The American Health Podcast
The American Health Podcast is created by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, a project of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Initiative works to tackle some of the most pressing challenges to public health in the United States: Addiction and Overdose, Environmental Challenges, Obesity and the Food System, Risks to Adolescent Health and Violence. Visit http://americanhealth.jhu.edu to learn more.
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A Federal Agenda for Opportunity Youth
02/18/2022
A Federal Agenda for Opportunity Youth
On February 17, the American Public Health Association and the Bloomberg American Health Initiative released a federal policy agenda to address the needs of the more than 4 million young people ages 16 to 24 who are not enrolled in school or in the labor market. In this episode, Andrea McDaniels speaks to two of the people who put this agenda together: Professor Tamar Mendelson, director of the Center for Adolescent Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and C. Pluff, program manager at the American Public Health Association. To learn more about the federal policy agenda, visit opportunityyouthagenda.org.
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Will Biden's Infrastructure Plan Address Years of Inequity?
02/04/2022
Will Biden's Infrastructure Plan Address Years of Inequity?
This episode first ran on the Public Health on Call Podcast. For decades, infrastructure policies harmed communities of color. New highways displaced residents through eminent domain, public transit systems were left in disrepair, and urban construction projects often catered to wealthier families. Andrea K. McDaniels, Director of Communications for the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, talks with Professor Keshia Pollack Porter of the Bloomberg School about how President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan has the potential to rectify many of these inequities, some of the challenges of the federal law, and how infrastructure is intrinsically tied to health and well-being.
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How Pediatricians Are Addressing School Absenteeism
01/26/2022
How Pediatricians Are Addressing School Absenteeism
When children miss too much school it can negatively impact their health and set back their life potential. In Washington, D.C., pediatricians have partnered with public schools to get students back in the classroom. Andrea K. McDaniels, Director of Communications for the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, talks with two leaders at Children’s National Hospital about the innovative program to share absenteeism data with pediatricians: Dr. Danielle Dooley, a pediatrician and Medical Director of Community Affairs, and Tonya Vidal Kinlow, Vice President of Community Engagement, Advocacy, and Government Affairs. The Chronic Absenteeism Reduction Effort (CARE) is a high-impact project of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative.
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COVID Housing Challenges for Black Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
01/14/2022
COVID Housing Challenges for Black Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
The pandemic in some ways put victims of intimate partner violence in more vulnerable positions as support services became out of reach and lost jobs, virtual work and other issues meant women were trapped at home with violent partners. Black women found themselves dealing with these new obstacles as well as the racism and sexism that already existed for them before the pandemic. In this podcast episode, Bloomberg American Health Director of Communications Andrea K. McDaniels spoke with Tiara C. Willie, Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health in the Department of Mental Health, and Megan Simmons, Senior Policy Attorney for Ujima, Inc.: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community, about how the environment created housing instability for Black women.
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Katherine Chon
05/11/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Katherine Chon
Katherine is the Director of the Office on Trafficking in Persons for the Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this episode, you’ll learn about the public health response to human trafficking and hear how healthcare providers act as first responders for those experiencing human trafficking. A variety of resources are shared and discussed in this episode. Please find additional information below: Accredited online on human trafficking Voices of Freedom with StoryCorps (that will include oral histories and interviews with public health individuals) Human Trafficking Leadership Academy & To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Marissa Silverberg
05/06/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Marissa Silverberg
Marissa is a Food Systems & Policy Administrator with Jefferson County Public Health in Colorado. She is joined by Tyson Noeth, Executive Director of BGoldN. In this episode, Marissa and Tyson will discuss what it has been like addressing food insecurity in Jefferson County Colorado during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they have worked together to provide food for the community. To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Lorne Carroll
05/04/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Lorne Carroll
Lorne is a Public Health Nurse with the Alaska Section of Public Health Nursing in Homer, Alaska. In this episode, you’ll learn about the importance of public health nursing in the rural parts of Alaska and the differences in public health between Alaska and the lower 48 states. Learn more about Alaska Section of Public Health Nursing: . To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Ashley Hickson
04/29/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Ashley Hickson
Ashley is a Senior Policy Associate at the Center For Science in Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit consumer advocacy group that advocates for safer and healthier foods. In this episode, you'll hear about Ashley’s work at CSPI and how support from the fellowship program helped her examine the difference in food retail quality between high and low-income communities in the South. Learn more about the CSPI, visit: To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Melissa Box
04/27/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Melissa Box
Melissa is the Clinical Director at ABC Counseling and Family Services in Normal, Illinois. ABC Counseling was established in 1992 to help kids and families affected by sexual abuse and those in need of adoption services throughout Central Illinois . In this episode, we will hear about Melissa’s work with ABC Counseling and Family Services and the impact of COVID-19 on children's health and safety, including education, food security, nutrition, abuse and neglect. Learn more about ABC Counseling and Family Services: To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Della Wright
04/22/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Della Wright
Della Wright, Evaluator and Assistant Director of the Childhood Wellbeing Division at the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, is joined by Kathy Egland from EEECHO (Education, Economic, Environment, Climate and Health Organization), a CBO in Gulfport, Mississippi. In this episode, Della and Kathy discuss how their collaboration impacted the translation of COVID-19 data in Mississippi communities that have been historically impacted by air pollution and how they used that data to leverage resources for the community. Learn more about the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice visit, To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Janice Miller
04/20/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Janice Miller
Janice is the Director of Programs and Clinical Services at House of Ruth Maryland where they work towards ending violence against women and their children by confronting the attitudes, behaviors and systems that perpetuate the violence. In this episode, we will hear about what the House of Ruth Maryland is doing to end intimate partner violence and all of the services that they provide to help victims of intimate partner violence in Maryland. Learn more about House of Ruth Maryland, visit: To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Jullian Tse
04/13/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Jullian Tse
Jillian Tse is a program coordinator at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. In this episode, you will learn about the food bank, its mission, and the effects of the pandemic on their grocery delivery program. Learn more about the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank; To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: JR Westerberg
04/08/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: JR Westerberg
JR Westberg is a researcher for the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota. Hennepin County Medical Center is one of the oldest non-profit hospitals in Minnesota. In this episode, we hear more about JR’s research on opioid use after trauma and the role of research on pain medication. Learn more about Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute: To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Amelia Hulbert
04/06/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Amelia Hulbert
Amelia Hulbert is a Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) Specialist with the Boulder County Public Health Department. She is joined by her colleagues Jill Strange, Healthy Food Access Coordinator with the Boulder County Public Health Department, Mickey Davis, Food Access Specialist with Boulder County Farmers Markets, and Gaby Solano, a Promotora with El Centro Amistad. In this episode, you will learn more about the City of Boulder’s Sugar Sweetened Beverage Product Distribution Tax and how grant recipients have used these funds specifically for Health Equity. Learn more: To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Paige Volpenhein
04/01/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Paige Volpenhein
Paige Volpenhein is the Community Impact Manager at the Star of the Sea (SOS) Foundation where she works on resolving food insecurity in Key West, FL. In this episode, Paige is joined by her colleague Tom Callahan, Executive Director of the SOS Foundation. Paige and Tom talks about the SOS food pantry and how they are navigating food insecurity during a global pandemic. Learn more about the Star of the Sea Foundation: To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Katherine Thomsen
03/30/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Katherine Thomsen
Katherine Thomsen serves as a Clinical Dietician with Avera Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell, South Dakota where she works with both inpatient care and outpatient services. In this episode, Katherine talks about how dietitians work to improve the health of their communities and how she came to be a Bloomberg Fellow. Learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program: .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Kat Humphries
03/25/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Kat Humphries
Kat Humphries serves as the Program Director for the Harm Reduction Action Center (HRAC) in Denver, CO. The organization's mission is to educate, empower, and advocate for the health and dignity of Denver's injection drug users, in accordance with harm reduction principles. In this episode, Kat is joined by her colleague Lisa Raville, HRAC Executive Director. Kat and Lisa share more on their work in harm reduction and the importance of legislation to further HRAC's mission. Learn more about Harm Reduction Action Center: . To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Mary Odell
03/23/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Mary Odell
Mary Odell has worked as an instructor and course director for expeditions for the past six years at the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School. In this episode, Mary shares how Outward Bound has shifted their approach to continue providing virtual programming to students during the pandemic. Learn more about Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School: . To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Thaddeus Pham
03/18/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Thaddeus Pham
Thaddeus Pham serves as the Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator with the Hawaii Department of Health's Harm Reduction Services Branch where he coordinates services statewide for people at-risk for and living with viral hepatitis through systems integration and collaboration with public and private partners. The Harm Reduction Services Branch focuses on promoting individual and population health through a low-threshold, health equity, and community-oriented framework. In this episode, Thaddeus discusses the importance of community engagement in public health and harm reduction work.
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Amanda Capitummino
03/16/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Amanda Capitummino
Amanda Capitummino serves as the Communications and Evaluation Specialists with Sitkans Against Family Violence. Her work focuses on creating systems and programs that promote healthy relationships in home settings. In this episode, Amanda is joined by her colleague, Emma Thompson who serves as the Youth Development Coordinator. Sitkans Against Family Violence (SAFV) is located in the remote town of Sitka and has been providing services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault since 1980. SAFV operates a 25-bed shelter, serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other violent crimes.
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Lydia Watts
03/11/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Lydia Watts
Lydia is the Executive Director of the Rebuild, Overcome, and Rise (ROAR) Center in Baltimore, MD where survivors of crime can access a full range of wraparound services such as legal support, therapy, case management and community nursing care. In this episode, Lydia is joined by her colleague Monifa Jeffrey-Riggins who serves as the Senior Therapist at the ROAR Center. Lydia and Monifa will talk about their approach to supporting victims of crime in Baltimore. Learn more about the ROAR Center: [. Learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program: .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Natalie J. Tunzi
03/09/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Natalie J. Tunzi
Natalie J. Tunzi serves as the Program Planning and Evaluations Manager at HealthCorps where she focuses on understanding and enhancing program impact. HealthCorps, a national non-profit organization devoted to strengthening communities with the most innovative approaches to health and wellness to help the next generation be more resilient, both mentally and physically. In this episode, Natalie and her colleague Kate Crimmins, share the approach of HealthCorps and how COVID-19 has impacted their work with youth and schools across the country. Learn more: To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Julianah Marie
03/04/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Julianah Marie
Julianah is the Waste Reduction Programs Coordinator with the City of Frisco, Texas where she works across all schools in the Frisco school district and provides education, outreach, and volunteer opportunities. In this episode, Julianah talks about the history of our country's growing pollution issues and ways to reduce the amount of waste coming from our households. Learn more about the City of Frisco's Environmental Services: Learn more about the Bloomberg Fellows Program: .
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Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Emily Foxman
03/02/2021
Bloomberg Fellows Spotlight: Emily Foxman
Prior to becoming a Bloomberg Fellow, Emily Foxman served as Program and Development Manager at Urban Harvest where she leveraged research, GIS map work, and survey design skills to lead all aspects of foundation-based fundraising for Urban Harvest's programs: Community Gardens, Farmers Markets, and Education. Urban Harvest is a Houston-based nonprofit whose mission is to cultivate thriving communities through gardening and access to healthy, local food. In this episode, we hear more about the health disparities faced in Houston, TX amid the pandemic, and the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Learn more about Urban Harvest: . To learn more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, visit .
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Racial Injustice, COVID-19, and Youth
02/25/2021
Racial Injustice, COVID-19, and Youth
The coronavirus outbreak and racial injustices have produced significant interruptions in the lives of adolescents Across the United States – the impact of which is still to be understood in the future. Adolescents in economically disadvantaged communities are particularly vulnerable, with many experiencing challenges in the realms of mental health, education, food access, and violence. In a conversation at the 2020 Bloomberg American Health Summit, Robin Hood CEO Wes Moore and Baltimore Sun Health and Medicine Reporter Andrea McDaniels discussed the connection between the pandemic and our youth.
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Massachusetts’ Unique Approach to COVID-19 Vaccine Rollouts
01/26/2021
Massachusetts’ Unique Approach to COVID-19 Vaccine Rollouts
This American Health episode is a rebroadcast of , a podcast produced by the Bloomberg School of Public Health that offers science and evidence-based insights to help understand today’s public health news—and what it means for tomorrow. This episode — originally broadcast on January 7, 2021— highlights one of the cross-cutting themes——and focuses on Massachusetts’ unique approach to COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Led by Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel, this effort includes prioritizing communities impacted by institutional racism and those with disproportionately high numbers of COVID-19 infections. In a conversation with Dr. Josh Sharfstein, Vice Dean of Public Health Practice and Community Engagement, and Director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, Dr. Bharel talks about what Massachusetts is doing to go beyond just making the vaccine available to support high uptake of vaccination among people who can benefit the most.
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Are States Ready for Climate Change?
12/23/2020
Are States Ready for Climate Change?
Many of the states most vulnerable to climate change are also the least ready to cope with it. This is the headline from a new report, Climate Change & Health: Assessing State Preparedness, by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Trust for America’s Health. The report assessed all 50 states and the District of Columbia on their level of readiness to protect residents from the health effects of climate change. The researchers found that while some states have made substantial preparations, others have hardly begun the process. In December, the Bloomberg American Health Initiative launched a new interactive website, , to house this report and the accompanying data. The Public Health on Call podcast recently featured a conversation about it with Dr. Megan Latshaw, associate scientist at the Bloomberg School and one of the co-authors of the report. In this episode, we'll listen to their conversation.
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The Social Context of Intimate Partner Violence
10/30/2020
The Social Context of Intimate Partner Violence
According to the CDC, in the United States, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Every October, the country observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month to bring attention to the issue and unite those who are working across the country to stop it. Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, is often thought of as an isolated or private issue. We tend to compartmentalize it as something that happens between two individuals, often behind closed doors. But in truth it is more common than one might think, and more connected to other critical issues, like lack of stable housing, poverty, systemic racism, police injustice, and more. We'll explore these issues and connections in this new episode of the American Health Podcast. It features a dynamic conversation with three researchers and practitioners who are close collaborators: , a Bloomberg Associate Professor of American Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; , Assistant Professor at the Bloomberg School; and , a Bloomberg Fellow and licensed clinical social worker who is the Director of Programs and Clinical Services for House of Ruth Maryland. Resources: If you are being abused, you can get anonymous, confidential help, 24/7, by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visiting for a live chat. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
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Re-Imagining Policing for the Public Health
10/06/2020
Re-Imagining Policing for the Public Health
This year, the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and far too many others has brought into painful relief the endemic police violence and brutality against Black and Brown people in the United States. As the nation tries to chart a course forward, there have been many calls to rethink, reimagine, and defund policing. In August, the American Public Health Association brought experts in policing and public health together to discuss these issues as part of a webinar titled . Co-sponsored by the Initiative, it was the third webinar in APHA’s popular Advancing Racial Equity webinar series. Reborn Not Reformed discussed racial bias in policing, the acute and chronic health impacts of over-policing on Black and Latinx communities, and what “re-imagining policing” means for public safety, public health, and society overall. On this episode of the American Health Podcast, we’ll be sharing one of the webinar presentations. It was given by Dr. Rashawn Ray, the David M. Rubenstein Fellow at the Brookings Institution and Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Ray’s presentation will be preceded by introductory remarks from Dr. Daniel Webster, one of the nation’s leading experts on the prevention of gun violence and a Bloomberg Professor of American Health. Resources: APHA’s new for their Advancing Racial Equity webinar series
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Seeking change agents: The Bloomberg Fellows Program
08/26/2020
Seeking change agents: The Bloomberg Fellows Program
The is a unique program within the Bloomberg American Health Initiative. The fellowship program is impact-based, and targets individuals engaged with organizations around the country. These change agents are working to make a difference in their communities in one or more of our five focus areas: addiction and overdose, adolescent health, environmental challenges, obesity and the food system, and violence. Bloomberg Fellows receive a full scholarship to earn a master of public health or a doctor of public health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In this episode, we’ll talk to Initiative team members Faria Zaman, our fellowship officer, and Shane Bryan, our partnership engagement officer. We’ll also be joined by: Bloomberg graduate , with in Baltimore, MD current Bloomberg Fellow , with the in Honolulu, Hawaii Sarah Lester, director of the in Maplewood New Jersey Our guests will share the opportunities that exist within the fellowship program, talk about what their experiences have been like since becoming a fellow and a recent graduate, and what it’s like as a collaborating organization. Applications for the fellowship are open now! Learn more:
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