Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

290 - We Stand With Public Health Part 3: The Challenges Facing Health Departments Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

In a special 4-part series excerpted from a webcast, we look at the extraordinary challenges facing the field of public health in the COVID era. Today, Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer and Director of the Santa Clara Public Health Department in California; Jennifer Kertanis, Director of Health at Farmington Valley Health District in Connecticut; and Lisa Macon Harrison, Health Director of the Granville-Vance Health Department in North Carolina talk about their experiences with harassment and what needs to be done to protect public health workers. Then, Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks with Dr. Joneigh Khaldun of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services about fallout from this crisis and signs of hope from a new administration.

KEYWORDS: misinformation; pandemic response; policy

289 - We Stand With Public Health Part 2: By the Numbers Apr 06, 2021

Show notes

In a special 4-part series excerpted from a webcast, we look at the extraordinary challenges facing the field of public health in the COVID era. Today, Dr. Beth Resnick and Paulani Mui of Johns Hopkins talk about their research on the issue of challenges facing public health officers during the pandemic. They put current challenges in the context of long-standing underfunding of critical public health infrastructure. The presentation referenced in this episode can be seen in the recorded webcast here: https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/news-and-events/events/2021/february-24.html

KEYWORDS: misinformation; pandemic response; policy

288 - We Stand With Public Health Part I: The Harassment of Health Officers During COVID-19 Apr 05, 2021

Show notes

In a special 4-part series excerpted from a webcast, we look at the extraordinary challenges facing the field of public health in the COVID era. Today, a message from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC. Then, we hear from three public health officers: Dr. Mysheika Roberts, the Health Commissioner of Columbus Public Health in Ohio; Dr. Greg Holzman, the State Medical Officer of the Department of Public Health and Human Services of Montana; and Dr. Jennifer Bacani McKenney, the Health Officer of the Wilson County Health Department in Kansas. They talk about the significant challenges they and their staff have faced during the pandemic.

KEYWORDS: misinformation; pandemic response; community mental health

BONUS EPISODE - Regreso a Clases en Persona: La Pandemia y El Aprendizaje Apr 02, 2021

Show notes

Una conversación entre Dra. Sara Polk, una de las directoras del Centro Sol de la universidad de Johns Hopkins y Gabriela Calderon Velazquez, especialista en salud escolar de Johns Hopkins. Hablan sobre el regreso a clases en persona en el tiempo de covid. Escuchemos.

287 - A COVID-19 Silver Lining: The Child Tax Credit and Other Game-Changing Programs for Families in the American Rescue Plan Act Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

The American Rescue Plan Act, meant to help the country dig its way out of the pandemic's disastrous economic effects, has some benefits that could be long-term game-changers for children and families. Bruce Lesley, president of the bipartisan advocacy group First Focus on the Children, talks with Stephanie Desmon about the Child Tax Credit's potential to cut child poverty by 45%.

KEYWORDS: child health; social determinants of health; policy

286 - COVID-19 and the Arts Part 3: Virtual Showtime at The Apollo Theater Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

When the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem paused live performances last March, there were questions about what would happen next. Like many venues, the theater made the transition to virtual performances, drawing audiences from all over the world, but it also considered ways to serve its local community including microgrants for nearby businesses and displaying messages of hope on its marquee. Fatima Jones, the senior director of marketing and communications, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how the health of the community and the theater are intertwined, and how the pandemic may have a lasting impact on how The Apollo thinks about its programming. You can check out the Apollo Theater at www.apollotheaters.org.

KEYWORDS: community mental health; performing arts; pandemic response

285 - COVID-19 and the Arts Part 2: Performing Arts and the Pandemic with Marin Alsop Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

The pandemic halted all in-person performing arts in the last year: a "big hole to crawl back out of," says Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Alsop talks with Josh Sharfstein about what's been lost during a period of "emotional stasis," but also how the pandemic, alongside the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements, offer the chance for much-needed change for and modernization of the orchestral performing arts.

KEYWORDS: pandemic response; unemployment; community mental health

284 - COVID-19 and the Arts Part 1: What Has Been Lost and What We Can Regain Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

Research suggests that the arts—a sprawling industry of museums, theaters, studios, production companies, artists, administrators and more—have lost over $15 billion in the COVID-19 pandemic. But the losses go beyond financial to the existential: who are we without the arts? Kate Levin, who oversees the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts program, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how the losses of these experiences impact everything from people's mental health, to neighborhood and community cohesion, to social services. They also talk about signs of hope for the future including support of the arts in the most recent disaster relief bill.

KEYWORDS: community mental health; performing arts; pandemic response

283 - Where Are We in the Pandemic? Friday Q&A with Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo from the Center for Health Security Mar 26, 2021

Show notes

Is the recovery on track or about to be derailed? What can we do alongside vaccines to step down case numbers? What does the CDC's relaxed guidance for 3-feet of distance for kids mean for schools reopening? What are the key metrics of vaccine success?

Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo from the Center for Health Security returns to the podcast to talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein and answer some questions about yet another pivotal moment in the pandemic.

KEYWORDS: health equity; racial disparity; social determinants of health

282 - The Crisis of Declining Life Expectancy in the US—Before, During, and After COVID-19 Mar 25, 2021

Show notes

Life expectancy in the US has been declining over the last 30 years, especially among working-age adults—a stark contrast from wealthy peer countries in Europe and Asia where adults are living longer, healthier lives. Hopkins health economist Dr. Darrell Gaskin talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about new data on this American crisis including a confluence of factors including a lack of jobs, systemic racism, and the greater availability of opioids. They also talk about how the crisis has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and about where to look for solutions to address a problem that "is not going away."

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected