The NACCHO Podcast Series

Latest Episodes:

Podcast from Washington: Debt Ceiling/One Health Jun 09, 2023

Show notes

In this week's podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials' Adriane Casalotti, Chief of Government and Public Affairs, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provided an update on the debt ceiling, which has been suspended until January 1, 2025, as well as detail on some of the spending limits and claw-backs of previously appropriated funds. They also discussed Dr. Rochelle Walensky's announced departure from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provided updates on the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), and examined the reestablishment of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus to End the Youth Vaping Epidemic.

Later in the program, NACCHO Communications Specialist Beth Hess spoke with Dr. Mary-Margaret Fill, Deputy State Epidemiologist for the Tennessee Department of Health. Dr. Fill joined the 2023 Preparedness Summit in April as one of the plenary speakers on the topic of One Health. One Health is a collaborative and transdisciplinary approach of achieving optimal health by recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. They discussed the importance of integrating One Health in ongoing prevention, detection, preparedness, and response initiatives and how local public health professionals can incorporate One Health in their planning and response activities.

Podcast from Washington: Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process in Congress / Healthy People 2020 May 05, 2023

Show notes

In this week's podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials' Government Affairs team members Kerry Allen and Lauren Mastroberardino provided an update on the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process in Congress, including how the debt ceiling negotiations may factor in, as well as ongoing congressional investigations into COVID-19 origins. They also talked about the Food and Drug Administration's move to make opioid reversal medication naloxone available over the counter. Since the Public Health Emergency ends on May 11, Allen provided insight into emerging details from federal agencies about the new landscape of COVID-19 response. Mastroberardino spoke about her experience at the 2023 Preparedness Summit, organized by NACCHO, and discussed her key takeaways and reflections from the largest gathering of public health and preparedness leaders.

Later in the podcast, Ramona Poblete, a Program Analyst at NACCHO, spoke with Rear Admiral Paul Reed, Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and Glenda Redeemer, MSN, Chronic Disease Prevention Division Manager at Tarrant County Public Health Department in Texas, for a discussion on Healthy People 2030's Leading Health Indicators.

The Healthy People Initiative serves as the nation's plan for addressing our most critical public health priorities and challenges. Their discussion explored how local health officials can use the Leading Health Indicators in their work to achieve successful health outcomes in their communities. Learn more about Healthy People tools, features, and partnership initiatives such as the Healthy People 2030 Champion Program.

Podcast from Washington: Local Health Leaders Use Radio to Reach English and Spanish Speakers About Vaccines and Immunizations Apr 14, 2023

Show notes

In this week's podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials' Government Affairs team members Kerry Allen and Lauren Mastroberardino provided highlights from this year's Local Public Health on the Hill event. This NACCHO-organized event brought more than 100 public health leaders to meet with 120 members of Congress spanning 30 states. In the midst of these in-person and virtual Hill meetings, President Biden released his Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request, which contained requests for increased funding for programs at the Department of Health and Human Services. Allen and Mastroberardino also discussed proposed new programs to address pandemic preparedness and adult vaccine access; NACCHO's recent advocacy actions, which will continue throughout the appropriations process; and NACCHO's work to inform legislative efforts underway in Congress to bolster the public health workforce and reauthorize the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA).

Later in the program, Nicholas Holmes of NACCHO's Immunization Team spoke with Kate Guzman, the administrator of medical services for the Oakland County Health Division, in Pontiac, Michigan and Carolina Sisiruca, health educator with Centro Multicultural La Familia, about using radio to reach English and Spanish speakers about the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations and other immunizations. They are the developers and co-hosts of the Oakland County Health radio broadcast show – a public health segment that has caught the attention of NPR leaders and has captivated audiences with public health content that empowers listeners to make informed decisions to improve and protect their health and wellbeing.

Podcast from Washington: Omnibus Spending Bill of 2022 and Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program Reauthorized Feb 10, 2023

Show notes

On this month's podcast, NACCHO Government Affairs team members Kerry Allen and Lauren Mastroberardino recap key provisions in the omnibus spending bill Congress passed at the end of 2022. Most exciting to NACCHO, the bill reauthorized the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program, which once operationalized will offer loan repayment to public health professionals who agree to serve three years at a local, state, or Tribal health department. They also reflect on the beginning of the 118th Congress, highlighting recent committee hearings and votes in the House related to rolling back COVID-19 related policies. Kerry and Lauren also talk about NACCHO's 2023 Federal Legislative and Policy Agenda and remind listeners about the upcoming virtual Public Health on the Hill event on March 6-10.

Later in the program, Victoria Freire, NACCHO's Senior Program Analyst of Rural Health, spoke to Ron Sprong, the Community Health Manager, Mental Health First Aid instructor and Peer Recovery Specialist at Greene County Health Department in Carrolton, Illinois.

NACCHO has just launched its Rural and Frontier Public Health section of the website, and in recognition of the unique challenges that rural and frontier health departments have, in today's interview Sprong discusses rural health department's activities in operations, community health and emergency preparedness.

Podcast from Washington: Health Equity in Action Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

In this week's podcast, Kerry Allen welcomes a new member to the NACCHO Government Affairs team, Lauren Mastroberardino. Kerry and Lauren provide an update on mid-term election outcomes and implications for the upcoming year, which will see divided government in Washington. Congress is back for a lame-duck session, and Kerry and Lauren cover ongoing Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations considerations. They also discuss NACCHO's advocacy to pass the Public Health Loan Repayment Program in end-of-year legislation, including how members can take action to urge their members of Congress to support the program. They celebrate the CDC's recent announcement of over $3 billion in first-of-its-kind funding directly to local, state, and territorial jurisdictions to support public health workforce and infrastructure. Finally, the team encourages listeners to save the date for NACCHO's Virtual Hill Week, which will be held March 6-10.

Later in the program, Hassanatu Blake, NACCHO's Director of Health Equity and Social Justice, speaks with Dr. Simbo Ige, Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Health Equity and Capacity Building at the New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene about the continued need to push health equity in practice despite the wind down of federal funding for COVID programming. As our country continues to reflect on the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hassanatu and Dr. Ige discuss how local health departments are rethinking how health inequities are addressed in public health practice. They also talk about the $2.25 billion Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities monumental grant and how it has supported New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's systematic approaches to addressing health inequities. Lastly, Dr. Ige shares with listeners crucial information to follow and support New York City Department of Health's equity work.

Podcast from Washington: Federal Funding, NACCHO's priorities for 2023, and LHD's MPX Response Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

In this week's podcast, NACCHO Government Affairs team members Adriane Casalotti and Kerry Allen provide an update on the status of federal funding and discuss NACCHO's priorities for a possible Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill. They also review the progress made on legislation to establish a public health loan repayment program, and ongoing NACCHO efforts to get that across the finish line before the 117th Congress ends, including an upcoming opportunity for NACCHO members to engage with their federal lawmakers in support of the program. Adriane describes the implications of and discussion around the recent CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations on the COVID-19 vaccine. Finally, the team reminds listeners that many public health policy decisions will hinge on the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections and urges everyone to vote.

Later in the program, we talk about one of the latest outbreaks – monkeypox (MPX) – with Dr. Philip Huang, Director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services, Andy Meléndez Salgado, MPH, Manager of the Public Health Emergencies and Environmental Health Unit of the New Orleans Health Department, and Dr. Judith Shlay, Associate Director of the Public Health Institute at Denver Health. We discuss how local health departments are working to reach populations at risk for MPX and how lessons learned from COVID-19 response are helping local jurisdictions to address MPX.

Podcast from Washington: The Future of Public Health Emergency Preparedness Sep 29, 2022

Show notes

In this week's podcast, NACCHO Government Affairs team members Adriane Casalotti and Kerry Allen catch up on the busy summer, which started out at NACCHO 360, our annual conference. They cover two recent "wins" in administrative advocacy: the CDC public health workforce funding opportunity and a repeal of the so-called "public charge" rule NACCHO had opposed during the last administration. They also discuss the Inflation Reduction Act, which expanded no-cost vaccine coverage for adults in Medicare and Medicaid and made $369 billion in climate change investments. Finally, they update on the current state of play in Washington as Congress works on a way forward on a short-term funding bill that will kick negotiations on full fiscal year 2023 appropriations to after the mid-term elections.

In recognition of National Preparedness Month, the podcast also features a discussion about the future of CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program, which marks its 20th year in 2022. Ben Robison, Health Commissioner for the Wood County Health Department in Ohio, joins the podcast to talk about the importance of PHEP locally, how the program might evolve in the future, and how you can get involved in advancing PHEP's evolution in your jurisdiction.

Podcast from Washington: The Importance of Public Health Law Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

In this week's podcast, NACCHO Government Affairs team members Adriane Casalotti and Kerry Allen discuss the much-anticipated funding opportunity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Strengthening the US Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems." They also summarize recent developments in Congress on gun safety legislation and the ongoing stalemate around supplemental COVID-19 funding.

The podcast also features a discussion about the upcoming Inaugural Public Health Law Practitioners Convening that will be held on August 17-19 in Chicago. The conference theme is "Law, Policy, and Equity in Public Health Practice." Podcast guests are Gerard "Jerry" Giuliano, Director of the Office of Public Health Legal Affairs for the Nassau County Department of Health, and NACCHO's Director for Public Health Law and Policy Geoffrey Mwaungulu, Jr. Law and policy practitioners are integral to state, tribal, local, and territorial public health practice. They develop and interpret public health authorities, enforce regulations, and leverage the law to positively impact community health. To support the critical role of public health law and policy professionals, CDC and NACCHO have organized this inaugural convening for practitioners.

Podcast from Washington: The Impact of the MIP Initiative on MIP Members May 20, 2022

Show notes

In this week's episode of Podcast from Washington, NACCHO Government Affairs team members Ian Goldstein and Adriane Casalotti talk through the status of FY2023 appropriations bills. They also discuss the fate of a COVID-19 emergency supplemental spending bill as COVID-19 cases rise across the country. Finally, they examine a new NACCHO report on the state of local vector control capacity in the U.S.

Later in the program, Ian spoke with African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Initiative (AAIMM) Outreach and Engagement Director for LA County Public Health and NACCHO Maternal Child Health, Infectious Disease, and Preparedness (MIP) Workgroup member Adjoa Jones. They talk about her role in the community and the maternal child health program in LA County. They also examine NACCHO's efforts to strengthen and support the maternal child health program nationwide.

Podcast from Washington: Forces of Change Report May 06, 2022

Show notes

In this week's episode of Podcast from Washington, NACCHO Government Affairs team members Ian Goldstein and Kerry Allen discuss the release of NACCHO's 2020 Forces of Change report that shows changes in public health trends. They also summarize NACCHO's response to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) proposed rules to prohibit menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. Finally, they recap Congressional budget hearings held over the last week, and Moderna's request to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 and under.

Later in the program, Ian speaks with NACCHO Director of Research Tim McCall to hear more about the new 2020 Forces of Change report. They cover how the report is put together through local health department outreach, and a few interesting findings the report uncovers. Finally, they discuss how to access the 2020 Forces of Change report and how users can request datasets to conduct additional analysis.

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