Flawed Attempt at Delivering Gaza Aid Led to a Wave of Deaths—The Wall Street Journal (paywall)
The Humanitarian Response in Gaza—Public Health On Call (January 2024)

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.

906 - Here To Understand: How Braver Angels Is Orchestrating Tough Public Health Conversations Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

In 2016, the nonprofit Braver Angels was founded to bring together diverse groups of people to try and figure out why productive communication has become so difficult. During the pandemic, the conversations got even harder. In this episode: How Braver Angels is bringing together questioners and supporters of public health to hear each other out with a goal of humanizing, understanding, and remembering that "everyone is worth listening to."

Guests:

Dr. Leslie Lapato is a retired psychiatrist who has worked with Braver Angels since 2017 in a variety of roles including alliance chair, debate chair, debate whip, moderator, and organizer.

Dr. Beth Malow is a neurology sleep physician and science communicator who has worked with Braver Angels since 2017 in a variety of roles including moderator, workshop designer, and debate chair.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Our Mission—Braver Angels
Confronting our COVID condescension—Braver Angels
Colorado Springs company works with Braver Angels to promote civility through debates—The Gazette
Braver Angels spreads its 'building bridges' gospel across Greater Minnesota—MinnPost

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.

905 - Tonsillectomy, Adenoidectomy, and Ear Tubes for Children Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

A recent MAHA report from the Department of Health and Human Services stated that a trio of common procedures for children—tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and tympanostomy tube (ear tube) placement—"cause harm without offering benefits." In this episode: a look at what these surgeries are, the advantages and risks, and what the report said—and didn't say—about the value of these procedures when properly indicated.

Guests:

Dr. Emily Boss is the director of pediatric otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins.

Host:

Show links and related content:

The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Health Again—The White House
MAHA kids' health report misinforms about tonsillectomies and ear tubes—STAT (Opinion)
Tympanostomy Tubes or Medical Management for Recurrent Acute Otitis Media—The New England Journal 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.

904 - Tariffs on Pharmaceuticals Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Would it be a good idea to have tariffs on pharmaceuticals? In this episode: a conversation about the rationales for tariffs as well as potential downsides—like higher drug prices—and what could really help with supply and pricing issues.

Guest:

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

Host:

Show links and related content:

Tariffs as a Hidden Tax: Price Pass-Through in Multi-Stage Supply Chains—Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
Trump's pharmaceutical tariffs could raise costs for patients, worsen drug shortages—NBC Los Angeles

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.

903 - Violence Against Health Care in Conflict: 2024 Report Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

A new report from the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition documents incidents of violence against health care facilities and workers in conflict zones around the world. In this episode: why it's important to track these trends, how incidents are reported and investigated, and a look at the 2024 report with examples from various conflict zones around the world including Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza. Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Guests:

Joe Amon is the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, 2024 Report
Allegations of War Crimes by Leaders of Hamas and Israeli Officials Before the International Criminal Court—Public Health On Call (June 2024)
Human Rights and Health Care in the Middle East Crisis—Public Health On Call (December 2023)

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.

902 - Gun Violence Awareness Month: Safe Storage Saves Lives Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

June is Gun Violence Awareness Month with a focus on safe storage, a key factor in preventing gun-related injuries and deaths. In this episode: a look at how safe storage saves lives, evidence-based tools and tips for lawmakers, gun owners, parents, pediatricians, and more; and how to normalize conversations about safe storage in everyday life.

Guests:

Dr. Katherine Hoops, is a pediatrician and the director of Clinical Practice at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

Cass Crifasi is the co-executive director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

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:

Gun Violence Awareness Month Campaign—The Center For Gun Violence Solutions
Safe & Secure Gun Storage Prevents Injuries (PDF)
How To Talk To Other Parents About Guns In The Home (PDF)
Safe and Secure Gun Storage Solutions—The Center For Gun Violence Solutions
What The Conviction of a Parent of a High School Shooter Could Mean—Public Health On Call (March 2024)

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.

901 - Changing Recommendations for COVID Vaccines Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Last week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced that the COVID vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children or pregnant women. In this episode: a vaccine policy expert unpacks the announcement — how it differs from past policy changes, and its potential impact on Americans. Note: This episode was recorded on May 28, 2025.

Guest:

Sarah Despres has over 25 years of experience in public health policy and advocacy and is an expert on immunization policy. She has served on the HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee from 2012-2017. She has also served on the board of Vaccinate Your Family, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring children and adults have access to vaccines.

Host:

Show links and related content:

U.S. Will No Longer Recommend Covid Shots for Children and Pregnant Women—The New York Times
Who Decides Which Vaccines Americans Should Get and When?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (March 2025)
Pediatric COVID Vaccines—Public Health On Call (May 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.

900 - How To Be A Better Tourist With Cameron Hewitt Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

About this episode:

Travel can open our eyes to the world and make us better global citizens. But there's no denying the environmental impacts of travel. Plus, with climate change happening everywhere, it's becoming more difficult for tourists to predictably see and do some things without factoring in extreme weather. In this episode: how travelers can be more mindful and a look at how a travel company is thinking about the industry's carbon footprint.

Guest:

Cameron Hewitt is a travel writer and photographer, and for the last 25 years he's been a co-writer for Rick Steves' Europe, one of the biggest names in travel for guidebooks, public television, radio, and tours. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

Host:

Show links and related content: