People who use electricity-dependent durable medical equipment (DME) at home—such as ventilators and oxygen concentrators—can face life-threatening consequences during a power outage. HHS reports that 2.7 million Medicare beneficiaries ...
The Louisiana Department of Health has developed Power Outage Partners, a first-of-its-kind program to recruit owners of stand-by residential generators to recharge the batteries of neighbors’ life support equipment during power outages.
An issue brief by ASTHO and the Duke University Margolis Center for Health Policy that highlights considerations for state health officials as they look to maximize the benefits of COVID-19 therapeutics.
Several states and territories, as well as many local governments, are going beyond recommendations and requiring individuals to wear face coverings when they are in public settings and spaces (i.e. grocery stores, retail stores, ...
With many of the state and territorial legislatures reconvening over the next few weeks, we can look forward to new (and not-so-new) legislation start to crop up that will impact public health. To help navigate the new legislative ...
As COVID-19 emerged and spread in the U.S., people working and residing in long-term care facilities have experienced a significant burden of COVID-19 cases and deaths. As of Oct. 8, deaths associated with these facilities account for 40% ...
In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election in November, the Republican and Democratic National Committees released their platforms. These platforms provide an overview of values, policies, positions, and principles on various ...
The 2020 holiday season is coinciding with a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases. With great concern that holiday travel to see loved ones may exacerbate community spread of the virus, many states are increasing public health measures ...
In 2018, ASTHO participated in FEMA's National Level Exercise on hurricane preparedness.
On Feb, 5, 2020, ASTHO CEO Micheal Fraser issued a statement assuring Americans that governmental public health officials are equipped to face the challenge of preparing for and responding to the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19). ...
State Health Officials Commend Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address Opioid Epidemic ARLINGTON, VA—Members of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) joined President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania ...
Experts from the Washington State Department of Health discuss understanding and addressing climate and equity concerns.
As COVID spread through the country and infection rates rose in every state, many of the the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) received media attention for remaining relatively COVID-free. The USAPI’s unified response in the face of ...
As the country prepares for the inauguration of President-Elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on Wednesday, the incoming administration has highlighted several priorities over the next four years. This post is a summary of priorities that are ...
This policy update emphasizes the importance of policymakers choosing to increase funding for public health infrastructure and important initiatives, such as health equity, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I think we all welcomed 2021 with open arms as we look to put the worst of 2020 behind us. We have all been through a lot—we have lost family members and friends to COVID-19, we have seen public health officials harassed and maligned, we ...
After a year and a half of work as embedded disability specialists, 5 program participants share their reflections on important lessons learned and why disability inclusion is critical to the future of emergency preparedness.
The theme for 2019 National Preparedness Month is "Prepared, Not Scared" with an emphasis on encouraging parents, teachers, and caregivers to teach our youth what to do when a crisis occurs, and how we all can take preparedness ...
As 2018 draws to a close, members of the ASTHO leadership team reflect on successes from the past year and share what they hope to accomplish next.