Podcast
Public Health On Call
Hosted by The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health · EN
Evidence and experts to help you understand today's public health news—and what it means for tomorrow.
51episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
1057 - Five Baltimore Health Commissioners Walk into an Auditorium
1w ago00:41:11Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: In the city of Baltimore, the health department works to prevent overdose, reduce violence, provide vaccinations, inspect restaurants, and so much more. In this episode: Host Stephanie Desmon leads a panel discussion with five Baltimore City Commissioners of Health who collectively served over three decades. They swap stories and speak candidly about the challenges and opportunities of the role. Guests: Dr. Peter Beilenson, MPH, is a lecturer at the Johns Hopkins Kreiger School of Arts & Sciences. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 1992 to 2005. Dr. Letitia Dzirasa is the Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services with the City of Baltimore. She served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2019 to 2023. Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009. Dr. Michelle Taylor, DrPH, MPA, is the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health. She also serves in the Tennessee Air National Guard, and she previously led operations at the Shelby County Health Department. Dr. Leana S. Wen, MSc, is a physician and professor of health policy and management at George Washington University. She served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2014 to 2018. 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. Show links and related content: Health Commissioner Michelle Taylor is Betting on Baltimore—Public Health On Call (May 2026) Baltimore's Record Low in Homicides—Public Health On Call (November 2025) Baltimore's Back-to-Back Mass Overdoses—Public Health On Call (September 2025) B'More for Healthy Babies: A Look Back at 15 Years of Infant Mortality Reduction in Baltimore—Public Health On Call (May 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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1056 - An Ebola Outbreak in Central Africa
1w ago00:13:50Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: A deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has been declared a global public health emergency by WHO. In this episode: infectious disease epidemiologist Emily Gurley explains why this outbreak is particularly concerning for a region managing existing crises and how public health systems are working to contain transmission and treat patients. Guest: Emily S. Gurley, PhD, MPH, is a professor in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she focuses on infectious disease and outbreak investigation. 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. Show links and related content: WHO declares major outbreak of rare Ebola virus species an international emergency—Science US Imposes Ebola Travel Restrictions as CDC Says Risk Remains Low—Newsweek What else to know: The Ebola outbreak in Central Africa will be challenging to control, but decades of experience will help—The Uptake Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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1055 - Rethinking Humanitarian Health
1w ago00:22:47Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: A new report from the CHH-Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict, and Forced Displacement establishes a new blueprint for humanitarian health, including giving more agency to impacted communities. In this episode: Dr. Paul Spiegel, chair of the commission, details the fundamentals of the report and the dire need for a more effective approach to helping people in desperate need at a time of escalating conflict. Guest: Dr. Paul Spiegel is a physician, epidemiologist, and the director of the Center for Humanitarian Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Spiegel has worked in humanitarian emergencies for the last 30 years. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health–Lancet Commission on health, conflict, and forced displacement: health in a world of crises and impunity—CHH-Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict, and Forced Displacement Humanitarian Health in Gaza and Beyond—Public Health On Call (June 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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1054 - Interview With a Graduate: A Newly Minted DrPH in Louisiana
2w ago00:15:15Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: It's graduation time at the Bloomberg School! In this episode: New graduate Della Wright shares how a passion for community engagement and a drive to sharpen her skills steered her towards public health, and how a DrPH degree is supercharging her work bringing researchers and communities together to protect the environment. Guest: Della Wright, DrPH, MPH, is a Bloomberg Fellow and the director of evaluation at the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Get to Know Della Wright—Bloomberg American Health Initiative HBCU-CBO Gulf Equity Consortium—Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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1053 - Health Commissioner Michelle Taylor is Betting on Baltimore
2w ago00:17:29Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: Not even a year into her job as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health, Dr. Michelle Taylor is balancing leading a diverse team with tackling major public health issues. In this episode: She speaks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein, who served as commissioner from 2005 to 2009, about what drew her to Baltimore, her early priority initiatives, and how she applies her public health training to her new role. Guest: Dr. Michelle Taylor, DrPH, MPA, is the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health. She also serves in the Tennessee Air National Guard, and she previously led operations at the Shelby County Health Department. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former Baltimore health commissioner and secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: The Commissioner: A Q&A With Michelle Taylor—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine Baltimore's Record Low in Homicides—Public Health On Call (November 2025) Healing City Baltimore: How A City Is Responding to A Mental Health Crisis—Public Health On Call (February 2024) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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1052 - Should AI Renew Your Prescription?
2w ago00:18:45Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: In a first-of-its-kind program, the state of Utah is partnering with an AI health platform to offer prescription renewals to nearly 200 medications. In this episode: the director of the state's office of artificial intelligence explains how the program works, responds to concerns that have been raised, and discusses what's next. Guest: Zach Boyd, PhD, is the director of the Office of Artificial Intelligence for the State of Utah. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Doctronic AI Regulatory Mitigation Agreement—Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy Artificial intelligence begins prescribing medications in Utah—Politico How Pharmacists Improve Community Health—Public Health On Call (October 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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1051 - The Fate of Foreign Aid in 2026
2w ago00:16:51Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: A recent study by the Rockefeller Foundation and ISGlobal estimates that cuts made to foreign aid last year could result in 23 million more deaths globally by 2030. In this episode: how researchers calculated this figure, why funding has slowed, and what global development leaders are trying to do about it. Guest: Eric Pelofsky, JD, MPP, is the vice president of international policy at the Rockefeller Foundation. 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. Show links and related content: 93 Countries Worldwide at Risk of Losing Nearly 23 Million More People by 2030—Rockefeller Foundation "Taxpayer Money Went to Buy Food to Feed People… Now It's Being Burned"—Public Health On Call (September 2025) Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance—Public Health On Call (April 2025) What Foreign Aid Means for National Security—Public Health On Call (February 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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1050 - A Doctor Uses Social Media to Advocate for Children in Immigration Detention
2w ago00:20:20Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: Dr. Anita K. Patel emerged as a prominent online educator during the pandemic. Today, she's leveraging social media to advocate for the humane treatment of children in ICE detention. In this episode: her work to help detained children obtain much-needed medical attention and her advice for doctors on using social media to make a wider impact. Guest: Dr. Anita K. Patel is an attending physician at Children's National Medical Center and associate professor of pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine. 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 Children of Dilley—ProPublica Pediatricians send letter to DHS demanding release of children in ICE detention—Texas Public Radio Medical Care in Immigration Detention—Public Health On Call (October 2025) How Social Media is Changing the Way We Talk About Health—Public Health On Call (March 2026) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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1049 - What to Know About Hantavirus
3w ago00:12:27Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: An outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship has triggered a global public health response to treat those infected and trace those exposed. In this episode: why this type of hantavirus is unique, what the symptoms and severity are, and why experts are assuring the public that the risk of pandemic-level transmission is low. Guest: Kari Moore Debbink, PhD, MEd, is a virologist 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. Show links and related content: What Is Hantavirus, Which Is Linked to the Deaths of 3 People Aboard a Cruise Ship?—New York Times In the News: Hantavirus—@johnshopkinssph via Instagram Emerging Infectious Diseases—Johns Hopkins Medicine Can Spillover—How Viruses Move From Animals to Humans—Be Prevented?—Public Health On Call (November 2021) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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1048 - Understanding and Ending Violence
3w ago00:17:01Tap to summarizeAbout this episode: What would change if we thought of violence as an infectious disease? In this episode: a trailblazer in the movement for community-based solutions to violence, Dr. Gary Slutkin, explains how treating violence like an epidemic can point the way to solutions. Guest: Dr. Gary Slutkin is a physician and epidemiologist who founded the organization Cure Violence Global. He is also the author of the book "The End of Violence: Eliminating the World's Most Dangerous Epidemic." Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Estimating the Effects of Safe Streets Baltimore on Gun Violence—Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions Interrupting Violence: How the CeaseFire Program Prevents Imminent Gun Violence through Conflict Mediation—Journal of Urban Health The End of Violence: Eliminating the World's Most Dangerous Epidemic—Penguin Random House (book) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. 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 Bluesky @PublicHealthPod on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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