In order to contain and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread, rapid testing is key. Rampant and efficient testing determines who has the virus and who may be at risk of transmitting it, and allows for effective management of ...
Public health data collection and surveillance systems by health departments are in dire need of modernization. Though the public health community began developing a path to modernization over the last decade, attention to this issue from ...
In 2021, ASTHO convened state environmental health directors and directors of public health preparedness to discuss innovations developed during the COVID-19 pandemic such as virtual inspections. This ASTHOBrief explores how state health ...
This episode highlights why it's important for Congress and the Trump administration to support state, territorial, tribal, and local public health workforces as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following a hurricane, the risk of exposure to infectious disease increases due, in part, to the presence of floodwater and debris. Hurricanes may contribute to population displacement and overcrowding—further heightening risk factors for ...
On Dec. 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, ASTHO is commemorating nearly 12 months of supporting disability and preparedness specialists in state and territorial health agencies. Throughout 2021, ASTHO embedded 20 full-time ...
While communities transition from emergency response to long-term monitoring and recovery, the federal government and states are taking legislative action to improve emergency preparedness capabilities.
Each year the U.S. battles seasonal influenza, leaving millions of people sick, hospitalized, or worse. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, it is crucial for all eligible individuals to receive a flu vaccine to help reduce the likelihood ...
If there is any word to describe 2020 it is “unprecedented,” with the work of health agencies front and center since COVID-19 emerged in the U.S. But as we approach Public Health Thank You Day and the Thanksgiving season, ASTHO wants to ...
How Washington State Leverages Data to Improve Emergency Preparedness Erin Laird Learn how Washington State has created a robust system for distributing public health and medical supplies during emergencies. When an emergency strikes, ...
On this episode, we speak with two public health veterans who led state health departments during times of public health uncertainty—like H1N1 and Ebola. Our guests discuss the lessons they learned during trying times, the advice they’d ...
When Beatriz Vallejo, the disability and preparedness specialist in Puerto Rico, first joined the health agency, she took on planning a novel program to share knowledge and clarify each sectors’ roles and responsibilities during an ...
Leading Health Security Efforts Through Strategic Collaboration and Innovation Margaret Nilz This blog post illustrates how health agencies' strategic plans can improve health security and emergency preparedness. Strategic planning is ...
As COVID-19 spread across the country, governors and health officials invoked their emergency powers to order physical distancing measures designed to reduce social interactions and slow the spread of the disease. Several of these ...
As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, increased attention has been given to how schools, colleges, and universities can safely reopen for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year. To note, many schools and institutions closed in ...
The COVID-19 pandemic provided an unprecedented opportunity to speed up developing Delaware’s Functional Assessment Service Team and to test it at scale.
2020 has been a year of unprecedented events, and the past few months have already shown that they do not exist in a vacuum. While the country continues to respond and cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, many extreme weather events have ...
The U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands mounted a unique response to the COVID-19 pandemic as it started to sweep the globe. We discuss that approach and its successes with some of the region’s experts.