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The Youth Mental Health Crisis: States Invest in Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention Strategies

Blog,
ACEs,

Following disruptions to daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency departments saw an increase of mental health-related visits. A June 2021 study showed a significant increase of mental health-related visits among ...

States Work to Support Rural Hospitals Despite Pandemic Challenges

Blog,
Utah,

When rural hospitals close, it increases the distance people must travel for essential healthcare services. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and magnified the factors leading to rural hospital closures across the country. Many ...

States Consider Expanding Scope of Flu Vaccine Policies

Blog,

The 2019-2020 flu season had approximately 5 million fewer illnesses than the previous year. Thanks to COVID-19 mitigation efforts like social distancing and increased handwashing—coupled with a higher rate of flu vaccinations among the ...

What ASTHO Expects from the Incoming Biden Administration

Blog,

As the country prepares for the inauguration of President-Elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on Wednesday, the incoming administration has highlighted several priorities over the next four years. This post is a summary of priorities that are ...

Public Health Policy Issues to Watch in 2021

Blog,
STIs,
HIV,
PFAS,

With many of the state and territorial legislatures reconvening over the next few weeks, we can look forward to new (and not-so-new) legislation start to crop up that will impact public health. To help navigate the new legislative ...

Who Are the Vaccinators? A Look at the Vaccination Workforce

Blog,

As the U.S. continues to undertake the largest vaccination campaign in almost a century, it has required government at all levels to surge workforce capacity. The federal government, states, territories, and local jurisdictions are acting ...

What to Know About the American Rescue Plan

Blog,

One of President Biden’s first actions just before being sworn into office was to draft up the American Rescue Plan, a sweeping proposal that ASTHO has committed to working with the Biden Administration on. The proposal offers a national ...

Public Health Highlights of President’s FY22 Budget Proposal

Blog,

In May 2021, President Biden released full details of the fiscal year 2022 budget. Overall, the budget request combines President Biden's American Jobs Plan, his American Families Plan, and funding priorities for the Pentagon and ...

States Address Pandemic-Linked Learning Loss Among Students With Disabilities

Blog,

One of the major disruptions to daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was the rapid shift from in-person K-12 education to virtual learning. While necessary for social distancing and slowing the spread of disease, there is a concern ...

Recent Federal Actions Spur Changes to Children's Blood Lead Level Screenings and Response

Blog,
Iowa,

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges for screening children’s blood lead levels, as screening rates across the country dropped during stay-at-home orders. A substantive federal policy change and provisions in the Infrastructure ...

National Rural Health Day: States Investing in Rural Communities

Blog,

November 18 is National Rural Health Day, a commemoration started by State Offices of Rural Health to recognize the power and resilience of rural communities. Twenty percent of the U.S. population lives in rural communities. Recognizing ...

Public Health Infrastructure Proposals Gain Steam in Congress

Blog,

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the consequences of decades of underfunding. To ensure we are better prepared for future pandemics and biological threats, we must consider the long-term investments required to bolster our public ...

Shifting Legal Landscape of Public Health and Places of Worship

Blog,
Ohio,
Utah,

Reconciling the tension between public health and civil liberties is one of the most significant challenges of public health law and ethics. The Supreme Court of the United States historically upheld state authority to enact and enforce ...

COVID-19 and Beyond: Improving Youth Mental Health Outcomes and Disparities

Blog,
Utah,

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted both the physical and mental health well-being of youth. Disruptions in both their home and school life have put youth at risk for poor mental health outcomes that include increased anxiety, depression, ...

What’s Next for Telehealth: States Try to Make COVID-19 Telehealth Options Permanent

Blog,
Iowa,

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, temporarily expanding the use of telehealth technologies by removing various requirements and ...

Stronger Together: Six Strategies to Enhance Your State’s Suicide Prevention Infrastructure

Blog,
Ohio,
Utah,

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the importance of continued mental health promotion and suicide prevention efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we address the physical effects of COVID-19 through social distancing, mask ...

Health Policy Tackles Joint Challenges of Pandemic and Natural Disaster Preparedness

Blog,

Each September marks National Preparedness Month. This year, public health emergency preparedness professionals look back on 20 years since the 9/11 attacks—the event that effectively launched the preparedness field—while actively ...

Update for Public Health Workforce About Federal Loan Forgiveness

Blog,

In addition to the countless hours worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, many public health workers are also grappling with how to repay outstanding federal loans. In response, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) recently announced ...

Proposed Vaccination Laws to Watch in the New Year

Blog,
STIs,
HIV,
PFAS,

Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century, as well as some of the most powerful and cost-effective tools to prevent disease, disparities, disability, and death among children and adults. The COVID-19 ...