Public Health On Call

814 - Book Club—The Anatomy of Deception: Conspiracy Theories, Distrust, and Public Health in America Oct 30, 2024

About this episode:

The rise of misinformation and the appeal of “alternative medicine” is coupled with a decline in trust of the U.S. health care system. In a new book, Dr. Sara Gorman explains how an inaccessible health care system has fed the rise of misinformation and what policymakers and providers need to do to earn back some credibility.

Guests:

Dr. Sara Gorman is a public health researcher and author of a new book called “The Anatomy of Deception: Conspiracy Theories, Distrust, and Public Health in America.”

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:

Who is most vulnerable to misinformation?—Psychology Today
The burden of medical debt in the United States—Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker
A Playbook For Addressing Health Misinformation—Public Health On Call (March, 2024)

Contact us:

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.

813 - The Perilous State of Women’s Health Care, Post-Roe Oct 28, 2024

About this episode:

Since the 2022 Dobbs decision, women’s healthcare in the U.S.—which was already underperforming in everything from access to maternal mortality rates—has faced a new set of challenges. In today's episode: All about a Commonwealth Fund report that updates the status of women’s health care and reproductive health across the nation and why even services not related to reproductive care—like cancer screenings and having a primary care provider—have been disrupted.

Guests:

Dr. Sara Collins is senior scholar and vice president for health care coverage and access and tracking health system performance at The Commonwealth Fund.

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:

2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care—The Commonwealth Fund
These are the states that rank highest and lowest for women’s health in new report—CNN
How Does Your State Rank on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care?—Ms. Magazine
OB-GYN Training and Practice in Dobbs’ Shadow—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health

Contact us:

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.

812 - The Potentially “Game-changing” RSV Products Available This Season Oct 23, 2024

About this episode:

Respiratory syncytial virus can be particularly dangerous for older adults and infants and this year, for the first time, there are three approved and readily available products to help prevent severe disease: A vaccine for pregnant women and people over age 65, and an antibody treatment for infants born during RSV season. In this episode: all about these products and the promise they show for dramatically reducing the number of hospitalizations and deaths from RSV this year.

Guests:

Dr. Georgina Peacock is the director of the Immunization Services Division in the National Center on Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC.

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:

Surveillance of RSV—CDC
Why So Many Babies Didn’t Get RSV Vaccines This Winter—Public Health On Call (February, 2024)

Contact us:

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.

811 - The 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act Oct 21, 2024

About this episode:

In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act—the first comprehensive federal legislation to recognize the often-overlooked dangers of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other gender-based violence. In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, researchers Tiara Willie and Michelle Decker join the podcast to talk about the legislation’s initial goals, why gender-based violence is still a neglected issue 30 years later, and how far we still have to go in truly protecting all women from violence.

Guests:

Tiara Willie is a Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health in mental health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a researcher in gender-based violence, mental health, and sexual health.

Michele Decker is a Bloomberg Professor of American Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is the founder and director of the Center for Global Women’s Health and Gender Equity 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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Proclamation on the 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act—The White House Briefing Room
Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls—Public Health On Call (September, 2023)
The first office for missing and murdered Black women and girls set for Minnesota–NPR
The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting—Public Health On Call (February, 2024)

Contact us:

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810 - 2024 Election Series: What’s At Stake For Immigrants and Immigration Oct 16, 2024

About this episode:

What will the Presidential election mean for immigration—and for immigrants? A look at how each administration might approach one of the most polarizing issues on voters’ minds. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode belong solely to those interviewed. As a nonprofit entity, the Johns Hopkins University cannot take a position for or against any candidate running for elected office. Information is being provided solely for academic or educational purposes and is not an endorsement of any individual candidate.

Guests:

Kiara Álvarez is an immigration and behavioral health equity researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Sarah Polk is a pediatrician at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the co-director of pediatrics at CentroSOL.

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:

The Health Care Crisis at the U.S.-Mexico Border Part 1: Children and Families–Public Health On Call (April, 2024)
The Health Care Crisis at the U.S.-Mexico Border Part 2: Border Walls and Traumatic Brain and Spinal Injuries–Public Health On Call (May, 2024)

Contact us:

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Bonus - All About Marburg Virus Oct 15, 2024

About this episode:

An outbreak of Marburg virus, one of the deadliest viruses in the world, has been reported in Rwanda. In this episode: an overview of the rare, hemorrhagic fever with an 88% mortality rate and how it's impacting Rwanda, and why we’re seeing more and more instances of zoonotic disease spillovers.

Guest:

Kari Debbink is a virologist at 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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Contact us:

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.

809 - The Grand Opening of the Great Plains Hub for the Center for Indigenous Health Oct 14, 2024

About this episode:

The grand opening of a new research hub in Rapid City, South Dakota marks an exciting moment for the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health. The Hub will bring together community members and researchers to advance the Center’s lifesaving work in a central—and meaningful—location. In this episode: a look at some of the Hub’s first projects including lung cancer and diabetes research, and the Center’s approaches through the lenses of scientific rigor and unique cultural strengths.

Guest:

Dr. Donald Warne is co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health and a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe.

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:

Grand opening of Great Plains Hub for Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health—Native Sun News
Johns Hopkins indigenous health hub comes to Rapid City—SDPB Radio
The Power of Positive Childhood Experiences—Public Health on Call (April, 2024)
Why the Health of Indigenous People Impacts Us All—Public Health on Call (October, 2022)

Contact us:

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.

Bonus - A Report from the Frontlines of Hurricane Helene Devastation in Tennessee Oct 10, 2024

About this episode:

A look at the frontlines of the response 13 days after Hurricane Helene hit Tennessee—the state’s most devastating natural disaster in history. County commissioners Dr. Robert Acuff and Danny Deal report from the Elizabethton Municipal Airport which has become a staging area for relief supplies. Note: In the podcast, the commissioners request that supplies such as propane heaters and cylinders, and kerosene heaters, containers, and pumps can be sent to the attention of Commissioner Danny Deal at 415 Highway 91, Elizabethton, TN 37643. For updated information and a list of urgent needs, please check the links in the show notes.

Guest:

Dr. Robert Acuff and Danny Deal are both commissioners of Carter County in Elizabethton, TN, on the border with North Carolina.

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:

Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center Urgent Needs List—Facebook
TEMA’s Hurricane Helene disaster updates
Hurricane Helene Updates—Knoxville News Sentinel

Contact us:

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.

808 -2024 Election Series: What’s At Stake For Gun Violence Prevention Oct 09, 2024

About this episode:

Gun violence is a top-of-mind issue for Americans and there are evidence-based solutions for prevention. In this episode: a focus on the stark differences between potential Trump and Harris presidencies when it comes to addressing gun violence. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode belong solely to those interviewed. As a nonprofit entity, the Johns Hopkins University cannot take a position for or against any candidate running for elected office. Information is being provided solely for academic or educational purposes and is not an endorsement of any individual candidate.

Guests:

Cass Crifasi is co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center For Gun Violence Solutions.

Josh Horwitz is co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center For Gun Violence Solutions.

JosHost:

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:

President Biden and Vice President Harris Announce Additional Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Save Lives—White House Briefing Room Statement, September, 2024
2023 Results: National Survey of Gun Policy—Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions
The National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center
Oregon’s Measure 114: Reducing Gun Violence By State Referendum—Public Health On Call Podcast (November, 2022)

Contact us:

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.

807 - Peacebuilding to Help Mend A Broken World—2023 Re-release Oct 07, 2024

About this episode:

One year after the Hamas attacks, the Israel-Hamas war remains among the most intractable and violent situations in the world. Today, an episode from the archives about peacebuilding to help solve violent conflicts and rebuild societies through nonviolent means. Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks with Michael Shipler, vice president of Search for Common Ground, an international peacebuilding non-governmental organization.

Guest:

Michael Shipler, vice president of Search for Common Ground, an international peacebuilding NGO.

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.

Contact us:

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.

Bonus - A Hurricane In The Mountains: The Aftermath of Helene Oct 03, 2024

About this episode:

Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic force seemed to catch many by surprise, especially those living in western North Carolina. The focus is now on the response, but it’s clear from the devastation that old playbooks for preparedness and readiness must change to consider new risks in a new reality. In this episode: a conversation about what emergency responders are already learning in the aftermath of Helene and why nowhere is really “safe” from climate change.

Guest:

Dr. Joseph Barbera is the co-director of the George Washington University Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Why Helene’s floods caught North Carolina off-guard—Washington Post
Meteorology and Climate Change—Public Health On Call Podcast (July, 2024)
Coping With The Psychological Aftermath of The Collapse of The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore—Public Health On Call Podcast (April, 2024)
Disaster Planning For Extreme Weather—Public Health On Call Podcast (September, 2023)

Contact us:

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806 - 2024 Election Series: What’s At Stake For American Public Health Oct 02, 2024

About this episode:

Public health is often invisible: when things go well, people don’t die and “nothing happens.” But the lifesaving work of public health relies on a powerful infrastructure that includes the FDA, the CDC, the EPA and other federal agencies. In this episode, a look at how public health necessities like disease prevention, and food that’s safe to eat and water that’s safe to drink could fare under each potential administration. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode belong solely to those interviewed. As a nonprofit entity, the Johns Hopkins University cannot take a position for or against any candidate running for elected office. Information is being provided solely for academic or educational purposes and is not an endorsement of any individual candidate.

Guest:

Dr. Georges Benjamin is the executive director of the American Public Health Administration and a former secretary of Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

SCOTUS—Not the EPA—Is Now Regulating Environmental Protection—Public Health On Call Podcast (August, 2024)
Georges Benjamin on Mending the Broken Public Health System Post-COVID 19—Public Health On Call Podcast (April, 2021)

Contact us:

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805 - 2024 Election Series: What’s At Stake For Health Insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, and Drug Pricing Sep 30, 2024

About this episode:

What will the Presidential election mean for health care? A look at the candidates’ priorities and track records for the future of the Affordable Care Act and health care coverage and cost. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode belong solely to those interviewed. As a nonprofit entity, the Johns Hopkins University cannot take a position for or against any candidate running for elected office. Information is being provided solely for academic or educational purposes and is not an endorsement of any individual candidate.

Guest:

Gerard Anderson, PhD, is an expert in health policy and a professor in Health Policy and Management and International Health 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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

What the Inflation Reduction Act Means for Medicare and Drug Pricing—Public Health On Call Podcast (September, 2022)
Prescription Drug Costs Driven By Manufacturer Price Hikes, Not Innovation—NPR Shots
The Johns Hopkins Drug Access and Affordability Initiative

Contact us:

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.

804 - 2024 Election Series: What’s At Stake For Abortion Access Sep 25, 2024

About this episode:

Abortion access is on the ballot nationwide this November. In this episode: a look at proposed bans and protections across the state and federal levels, and the long-term implications of judicial decisions. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode belong solely to those interviewed. As a nonprofit entity, the Johns Hopkins University cannot take a position for or against any candidate running for elected office. Information is being provided solely for academic or educational purposes and is not an endorsement of any individual candidate.

Guest:

Joanne Rosen is an expert in public health law and a co-director of the Center for Law and the Public’s Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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:

Mifepristone and EMTALA SCOTUS Rulings: A Holding Pattern—Public Health On Call Podcast (July, 2024)
Abortion Restrictions and the Threat to Women’s Health—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Contact us:

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.

803 - 2024 Election Series: What's At Stake For Global Health Sep 23, 2024

About this episode:

The 2024 presidential election lands at a critical time in global public health. In this episode: a look at the potential implications for the U.S.’s future relationships with global health institutions like the World Health Organization and funding of initiatives on HIV and other challenges. Also covered: the connection between US domestic policy and US global health engagement. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode/event belong solely to those interviewed. As a nonprofit entity, the Johns Hopkins University cannot take a position for or against any candidate running for elected office. Information is being provided solely for academic or educational purposes and is not an endorsement of any individual candidate.

Guest:

Thomas Bollyky is an expert in health policy law and the inaugural Bloomberg Chair in Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

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:

Trump Threatens to Shut Down Pandemic Preparedness Office Launched by Biden—Time
Why The World’s Most Lifesaving AIDS Program is in Danger—Public Health On Call Podcast (December, 2023)
Global Cooperation and the COVID-19 Vaccine—Public Health On Call Podcast (August, 2020)

Contact us:

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802 - Safer Supply: A Novel Approach to Reducing Overdose Deaths Sep 18, 2024

About this episode:

Safer supply is a harm reduction tool that involves making regulated pharmaceuticals available for people who use drugs. In today’s episode: The safer supply model explained, and why some experts are saying it is time to give it a try.

Guests:

Becky Genberg is an epidemiologist studying the intersection substance use and infectious diseases.

Danielle German studies drug use and harm reduction.

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:

It’s not just opioids. New drugs make it harder to fight Baltimore’s overdose crisis—The Baltimore Banner
The New Federal Regulations Aimed At Making Methadone More Accessible—And Less Stigmatizing—Public Health On Call (April, 2024)
In Rural Maryland Counties, Communities Fight Back Against the Opioid Crisis—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine (2018)

801 - ADHD and Aging Sep 16, 2024

About this episode:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is primarily diagnosed in childhood, but a lack of understanding about this neurodevelopmental disorder means many adults have lived their entire lives with undiagnosed ADHD. As we age, a certain degree of forgetfulness or decreased ability to mentally multitask is expected but then how can you tell what’s normal from what could be cognitive impairment or undiagnosed ADHD? In this episode: How ADHD diagnosis and treatment in later adulthood can change lives and potentially stave off further cognitive decline.

Guest:

Dr. David Goodman is a Johns Hopkins psychiatrist and the director of the Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Center of Maryland.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Why Are So Many Adults Being Diagnosed With ADHD?—Public Health On Call (June, 2024)
Evidence-Based Education on ADHD in Adults—ADHD in Adults
A Critical Need Ignored: Inadequate Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD After Age 60—ADDitude Magazine

Contact us:

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800 - All About Parvovirus Sep 11, 2024

About this episode:

Last month, the CDC issued an alert about an increase in parvovirus, a respiratory disease that is common for children but can be very serious in people with certain medical conditions. In today’s episode: all about parvovirus and why it’s yet another reason to wash your hands regularly.

Guest:

Dr. Erica Prochaska is a pediatric infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

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:

Contact us:

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.

799 - How An Online Gaming Community Is Helping To Prevent Veteran Suicides Sep 09, 2024

About this episode:

Playing video games has long been seen as an isolating activity, but the world of online gaming is anything but. Platforms like Twitch and Discord are home to thriving communities of players who connect over games and strategies. Researchers are also finding that they offer unique opportunities for peer support and mental health programs. In today’s episode: A study looked into how one online gaming community, the Stack Up Overwatch Program, is providing mental health and crisis support—including suicide prevention—for military members and veterans.

Guest:

Michelle Colder Carras is a digital mental health researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She specializes in video games, online communities and digital wellbeing, as well as research leadership by community members.

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:

Online Peer Support and Crisis Prevention: Evaluating the Stack Up Overwatch Program’s Impact—Psychiatric Services, American Psychiatric Association
Mind Games: Hitting Restart on the Public Health Conversation Around Gaming—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine (2017)

Contact us:

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798 - When Should I Get My COVID/Flu Shot? And Other Queries To Kick off Respiratory Virus Season Sep 04, 2024

About this episode:

When should you get your COVID/flu shots? How long can a COVID vaccine really protect you from infection? Why do we have summer waves of COVID but not flu or RSV? Will we ever see a flu/COVID combo shot? A virologist answers questions as we gear up for respiratory virus season.

Guest:

Andy Pekosz is a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with appointments in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Environmental Health and Engineering.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

What to Know About the Updated COVID Vaccine for Fall, Winter 2024-25—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Why COVID Surges in the Summer—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Contact us:

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797 - A Fall Look-Ahead With School Nurses: More Than Just Band-Aids and Ice Packs Aug 30, 2024

About this episode:

School nurses are charged with helping to maintain the health and well-being of every student in their care which goes way beyond providing basic first aid. Today, the podcast goes back to school at KIPP Baltimore, an open enrollment charter school serving pre-K to 8th grade students. Nurse Erica and Nurse Lily talk about their work providing health care to nearly 1,000 students, and what they’re thinking about for the year ahead for everything from infectious diseases to eye screenings.

Guest:

Erica Johnson and Lily Mendelson are school nurses at KIPP Baltimore.

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:

What School Nurses Want Parents to Know—The New York Times
More Cases of Measles in the United States—Public Health On Call (June, 2024)

Contact us:

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.

796 - An Update on PEPFAR And The Reality of Ending HIV Aug 28, 2024

About this episode:

Now in its 21st year, PEPFAR—the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief which launched in 2003 under President George W. Bush—still has ending the HIV epidemic in its sights. It’s now at a critical juncture with an expanding toolbox of exciting treatments and, simultaneously, eroding bipartisan support from Congress.

Guest:

Dr. Mike Reid is the Chief Science Officer in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy.

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:

Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir or Daily F/TAF for HIV Prevention in Cisgender Women—The New England Journal of Medicine
Why The World’s Most Lifesaving AIDS Program is in Danger—Public Health On Call podcast (December, 2023)
A Conversation With The Experts on Ending The HIV Epidemic—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Contact us:

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795 - The Discovery of a New Clade of Candida Auris—A “Critical Pathogen” Aug 26, 2024

About this episode:

The discovery of a new clade of C. auris—a fungus the WHO has declared a “critical pathogen”—has ignited new fears about the fungi’s ability to evolve beyond infection control measures. C. auris already poses significant—and lethal—risks to hospitals and patients worldwide and, with global warming, medicine should expect more emerging fungal infections that are resistant to existing treatments. In today’s episode: C. auris’s evolution, the climate change factor, and what’s needed to prevent infections before treatment options fail.

Guest:

Arturo Casadevall is chair of the department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a global expert in host defense mechanisms, fungi, and antibody-based therapies. He is also co-author of the book What If Fungi Win? with Stephanie Desmon.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is also co-author of the book What If Fungi Win? with Dr. Casadevall.

Show links and related content:

Worsening Spread of Candida auris in the United States, 2019-2021—Annals of Internal Medicine
What If Fungi Win? (book)—Johns Hopkins Press
Candida auris: A Yeast to Fear—Public Health On Call Podcast (archive)
The Rise of Invasive Fungi—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
Why Fungal Diseases Are An Increasing Threat–Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
On the Emergence of Candida auris: Climate Change, Azoles, Swamps, and Birds—mBio

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794 - Does A Really Cause B? How a Biostatistician Thinks About Causality Aug 23, 2024

About this episode:

When evaluating programs, policies, and interventions, how do you know if they’re working? In today’s episode: The science (and art!) of biostatistics, and an exploration of the question: How can we design studies to find out if there really is a relationship between A and B?

Guest:

Elizabeth Stuart is the chair of the department of Biostatistics at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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:

Better Debates, Better Decisions: Causality Assessment in Population Health—The Milbank Quarterly

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793 - What It’s Like To Be America’s Chief Health Diplomat Aug 21, 2024

About this episode:

Health diplomacy is how countries work together to advance global health. What does health diplomacy look like in 2024—a post-pandemic time marked by multiple violent crises and zoonotic disease outbreaks? Loyce Pace is America's top health diplomat within the Department of Health and Human Services. In today’s episode: a conversation about the agenda for US and global health.

Guest:

Loyce Pace is the Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Pace is an alum of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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:

Loyce Pace: U.S. Priorities at the 77th World Health Assembly—Global Health NOW
Assistant Secretary Loyce Pace on X

Contact us:

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792 - World Mosquito Day: Gene Drives and CRISPR Technology Aug 19, 2024

About this episode:

World Mosquito Day, observed annually on August 20th, commemorates British doctor Sir Ronald Ross's discovery in 1897 that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria to humans. More than a century later, major advancements like genetically modifying mosquitoes—AKA gene drives—have the potential to reduce malaria cases and deaths dramatically, but not without hurdles. This special episode is an extended version of Malaria Minute, a podcast from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute.

Host:

Thomas Locke is the host of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute’s podcast, Malaria Minute.

Show links and related content:

Contact us:

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791 - Tradeoffs —The Fifth Branch: Transforming The Way Communities Respond to People in Crisis Aug 16, 2024

About this episode:

Since 2015, 1,939 individuals experiencing mental health crises have been killed during encounters with police in America, accounting for 20% of all police killings. The first episode of “The Fifth Branch”— a three-part special series by Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project— examines what it looks like when one community dramatically changes how it responds to people in crisis. Episodes 2 and 3 can be found on the Tradeoffs website.

Host:

Dan Gorenstein is the founder and executive editor of the Tradeoffs podcast.

Show links and related content:

Contact us: 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.

790 - How Violence Reduction Councils Can Prevent Homicides and Shootings Aug 14, 2024

About this episode:

Violence Reduction Councils review huge quantities of data to pinpoint how homicides and shootings can be prevented. They include diverse stakeholders from a city or community including first responders, community-based organizations, and elected officials—all of whom come together to review cases and identify policies or interventions to prevent future violence. A new toolkit supported by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative can help groups get started, sort and store data, form cross-divisional partnerships, and more.

Guest:

Mallory O’Brien is an associate scientist with the 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:

Violence Reduction Councils Toolkit—Bloomberg American Health Initiative
Violence Reduction Councils Can Help Communities Identify and Implement Long-Term Solutions—Bloomberg American Health Initiative

Contact us:

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.

789 - Why The Mpox Crisis Spreading Across Africa Is A Global Concern Aug 12, 2024

About this episode:

A concerning and deadly outbreak of mpox is spreading across central Africa and the world’s response has been lackluster. In this episode: an overview of the virus and a brief history of mpox outbreaks, a breakdown of the different clades, and why this particular epidemic is so concerning—not just for the regions impacted but for the rest of the world.

Guest:

Dr. Chris Beyrer is the director of the Duke Global Health Institute and an epidemiologist who has worked on the front lines of infectious diseases like HIV and human rights issues across Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe for more than 30 years.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

How the hard lessons of the AIDS crisis are reshaping the response to the monkeypox outbreak—STAT News
Bonus Episode: A Conversation With an Mpox Patient—Public Health On Call Archive
Ep 500: How Did Mpox Become a Public Health Crisis?—Public Health On Call Archive

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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.

788 - SCOTUS—Not The EPA—Is Now Regulating Environmental Protection Aug 09, 2024

About this episode:

Environmental protection has a long history of entanglement with the court system. But the supermajority conservative Supreme Court could now become the primary influence in how water, air, and chemicals are regulated, displacing evidence and recommendations from scientists. From the Good Neighbor Rule to the Chevron case, SCOTUS is disempowering environmental protection at a time when the U.S. desperately needs better and more informed regulation for things like air quality, forever chemicals, and major impacts on climate change.

Guests:

Dr. Tom Burke is an emeritus professor at Johns Hopkins and a former top official with the Environmental Protection Agency in the Obama administration.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Ohio v. Environmental Protection Agency (pdf)—Supreme Court of the United States
Why The Supreme Court Ruling on The EPA Isn’t The End of Fighting Climate Change (2022)—Public Health On Call archives

Contact us:

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.

Interested in learning more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellowship mentioned in this episode’s promo? Learn more here.

787 - Open Air Care Connections: Mental Health Care in Brooklyn's Iconic Prospect Park Aug 07, 2024

About this episode:

Open Air Care Connections is a pilot project between Prospect Park Alliance, various community organizations, and the New York City Health Department. Born from the COVID-19 pandemic and built with basic public health principles like equity, access, and dignity, the program connects Brooklynites with much-needed services like mental health care, housing, and food access—all through casual conversations in Brooklyn’s iconic Prospect Park.

Guests:

Jared Grant is a community health worker and program assistant with NHS Brooklyn.

Morgan Monaco is the president of Prospect Park Alliance.

Jonathan Timal is a community health worker and program assistant with NHS Brooklyn.

Dr. Ashwin Vasan is the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

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:

An Open-Air Approach to Mental Health Treatment—New York Times
Alliance Launchs Open Air Care Connections—Prospect Park Alliance

Contact us:

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.

Interested in learning more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellowship mentioned in this episode’s promo? Click here to learn more.

786 - A Psychologist’s Review of The Film “Inside Out 2” Aug 05, 2024

About this episode:

This “Inside Out 2” has quickly become the highest-grossing animated film of all time with parents and their kids alike praising the movie for its wit, storyline, and—for some—very realistic depictions of complex themes like puberty, anxiety, and emotional intelligence. But how accurate are these depictions and how helpful are they in helping parents and teens relate to a time of incredible, and often chaotic, change? Note: You do not have to have seen the film to enjoy this conversation.

Guests:

Dr. Laura Murray is a clinical psychologist and senior scientist in mental health 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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Inside Out 2: Everything We Know About the Upcoming Pixar Movie—http://IGN.com

Contact us:

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.

Interested in learning more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellowship mentioned in this episode’s promo? Learn more.

785 - Tradeoffs—Hope, Hype or Harm? What We Know About New Cancer-Screening Tools Aug 02, 2024

About this episode:

New screening tools like full-body MRI scans and blood tests claiming to detect over 50 kinds of cancer are generating excitement with their potential to catch diseases early. But is more knowledge about our bodies always beneficial?

Host:

Dan Gorenstein is the founder and executive editor of the Tradeoffs podcast.

Show links and related content:

Hope, Hype or Harm? What We Know About New Cancer-Screening Tools—Podcast
Does Cancer Screening Save Lives?—Podcast
Bringing Informed Decision-Making to Cancer Screening—Johns Hopkins

Contact us:

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.

784 - The Inside Story of the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report That Changed How Americans Viewed Smoking Jul 31, 2024

About this episode:

In 1964, an advisory committee to the Surgeon General issued a report on smoking and disease that was so damning, it had to be released with cloak-and-dagger preparations on a Saturday so as not to disrupt the stock market. 60 years later, the report remains one of the most important scientific documents of the 20th century. Today: the inside history of a committee and a report that changed the trajectory of tobacco use in America—a report that almost didn’t happen.

Guest:

Donald Shopland is one of the original staff members of the Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health. It was his first job out of high school. Since then, Shopland has had a career as a public health advisor in the field of smoking and tobacco and has assisted with dozens of Surgeon General’s reports on links between smoking and disease. He is the author of Clearing the Air: The Untold Story of the 1964 Report on Smoking and Health, available for free here.

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:

Contact us:

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783 - Diaper Insecurity And Why It Matters For Child Health and Well-Being Jul 29, 2024

About this episode:

Diapers are expensive. For low-income families, diaper insecurity refers to the financial, health, and economic tradeoffs they may face in trying to afford them. Evidence is mounting that giving families cash for diapers can not only help to substantially alleviate these burdens, but it could help keep kids out of the child welfare system.

Guest:

Mike Shaver is the president and CEO of Brightpoint, a Chicago-based nonprofit whose mission is to advance the well-being of children by investing in families to disrupt the systemic and multi-generational cycle of racial, social, and economic inequality.

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:

Contact us:

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.

782 - Everything You Need to Know About Sunscreen Jul 26, 2024

About this episode:

Choosing the right sunscreen for you can be overwhelming with so many options on the market. This episode debunks common myths and uncovers essential facts about sunscreen, explaining the differences between UVA and UVB coverage, mineral vs. chemical sunscreens, and why European sunscreens are often considered superior to American-made ones. We address concerns about sunscreen safety and discuss the importance of sun protection for all skin tones all year round.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Guest:

Shafat Hassan, MD, PhD, and MPH candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

9 Things to Know About Sun Safety and Skin Cancer—The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
The Winter Skincare Routine—The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Instagram
What Happens To Our Skin in Winter?—Public Health On Call

Contact us:

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.

781 - Preparing For The 2024 Paris Olympics Jul 24, 2024

About this episode:

Every four years, the Olympics brings athletes and spectators together from all over the world in one of the largest mass gathering events. Planning begins years in advance, and public health security is a major consideration. Experts are brought in to map out possible threats and think through preparedness for everything from terrorist attacks to addressing rumors to responding to infectious disease outbreaks. Today: Considerations for Paris 2024 and lessons learned from the last two historic Olympics held during the pandemic.

Guest:

Lucia Mullen is a preparedness and response expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a member of the WHO’s Collaborating Centre for Mass Gathering network.

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:

The Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympic Games held during the COVID-19 pandemic: planning, outcomes, and lessons learnt–The Lancet
Mass-gathering decision making and its implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic—The Lancet
Bonus Episode: The 2022 Pandemic Olympics–Public Health On Call
Episode #337: The Tokyo Olympics and COVID-19–Public Health On Call

Contact us:

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.

780 - The Mental Health of Migrant Children Jul 22, 2024

About this episode:

Maryland receives the greatest number of unaccompanied migrant children of all U.S. states. Many have experienced significant trauma, underscoring the need for enhanced mental health services and improved language access in healthcare for this group.

Guests:

Sarah Polk is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include general pediatrics and adolescent medicine, with a particular focus on adolescent mental health and sexually transmitted infections.

Kiara Alvarez is an assistant professor in the department of Health, Behavior, and Society 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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Commentary: Migrant children are vital to the fabric of our communities (The Baltimore Banner)
The Health Care Crisis At the U.S.-Mexico Border Part 1: Children and Families (podcast)
The Health Care Crisis At the U.S.-Mexico Border Part 2: Border Walls and Traumatic Brain and Spinal Injuries (podcast)

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

779 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Takes A Step On Climate Jul 19, 2024

About this episode:

The CMS Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid is tasked with research and development to improve health care costs and delivery. It’s also grappling with a challenging reality: The health care sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions which, in turn, are changing the climate in ways that impact our health. This is especially true of Medicaid/Medicare recipients such as children, older adults, and low income communities who bear the brunt of health issues from climate change. The Center’s new Decarbonization and Resilience Initiative aims to understand the scope of the problem and identify creative solutions by collecting, monitoring, assessing, and addressing hospital carbon emissions and their effects on health outcomes, costs, and quality.

Guest:

Purva Rawal is the chief strategy officer at the CMS Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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:

TEAM Decarbonization and Resilience Initiative Fact Sheet—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
@‌CMSinnovates on X

Contact us:

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.

778 - The White House’s New Rules Around Gain-of-function Research Jul 17, 2024

About this episode:

Gain-of-function research involves altering a virus to make it more transmissible or deadly in order to develop vaccines, therapies, and perform other research. But the practice has long raised concerns about safety. In May, the White House released new policies around gain-of-function research hoping to shore up both safety measures and trust in this field of research. In this episode: a breakdown of the new policies and their general reception among scientists and the public.

Guests:

Gigi Gronvall is a senior scholar at the Center for Health Security and an associate professor in Environmental Health and Engineering 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:

United States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential—The White House
White House overhauls rules for risky pathogen studies—Science
Lab practices go under the microscope—Politico
Gain-of-Function Research: Balancing Science and Security—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine

Contact us:

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

777 - Meteorology and Climate Change Jul 15, 2024

About this episode:

Meteorologists look at data and history to help make sense of weather patterns and make predictions. This work, in turn, helps inform individuals and policymakers to prepare for and respond to weather events. But with climate records being shattered at every turn, and extreme weather like flooding, violent storms, and heat domes becoming more common, patterns and precedent start to fall away. So how are meteorologists making sense of all these changes and what could we expect to see in the future?

Guests:

Brian McNoldy is a senior research associate at the Rosenstiel School of Marine Atmosphere and Earth Science at the University of Miami.

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:

Contact us:

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

Special Series: Racial Bias and Pulse Oximeters Part 1–A Problem Hiding in Plain Sight Jul 08, 2024

About this episode:

Pulse oximeters—devices used to read blood oxygen levels in hospitals and at home—are far less reliable for people with darker skin tones... Falsely normal readings create the potential for clinical staff to miss life-threatening conditions.

In this three-episode special series, we explore a longstanding issue that only caught the nation’s attention in recent years. In episode 1: How COVID-19 shined a light on an issue that was known, but largely ignored.

Listen to Part 2: What Went Wrong?

Listen to Part 3: Fixing Pulse Oximeters.

View the transcript for this episode.

Host:

Annalies Winny is a co-producer of the Pulse Ox series for the Public Health On Call podcast, an associate editor for Global Health NOW, and a contributor for the Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health magazine.

Show links and related content:

The Problem with Pulse Oximeters: A Long History of Racial Bias
Estimating COVID-19 Hospitalizations in the U.S.—JMIR Public Health Surveillance
How a Popular Medical Device Encodes Racial Bias–Amy Moran-Thomas
People with darker skin are 32% more likely to have pulse oximeters overestimate oxygen levels, report says–CNN
Racial Bias in Pulse Oximetry Measurement—The New England Journal of Medicine
Dynamic in vivo response characteristics of three oximeters: Hewlett Packard 47201A, Biox III, and Nellcor N-100—Sleep (1987)

Contact us:

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

Special Series: Racial Bias and Pulse Oximeters Part 2—What Went Wrong? Jul 08, 2024

About this episode:

Pulse oximeters—devices used to read blood oxygen levels in hospitals and at home—are far less reliable for people with darker skin tones. Falsely normal readings have the potential for clinical staff to miss life-threatening conditions.

In this three-episode special series, we explore a longstanding issue that only caught the nation’s attention in recent years. In episode 2: What went wrong, including inaction from manufacturers and regulators, market forces, and racism in medicine that goes beyond this one device.

Listen to Part 1: A Problem Hiding in Plain Sight.

Listen to Part 3: Fixing Pulse Oximeters.

View the transcript for this episode.

Host:

Nicole Jurmo is co-producer of the Public Health in the Field series on pulse oximeters, the associate director for public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, and a current MPH student. She recently completed a practicum with the Public Health On Call podcast.

Show links and related content:

The Problem with Pulse Oximeters: A Long History of Racial Bias
Racial Bias in Pulse Oximetry Measurement—The New England Journal of Medicine
Pulse Oximeters Are Not Racist—Orange County Business Journal
Inventing conflicts of interest: a history of tobacco industry tactics—American Journal of Public Health
Performance Evaluation of Pulse Oximeters Taking Into Consideration Skin Pigmentation, Race and Ethnicity—FDA Executive Summary (pdf)
Pulse Oximeter Accuracy and Limitations—FDA Safety Communication
Dynamic in vivo response characteristics of three oximeters: Hewlett Packard 47201A, Biox III, and Nellcor N-100—Sleep (1987)
Racial bias is built into the design of pulse oximeters—The Washington Post
November 2023 Attorneys General Letter to the FDA On The Inaccuracies of Pulse Oximetry When Used On People With Darker Toned Skin (pdf)
Defining race/ethnicity and explaining difference in research studies on lung function—European Respiratory Journal (abstract)
Is Facial Recognition Software Racist?—The Daily Show

Contact us:

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

Special Series: Racial Bias and Pulse Oximeters Part 3—Fixing Pulse Oximeters Jul 08, 2024

About this episode:

Pulse oximeters—devices used to read blood oxygen levels in hospitals and at home—are far less reliable for people with darker skin tones. Falsely normal readings create the potential for clinical staff to miss life-threatening conditions.

In this three-episode special series, we explore a longstanding issue that only caught the nation’s attention in recent years. In episode 3: How engineers are working to improve the design of pulse oximeters, and how advocates from across the medical industry including patients and students are leading efforts to keep the pressure on to improve equity in pulse oximetry…and beyond.

Listen to Part 1: A Problem Hiding in Plain Sight.

Listen to Part 2: What Went Wrong?

View the transcript for this episode.

Host:

Annalies Winny is a co-producer of the Pulse Ox series for the Public Health On Call podcast, an associate editor for Global Health NOW, and a contributor for the Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health magazine.

Show links and related content:

The Problem with Pulse Oximeters: A Long History of Racial Bias
Right2Breathe.org
US race-neutral lung assessments to have profound effects, study finds—Reuters
Why more than 14,000 Black kidney transplant patients are moving up on the waitlist–NPR
COVID-19 made pulse oximeters ubiquitous. Engineers are fixing their racial bias.—NPR
Innovative technology to eliminate the racial bias in non-invasive, point-of-core (POC) haemoglobin and pulse oximetry measurements—BMJ
Roots Community Health Center Sues to Halt Sales of Flawed Pulse Oximeters—Roots Community Health Center press release (PDF)
Racial Bias in Medicine Episode 1: Disparities with Pulse Oximeters.—Joel Bervell (YouTube)

Contact us:

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

Bonus Episode - Mifepristone and EMTALA SCOTUS Rulings: A Holding Pattern Jul 03, 2024

About this episode:

The Supreme Court has issued decisions in the two major abortion cases on its docket this year. For the time being, the drug mifepristone remains on the market and a federal law requiring that emergency rooms provide life-saving abortions even in states banning the procedure is upheld. But the court’s decisions—both upholding the status quo—all but guarantee both cases will be back, putting mifepristone and EMTALA once again under fire.

Guests:

Joanne Rosen is an expert in public health law and a co-director of the Center for Law and the Public’s Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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:

The Two Major Abortion Cases Coming to The Supreme Court—Public Health On Call
Despite Supreme Court ruling, the future of emergency abortions is still unclear for US women—ABC News
OB-GYN Training and Practice in Dobbs’ Shadow–Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
The Threat to Abortion Rights You Haven’t Heard Of—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Contact us:

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

776 - The Invisible Shield—Public Health Jul 03, 2024

About this episode:

Public health saved your life today and you didn’t even know it. But while public health makes modern life possible, efforts are frequently underfunded, undervalued, and misunderstood.

Today we bring you a special episode from Follow the Data, a podcast by the Bloomberg Philanthropies, that discusses "The Invisible Shield," a four-part documentary series on PBS. The series delves into the often unseen public health infrastructure that supports our daily lives and highlights the field’s significant achievements.

Guests:

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.

Dr. Sandro Galea is dean of the Boston University School of Public Health.

Host:

Katherine Oliver is a Principal at Bloomberg Associates and the host of Follow the Data, a podcast by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Show links and related content:

Follow the Data—Podcast
The Invisible Shield—Documentary

Contact us:

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

775 - How to Make Cities More Mental Health Friendly for Adolescents and Young Adults Jul 01, 2024

About this episode:

Our mental health and well-being are shaped by our environment: access to green space can be beneficial, while cities with high population density can affect the risk for mood, anxiety, or even substance use disorders. A recent study explores how cities can be more mental health-friendly for adolescents and emphasizes the importance of life skills, open-minded interpersonal relationships, safe public spaces, secure employment, and youth-inclusive policy-making.

Guest:

Dr. Pamela Collins is a Bloomberg Centennial Professor and chair of Mental Health 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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Making cities mental health friendly for adolescents and young adults—Nature
Research Identifies Characteristics of Cities That Would Support Young People’s Mental Health—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
World Mental Health Day: Mental Health is a Universal Human Right—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Contact us:

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

774 - Why We Desperately Need—And Still Don’t Have—A Global Pandemic Treaty Jun 28, 2024

About this episode:

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, world health officials agreed that many more lives could have been saved had there been better global coordination. In 2021, countries came together to draft a pandemic treaty committing to better future responses and pledging to sign it within two years. But deadlines have come and gone, the draft revised many times over. In a race to secure an agreement before the next pandemic, countries must reckon with historic inequities, vaccine access, data sharing, and more.

Guests:

Alexandra Phelan is an expert in global health law and an associate professor and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

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:

Ignore the disinformation—the US is safer with a global pandemic treaty—The Hill (Opinion)
The world needs the new pandemic treaty—STAT (Opinion)
A pandemic agreement is within reach—Science
Global pandemic treaty to be concluded by 2025, WHO says—Reuters

Contact us:

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

773 - More Consequences of Abortion Restrictions: Increases in Infant Deaths in Texas Jun 26, 2024

About this episode:

In 2021, Texas passed the extremely restrictive Senate Bill 8 which bans most abortions with very few exceptions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected—as early as five or six weeks of pregnancy. 2022 data suggested a noticeable uptick in infant mortality in Texas. A new study looked into the connection between the two and is among the first to show evidence evaluating the impacts of abortion bans and how other places with severely restrictive laws could also see more infant deaths as a result.

Guests:

Dr. Suzanne Bell is an assistant professor and demographic researcher in the department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Allison Gemmill is an assistant professor, demographer, and perinatal epidemiologist in the department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health 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:

Analysis Suggests 2021 Texas Abortion Ban Resulted in Increase in Infant Deaths in State in Year After Law Went Into Effect—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Infant Deaths After Texas’ 2021 Ban on Abortion in Early Pregnancy—JAMA Pediatrics
Episode 656 - The Consequences of Abortion Restrictions Part 1: Spotlight on Texas—Public Health On Call
Episode 657 - The Consequences of Abortion Restrictions Part 1: Denials of Medical Care—Public Health On Call

Contact us:

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

772 - Why Are So Many Adults Being Diagnosed With ADHD? Jun 24, 2024

About this episode:

What’s behind the significant increases in adult diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder—historically thought to be a neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood? A new understanding of symptoms, better diagnoses, and some of the best treatments in psychiatric medicine mean more and more people are benefiting from the evolving science behind ADHD.

Guest:

Dr. David Goodman is a Johns Hopkins psychiatrist and the director of the Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Center of Maryland.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Contact us:

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

771 - More Cases of Measles in the United States Jun 21, 2024

Overview:

An uptick of measles cases in the U.S. is raising concerns, especially heading into summer when travelers may bring back more cases from Europe. This most infectious human virus can cause severe and even fatal complications, especially for unvaccinated children—sometimes years after what seemed to be a mild case. Pandemic disruptions and rampant mis- and disinformation online have contributed to declining rates of vaccination that leave some communities especially vulnerable to measles outbreaks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with states, health departments, and the general public to communicate around the danger of measles, the safety of vaccines, and what people can do once they’ve been exposed.

Guests:

Dr. David Sugerman is the incident manager for measles response at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Dan Filardo is a medical officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working to fight measles across the country.

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:

Measles Cases and Outbreaks Dashboard—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Assessing Measles Outbreak Risk in the United States—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Learn the Signs. Act Early. (Autism campaign)—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC Official Urges Parents to Get Measles Vaccine for Children—Health News Florida

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BONUS - Allegations of War Crimes By Leaders of Hamas and Israeli Officials before the International Criminal Court Jun 18, 2024

Overview:

The International Criminal Court, a justice system inspired by the Nuremburg tribunals after World War II, holds individuals responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In May 2024, the Court's chief prosecutor requested arrest warrants for three leaders of Hamas and, separately, for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for alleged crimes on October 7, 2023 and in the war in Gaza that followed. Len Rubenstein is Distinguished Professor of the Practice and Interim Director of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In this episode, he breaks down the Court’s processes, explains the allegations against both Hamas and Israeli leaders, answers questions that have surfaced about the allegations, and argues that the Court is essential for accountability for human rights and public health around the world.

Guest:

Len Rubenstein is a human rights lawyer and Distinguished Professor of the Practice and Interim Director of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Johns and interim director of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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:

Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine—International Criminal Court
Perilous Medicine: The Struggle to Protect Health Care from the Violence of War—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Human Rights and Health Care in the Middle East Crisis—Public Health On Call Podcast
War Crimes and Russia’s Bombing of Mariupol Maternity Hospital in Ukraine—Public Health On Call Podcast

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770 - Juneteenth in 2024 Jun 17, 2024

Overview:

Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in 2021 amidst a national reckoning with race. Four years later, the observation finds us at a time of continued polarization and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Reflecting on the historical significance of Juneteenth can help us think about how to celebrate and observe the day, and how to recommit to healing and social justice work as individuals, communities, and society.

Guest:

Joel Bolling is the assistant dean for Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-racism, and Equity 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:

Systemic Equity—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
Health History: Health and Longevity Since the Mid-19th Century—Stanford
Slavery & the Making of the Atlantic World—Able Museum
Structural Racism Explained—Othering & Belonging Institute, UC Berkeley
Historical Context: Facts about the Slace Trade and Slavery—The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Center Report Uses Research to Fight Attacks on DEI—USC Race and Equity Center
The Assault on DEI—The Chronicle of Higher Education
https://magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2020/systemic-equity

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769 - A Conversation With A Coast Guard Flight Surgeon Jun 14, 2024

About this episode:

The U.S. Coast Guard is charged with safeguarding Americans through missions including maritime law enforcement, antiterrorism operations, and search and rescue. Members of the Coast Guard carry out these missions at sea and in the air in all sorts of extreme conditions requiring specialized medical care to ensure their health and safety. In this episode, we hear from a flight surgeon who talks about his work caring for military aviators, as well as some of the most challenging moments of his career, including Hurricane Katrina and being the medical director for the Coast Guard Academy during COVID.

Guest:

Dr. Esan Simon is the medical director for the Coast Guard Academy. Previously, he was a flight surgeon for the Coast Guard since 2004.

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:

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768 - The Food Industry and the #Antidiet Movement Jun 12, 2024

About this episode:

What is the relationship between food industry giants like General Mills and a social media movement aimed at pushing back on diet culture and unrealistic body images? An investigation by health journalists at The Examination found that food companies and dieticians appear to be co-opting the hashtag “antidiet” to promote their products.

Guest:

Sasha Chavkin is a senior reporter with The Examination

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:

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767 - A Much More Effective—But Complicated—CPR Could Save Many More Lives Jun 10, 2024

About the episode:

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, has been the gold standard for buying time in a medical emergency. But it’s not very effective, especially for the majority of cardiac arrest cases. What is much more effective: employing advanced machinery like ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, that can keep people alive for hours or even days and weeks while physicians address the medical emergency and the body heals. But can emergency medicine shift to get more patients on ECMO faster?

Guest:

Dr. Demetris Yannopoulous is a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School where he is the director of resuscitation 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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

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766 - The Legacy of Dr. Levi Watkins: Heart Surgeon and Activist Jun 07, 2024

About this episode:

June 8 would mark the 80th birthday of Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr., a cardiothoracic surgeon at Johns Hopkins known for being part of the first team to implant an automatic defibrillator in a human patient. But Dr. Watkins was so much more: a civil rights and political activist, a champion of Black and other people who are underrepresented in medicine, and a snappy dresser with a great sense of humor. Today, two people who knew and worked with Dr. Watkins share their memories as we celebrate his legacy.

Guests:

Dr. Lisa Cooper is a public health physician, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, and a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine.

Steven Ragsdale is a former senior administrator at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a faculty member in Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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:

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

765 - The Rise of Colorectal Cancers Among Younger People Jun 05, 2024

About the episode:

Colorectal cancers are rising among people under age 50. There are a number of theories as to why and also promising data around early detection. In today’s episode: A deep dive into the epidemiology of colorectal cancers including who is most at risk, a look at the screening tools currently available, and why blood tests may be even more valuable than costly and invasive colonoscopies.

Guest:

Dr. Otis Brawley is a globally-recognized expert in cancer prevention and control whose work focuses on developing cancer screening strategies and ensuring their effectiveness. He is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in epidemiology with a joint appointment in oncology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. He was the former Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

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764 - Am I Taking Too Many Medications? Polypharmacy, Interactions, and Drug Cascades Jun 03, 2024

About this episode:

One in five U.S. adults is taking five or more prescription drugs at a time, often for years without reassessment of need, dosage, or possible interactions. Today, a look at polypharmacy and why it’s important for physicians to periodically check in with patients about all the prescription—and nonprescription—drugs they’re taking. The guests also discuss the importance of considering non-pharmaceutical treatments like physical or talk therapy, and empowering patients and their care partners to ask questions about what they’re being prescribed.

Guests:

Dr. Cynthia Boyd is a geriatrician and faculty at Johns Hopkins Medicine. She is also a senior associate with the Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health.

Dr. Ariel Green is a geriatrician and faculty at Johns Hopkins Medicine. She is also a core faculty member of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness.

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, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

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763 - How To Avoid Getting Sick On A Cruise Ship May 24, 2024

Cruise ships are congregate settings where infectious diseases can quickly spread. But, there’s a lot that the industry and individuals can do to stay healthy and avoid, shall we say, explosive outbreaks. In today’s episode, learn about the most common culprits—including norovirus, food-borne illness, and COVID-19—and how people can think about safety from initial booking to final disembarkment and all the ports of call in between.

Guest: Dr. Tara Palmore is an infectious disease physician at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

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:

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762 - Interview With a Graduate: A New Doctor of Epidemiology Connects Physical Activity to Cognitive Health May 22, 2024

It’s graduation time at the Bloomberg School! Doctoral candidate Francesca Marino joins the podcast to talk about how her interest in neuroscience led her to pursue a degree in epidemiology, and about her research looking into whether and how daily patterns of physical activity tracked through a wearable device could indicate cognitive health or decline.

Guest: Dr. Francesca Marino is a recent graduate of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health whose research focuses on the epidemiology of aging.

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:

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

761 - The Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan May 20, 2024

Armed internal conflict in Sudan has created a humanitarian crisis with millions of people displaced both internally and to neighboring countries. Dr. Salim Mohamednour, a medical epidemiologist with expertise in emergency response and the national health coordinator at the WHO country office in Sudan, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the unfolding catastrophe and what needs to be done. Special thanks to Aseel Salih, Hassan Salih, and Laila Zomorodian, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health students who assisted with the production of this podcast. A note that Dr. Mohamednour is not representing the WHO on the podcast. Content warning: this episode contains depictions of violence. Listeners interested in contributing can consider supporting the World Food Program, the Sudanese American Physicians Association, and Sadagaat.

Get the transcript for this episode (PDF)

760 - Planetary Health in the ER: The Role of Medicine In The Earth Crisis May 17, 2024

The planetary health crisis can’t be ignored in hospitals where patients are sick from climate-driven things like asthma from air quality emergencies, COVID-19 from a zoonotic spillover event, and cardiovascular complications from heat waves. Chris Lemon, an ER doctor and Bloomberg Health Initiative fellow who focuses on the intersection of climate change and health, talks with Stephanie Desmon about his work bringing planetary health dialogue to hospital staff while also looking at ways health systems can lower their massive carbon footprints.

Get the transcript for this episode (PDF)

759 - Book Club: What If Fungi Win? May 15, 2024

From mushrooms to microscopic organisms, fungi represent a serious—and still relatively unexplored—threat to human health. Dr. Arturo Casadevall returns to the podcast to talk about his new book, What If Fungi Win? which looks at why certain fungal infections take off, why they’re so hard to treat, and why we will most certainly see more of them with climate change and treatment-resistant strains. Learn more. Get the transcript for this episode (PDF)

758 - Homelessness and SCOTUS: What Happens When People Experiencing Homelessness Are Forced To Move? May 13, 2024

Johnson v. Grants Pass, a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, raises the question of whether homelessness can be criminalized. Ashley Meehan, a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the public health dimensions of this issue. They discuss her research looking into what happens to people after encampment sweeps and what policies would benefit not only people experiencing homelessness but their communities and cities as well. Listen to our previous episode on this issue.

Get the transcript for this episode (PDF)

757 - How to Prevent Dengue or “Break-Bone Fever” May 10, 2024

Dengue, or “break-bone fever”—a disease transmitted by mosquitoes that can cause serious fever, rash, muscle and joint pain and even problems with bleeding and shock—is surging around the world and popping up in new places like the U.S. Vaccine expert Anna Durbin returns to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about these trends and the general status of vaccines, treatments, and prevention. Learn more. Get the transcript for this episode (PDF)

756 - Electronic Cigarettes Part 2: How Serious are the Health Risks Associated with E-cigs? May 08, 2024

More than a decade after electronic cigarettes became broadly available in the United States, their merits are still being debated. Do these products help people quit smoking? How serious are the health risks associated with these products? In a two-part series, we hear from two researchers in tobacco control about their views. In part two, Stan Glantz, the Truth Initiative Distinguished Professor of Tobacco Control at the University of California San Francisco talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about his research into the harms of electronic cigarettes and the dangers of "dual use" of electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes. In an epilogue, Public Health On Call audio producer Matt Martin talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about his personal history of tobacco use – including his efforts to quit with electronic cigarettes.

Read Glantz’s paper in New England Journal of Medicine Evidence.

Listen to part one of the series. Get the transcript for this episode (PDF)

BONUS - An Update on Bird Flu in the U.S. May 06, 2024

Virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz and public health veterinary expert Dr. Meghan Davis return to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about what we’ve learned so far from viral sequencing of H5N1, its presence in milk, what we know about infections in humans, the status of the overall response to a major pathogen of concern on the heels of COVID-19, and more. Read Dr. Davis’s recent New York Times essay on protecting the dairy workforce.

Download the transcript of this episode (PDF)

755 - Electronic Cigarettes Part 1: Do E-cigs Help People Quit Smoking? May 06, 2024

More than a decade after electronic cigarettes became broadly available in the United States, their merits are still being debated. Do these products help people quit smoking? How serious are the health risks associated with these products? In a two-part series, we hear from two researchers in tobacco control about their views. In part one, Dr. Nancy Rigotti, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.

Read her editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2314977

754 - A Public Health Emergency: Syphilis Surges in the Great Plains Region May 03, 2024

An alarming and dangerous syphilis surge across the Great Plains Region, an area spanning North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa, has prompted tribal officials to urge HHS Secretary to declare a public health emergency. Dr. Meghan Curry O’Connell, chief public health officer at the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board and a member of the Cherokee Nation, talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about the outbreak and why public health officials are struggling to respond.

Learn more: Tribal Leaders Urge HHS Secretary to Declare Syphilis Emergency

How a fight over data made South Dakota’s bad syphilis outbreak worse

Download the transcript for this episode.

753 - The Health Care Crisis At the U.S.-Mexico Border Part 2: Border Walls and Traumatic Brain and Spinal Injuries May 01, 2024

In part two of a two-part series about the crisis of health care for immigrants and refugees at the U.S.-Mexico border, Dr. Alexander Tenorio, a neurosurgical resident at the University of California, San Diego, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the influx of traumatic brain and spinal injuries his team has seen from people attempting to climb the border wall. They discuss the scope of the problem and the policies behind it, and why it often takes hours for victims to get critical care. They also talk about Dr. Tenorio’s personal connection to the situation as a first-generation American born to Mexican immigrants. Download the transcript for this episode.

752 - The Health Care Crisis At the U.S.-Mexico Border Part 1: Children and Families Apr 29, 2024

In part one of a two-part series about the crisis of health care for immigrants and refugees at the U.S.-Mexico border, Dr. Janine Young, a pediatrician at the University of California, San Diego, talks with Stephanie Desmon about the tenuous situation for children and families. More and more people are showing up at the border in poor health—dehydrated, malnourished, some severely injured and many traumatized—without any adequate care to meet them. They talk about the immigration policies that have led to a system ill-equipped to properly triage and treat the children and families seeking refuge in the U.S., and the misconceptions around people who are fleeing for their lives.

751 - The New Federal Regulations Aimed Making Methadone More Accessible—And Less Stigmatizing Apr 26, 2024

Methadone is a highly effective treatment for substance use disorder but strict regulations like daily clinic visits have led to its nickname, “liquid handcuffs.” Dr. Yngvild Olsen, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration, talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about new federal regulations that expand access to this life saving medication. They talk about how the COVID era showed that changes can make methadone much easier to prescribe and access, and how these updates are part of a critical cultural shift towards making substance use treatment more reasonable, equitable, and compassionate.

Resources for this episode:

https://www.samhsa.gov/medications-substance-use-disorders/statutes-regulations-guidelines/methadone-guidance

https://findtreatment.gov/

750 - World Malaria Day: From Lab to Legislature—Meet the Scientists Taking on Capitol Hill in the Fight Against Malaria Apr 24, 2024

World Malaria Day is April 25. Today, guest host Thomas Locke takes us to Capitol Hill where we meet malaria scientists who have joined an advocacy group to lobby members of Congress to fund critical interventions against malaria. They talk about their work and what scientific messages they bring to DC to impart on policy makers who play a major role in efforts to combat this preventable and deadly disease. This special episode is an extended version of Malaria Minute, a podcast from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute.

Learn more:

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/malaria-research-institute

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/events/2024/world-malaria-day-symposium

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/malaria-research-institute-1

749 - Planetary Health: Thinking About The Earth Crisis As A Humanitarian Crisis Apr 22, 2024

Humans are transforming, degrading, and altering Earth’s natural life support systems so profoundly that our actions have created an existential crisis. For Earth Day, Sam Myers, founding director of the Planetary Health Alliance and director of the brand new Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the concept of planetary health, an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how the state of the earth affects the health of us all.

Learn more:

http://Planetaryhealthalliance.org

https://planetaryhealth.jhu.edu/

748 - Studying Sewage to Fight Infectious Diseases: An Update From The Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics at the CDC Apr 19, 2024

The presence of infectious diseases can be picked up through wastewater surveillance but how can this data be useful in predicting future outbreaks? Dr. Dylan George, director of the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics at the CDC, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how the Center’s forecast for the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season performed and the role of wastewater surveillance as part of a multifaceted approach to aggregating data.

Resources from this episode:

https://johnshopkinssph.libsyn.com/699-an-update-on-the-cdcs-new-center-for-forecasting-and-outbreak-analytics

https://magazine.jhsph.edu/2020/cloudy-chance-covid

https://www.theinvisibleshieldseries.com/

747 - The Lack of Research Around Type 1 Diabetes Apr 17, 2024

There’s a lot of research around Type 2 diabetes that has informed patient care when it comes to diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle management. But much less is known about Type 1, long mislabeled “childhood diabetes.” Johns Hopkins epidemiologists Elizabeth Selvin and Michael Fang talk with Stephanie Desmon about new research debunking a lot of previously held assumptions about Type 1 diabetes, the prevalence of adult onset and correlation with obesity, and why different approaches to diagnosis and management are necessary. They also discuss the cost of insulin and why more research is needed around medications like Ozempic for Type 1 diabetes.

746 - Why Cigarettes Are So Bad for the Environment Apr 15, 2024

Cigarette butts are the most littered object in the world. With their plastic filters and toxic substances, they are a significant source of contamination for soil and water. Grazi Grilo, a researcher at the Global Institute for Tobacco Control, talks with Stephanie Desmon about her work quantifying the scope of the problem, and why some of the very things that make cigarettes so environmentally hazardous also provide enormous benefits for the tobacco industry.Read more about her work here: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/institute-for-global-tobacco-control/2024/assessment-of-littered-cigarette-butts-in-brazil-informs-strengthening-of-global-treaty

745 - A Conversation With Dr. Antonia Novello, Former Surgeon General Apr 12, 2024

Dr. Antonia Novella served as the 14th Surgeon General under President George H.W. Bush from 1989 - 1993. She is the first female and first Hispanic Surgeon General in U.S. history. Dr. Novella talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about her life and career, from being born with a rare condition called Hirschsprung’s disease to her childhood in Puerto Rico and her notable career in medicine and public health. She also discusses facing prejudice, staring down Big Tobacco, and even buying support hose for a U.S. Senator. You can read more in her new autobiography: https://www.fulcrumbooks.com/product-page/duty-calls-lessons-learned-from-an-unexpected-life-of-service Read more about the epic surgeons general event here: https://pages.jh.edu/gazette/aprjun98/apr1398/13surgen.html

744 - The Power of Positive Childhood Experiences Apr 10, 2024

Much research has been dedicated to the long-lasting negative impacts of adverse childhood experiences—far less has focused on the powerful effects of positive experiences. Dr. Melissa Walls, co-director of the Center for Indigenous Health and a member of the Bois Forte and Couchiching First Nation bands, talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about her research with benevolent childhood experiences among Indigenous communities. They discuss the importance of researching the positive, not only for public health, but in celebrating the inherent strengths of Indigenous individuals, their families, and culture. Read more: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38419503/

BONUS - Coping With The Psychological Aftermath of The Collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Apr 09, 2024

On March 26, Baltimore’s iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge was hit by a cargo ship and collapsed, killing six people. Since then, many have found themselves watching endless loops of the video and ongoing coverage, and some are feeling symptoms of anxiety or even intense fear. Dr. George Everly, a Johns Hopkins psychologist, talks with Stephanie Desmon about the phenomenon of “psychological contagion” and how something so rare but so spectacular can suddenly make us question our sense of safety. They also discuss how to talk to kids about events like these and what to do when healthy curiosity becomes problematic. Read Dr. Everly’s Psychology Today piece here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/when-disaster-strikes-inside-disaster-psychology/202403/the-dangers-of-the-baltimore-bridge

743 - What You Need to Know About H5N1, The Bird Flu Spilling Over Into Mammals Apr 08, 2024

Recent reports of spillover of avian virus H5N1 into cows, cats, and even one human are concerning to the scientific community for a number of reasons. But what does the public need to know? Virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz and public health veterinary expert Dr. Meghan Davis return to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about these spillovers events and what they mean for biosecurity and our safety.

742 - What You Need To Know About PFAS, Or “Forever Chemicals" Apr 05, 2024

Per- and polyfluorinated substances are in all kinds of products from waterproof makeup to fire retardants. Dr. Ned Calonge, co-author of a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, talks with Stephanie Desmon about these “forever chemicals” and what is known about their impact on health, who is most at risk, and what people should do if they have high levels of exposure. Read the report here: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26156/guidance-on-pfas-exposure-testing-and-clinical-follow-up

741 - Xolair: The First Drug For Severe Food Allergies Apr 03, 2024

Xolair is the first FDA-approved therapy to prevent severe and potentially life-threatening reactions in adults and children who are allergic to dairy, eggs, wheat, nuts and other foods. Dr. Robert Wood, the director of pediatric allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins, talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about this drug that has the potential to make life a little easier for patients and parents of children with severe allergies.

740 - The Forgotten Youths Who Are Caregivers For Their Families Apr 01, 2024

A hidden population of children serve as caregivers for family members who are chronically ill, elderly, disabled or injured. Left out of the systems that support adult caregivers, these youths often sacrifice their education, health, well-being, and childhoods. Connie Siskowski, founder and president of the American Association of Caregiving Youth, and Dr. Julie Belkowitz, a pediatrician at the University of Miami School of Medicine talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about these young people and the enormous responsibilities they take on, and what is needed to help support them so they can thrive. Learn more: https://aacy.org/

739 - How an 1882 Play, The Enemy of the People, is Helping Communities Heal from the Trauma of COVID-19 Mar 29, 2024

How can a play about rural Norway in 1882 help us process the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic? That's the question posed by Theater of War Productions, which is hosting readings of The Enemy of the People, by Henrik Ibsen—and then is leading intense community conversations immediately following the productions. Bryan Doerries, artistic director of Theater of War Productions, speaks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how this old Norwegian play speaks to the trauma experienced by the public health field and by community members during the pandemic.

You can watch the Ohio productions live via Zoom and participate in the conversation afterwards on April 6 and 7 at 6pm. You can sign up for free under the events tab at http://theaterofwar.com.

If you missed our first conversation about the parallels between the COVID-19 pandemic and The Enemy of the People, you can listen here: https://johnshopkinssph.libsyn.com/132-the-enemy-of-the-people-by-henrik-ibsen-and-parallels-to-the-covid-19-pandemic

738 - Why Syphilis Is On the Rise Mar 27, 2024

Despite a national plan to eliminate syphilis by 2010, the sexually transmitted infection has reached the highest rates since the 1950s. Dr. Khalil Ghanem, a researcher of sexually transmitted infections at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, talks with Stephanie Desmon about syphilis infections and the disease course, and why rates are so high not just in the US but around the world. Learn more: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2024/why-is-syphilis-spiking-in-the-us

737 - Secretary Xavier Becerra on the 14th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act Mar 25, 2024

The 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act marked a major change in health insurance coverage and care for millions of Americans. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra talks with Stephanie Desmon about the remarkable changes “Obamacare” has brought about, why it’s important for all Americans not to take these for granted, and the next set of challenges in mending a health care system that’s still too focused on treatment of complications, not prevention.

736 - World Water Day: How Water Can Be a Powerful Force to Bring People Together Mar 22, 2024

More than 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and more than 3 billion are living without safe sanitation systems. For World Water Day, Ken Conca, a professor of international relations at the School of International Service at American University, joins the podcast to talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the state of the world’s water. They discuss how some of the biggest challenges to water access and quality are political and legal, rather than technical, in nature. They also discuss how water, which knows no jurisdictions, can bring people and nations together. Learn more: https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day

735 - De-medicalizing Menopause Mar 20, 2024

Menopause: inevitable, stigmatized, mysterious, and bringing a broad range of symptoms and experiences. Dr. Martha Hickey, a menopause researcher at the University of Melbourne, talks with Stephanie Desmon about a new Lancet series on menopause. They discuss how ageism and sexism come into play, the vast array of experiences women may have, and how individual circumstances can impact symptoms. They also talk about why it’s time to stop referring to menopause as a medical disorder and think more broadly about the need to provide better support and high-quality information for women during this life transition. Learn more: https://www.thelancet.com/series/menopause-2024

734 - How Hospital Infection Control Has Changed Since COVID Mar 18, 2024

Four years after the early days of the pandemic, how are hospitals thinking about infection control, how much has changed, and to what degree have things returned to “normal”? Dr. Lisa Maragakis, the head of infection control at Johns Hopkins Hospital, returns to the podcast to talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about this “post-pandemic phase” and why health care has not fully recovered from pandemic disruptions.

733 - Projections of Excess Deaths in Gaza Over the Next Six Months Mar 15, 2024

A new report models projections of the human costs of conflict in Gaza over the next six months across several scenarios. Paul Spiegel, director of the Center for Humanitarian Health, and Tak Igusa, professor of Civil and Systems Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the project they developed with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. See the full report here: https://gaza-projections.org/

BONUS - How "Illiberal" Is Public Health? Mar 14, 2024

In his new book Within Reason: A Liberal Public Health for an Illiberal Time, Dean Sandro Galea of the Boston University School of Public Health challenges closed-mindedness and invective in public health. In this special, extended bonus episode, Dr. Galea and his friend and colleague Dr. Josh Sharfstein discuss—and debate—the fairness of his critique.

732 - Bringing Back Condoms to Prevent HIV Mar 13, 2024

Condoms were once an essential part of the public health toolkit to fight HIV and STIs. But over the last decade, and coinciding with the rise of medication that prevents HIV infection, condom use among men who have sex with men has declined. Steve Goodreau, an expert in mathematical modeling and HIV and STIs at the University of Washington, talks with Stephanie Desmon about his research on declining condom use and why public health should be doing more to tout the advantages of what was once one of the most ubiquitous tools in safer sex. Read his op-ed here: https://journals.lww.com/aidsonline/citation/9900/bringing_back_condoms.458.aspx

731 - A Playbook for Addressing Health Misinformation Mar 11, 2024

Health misinformation is rampant—online and through rumors—but there are steps people can take to help stamp them out. Aishwarya Nagar and Tara Kirk Sell from the Center for Health Security are co-authors of a new playbook aimed at helping public health practitioners, medical professionals, and health communicators recognize and respond to health-related rumors and misinformation. They talk through some specific tactics with Lindsay Smith Rogers and also discuss how we can all help improve our own health information literacy. Learn more: https://centerforhealthsecurity.org/2024/center-launches-new-practice-oriented-playbook-for-addressing-health-misinformation

730 - Women’s History Month: A Conversation With Sue Baker, the “Mother of Injury Prevention” Mar 08, 2024

When Sue Baker started her research career in the 1960s, there was no field devoted to injury prevention despite accidents being a leading cause of death in the US. In honor of Women’s History Month, Stephanie Desmon talks with injury prevention pioneer Baker about her half century of research looking at everything from aviation safety to hot dog choking deaths, and her hands-on approach to research which included getting her pilot’s license, working in a medical examiner’s office, and driving a commercial truck.

BONUS - COVID-19 Updated: The CDC’s New Isolation Guidelines, Vaccines For People Over 65, and New Variants Mar 06, 2024

The CDC announced new isolation guidelines last week that bring COVID-19 in line with recommendations for other viral respiratory diseases. Virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz returns to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about what this means in the contexts of vaccines, variants, and protecting the most vulnerable.

729 - Hidden Food Insecurity: The Adolescents Who Aren’t Getting Enough to Eat Mar 06, 2024

Food insecurity uniquely impacts youth ages 14-18 but it’s largely a hidden problem. Kristen Mmari, an adolescent health researcher at Johns Hopkins, talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about the long-term impacts being hungry can have on young people and why most programs aimed at relieving food insecurity don’t help this age group. They also discuss false claims that nutrition assistance programs contribute to childhood obesity. Learn more: https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307489

728 - Methadone Access for Incarcerated Pregnant People Mar 04, 2024

Opioid use disorder is a major contributor to maternal mortality in the US. The gold standard of care is medication like methadone, but for incarcerated pregnant people, treatment can be difficult to access and highly stigmatized. Johns Hopkins obgyn and reproductive health researcher Dr. Carolyn Sufrin and Bloomberg Fellow Camille Kramer talk with Lindsay Smith Rogers about their new study that shows not only just how difficult OUD medication is to access behind bars for anyone, let alone pregnant women in the prison system. https://arrwip.org/projects/management-of-pregnant-people-with-opioid-use-disorder-in-jail/

727 - What The Conviction of a Parent of a High School Shooter Could Mean Mar 01, 2024

The manslaughter conviction of Jennifer Crumbley, whose son shot and killed four students at his school, is unprecedented. But will it be a watershed moment for gun violence in schools? Tim Carey, law and policy advisor at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, talks with Stephanie Desmon about the unique facts of this case, larger implications, and why Child Access Prevention laws are an important part of the conversation. Please note that since this podcast was recorded, a man in Michigan became the first person to be charged under the state’s new firearms storage law. The law requires gun owners to store firearms unloaded and secured with a locking device or in a lockbox if a minor lives at or is likely to visit their property.

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