Public Health On Call

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: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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)

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: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Increase in Human Parvovirus B19 Activity in the United States—CDC What to know about the 'slapped cheek' virus uptick in the U.S.—NPR 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: The Malaria Research Institute Editing Out Malaria, One Mosquito at a Time Gene Knockout Using New CRISPR Tool Makes Mosquitoes Highly Resistant to Malaria Parasite The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute Podcast 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Introducing HEART, Durham's crisis response program About HEART 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Interested in learning more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellowship mentioned in this episode's promo? Learn more here.

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Interested in learning more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellowship mentioned in this episode's promo? Click here to learn more.

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Interested in learning more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellowship mentioned in this episode's promo? Learn more.

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service (PDF) Historic Public Health Report Marks 60th Anniversary—NIH Record Clearing the Air: The Untold Story of the 1964 Report on Smoking and Health (book)—UCSF Health Humanities 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Brightpoint.org Illinois proposes financial relief for parents with young children through diaper relief bill—25 News Now Free Diapers Can Really Help Connecticut Moms, Dads, and Children in Need—UConn Today Tennessee's Medicaid program to be the first to provide free diapers for infants and 1-year-olds—http://CNN.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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Brian McNoldy's Blog @‌BMcNoldy on X 2023 was the world's warmest year on record, by far—http://NOAA.gov Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder—MedScape ADDitude magazine American Professional Society For ADHD and Related Disorders ADHD in Adults Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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 Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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 Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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 Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Steadfast: How one Coast Guard captain navigates the uncharted seas of life Back to School? Reopening a University During the COVID-19 Pandemic—Public Health On Call University of Michigan's Chief Health Officer Dr. Preeti Malani Returns to Talk About COVID-19 Safety on Campus This Fall—Public Health On Call The State of COVID On Campus at The University of Michigan—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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: As obesity rises, Big Food and dieticians push "anti-diet" advice—The Examination The food industry pays "influencer' dieticians to shape your eating habits—The Washington Post Dietician Influencers On Social Media Are Being Paid By The Food Industry to Promote Products and Messages—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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: The Race to Reinvent CPR—The New York Times ECPR Could Prevent Many More Cardiac Deaths—Scientific American Get the transcript for this episode (PDF) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Levi Watkins Jr.—YouTube Levi Watkins, 70, Dies; Pioneering Heart Surgeon Pushed Civil Rights—New York Times Levi Watkins Jr., pioneering Hopkins cardiac surgeon and civil rights activist, dies at 70—Johns Hopkins Hub Get the transcript for this episode (PDF) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Effect of Colonoscopy Screening on Risks of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death—The New England Journal of Medicine A Cell-free DNA Blood-Based Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening—The New England Journal of Medicine The Minnesota Colon Cancer Control Study Get the transcript for this episode (PDF) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: Taking Multiple Medications? You May Need to Scale Back.—The New York Times Taking more than 5 pills in a day? 'Deprescribing' can prevent harm—especially for older people—The Conversation Get the transcript for this episode (PDF) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

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: The CDC's Cruise Ship Travel Information Get the transcript for this episode (PDF) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or on our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed