Public Health On Call

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Public Health On Call

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

15 minutes 46 seconds

1007 - Public Health and Gambling Part 2: Problem Gambling
About this episode:
Between scratch tickets, casinos, and the recent explosion of sports betting apps, opportunities to gamble abound. So too do opportunities for the development of a gambling disorder—a medical condition as serious as substance use disorders. In this episode: Will Hinman and Christopher Welsh from the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling explain how to recognize gambling disorders and where to seek help.
Guests:
Will Hinman is a certified peer recovery specialist at the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling.

Dr. Christopher Welsh is an addiction psychiatrist and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is also the medical director of the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling.
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:
- As Online Betting Surges, So Does Risk of Addiction—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
- New Survey Shows Rising Rates of Disordered Gambling Among Marylanders Since Legalization of Online Sports Betting—University of Maryland School of Medicine
- Warning Signs—Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling
- Voluntary Exclusion Program—Maryland Alliance for Responsible Gaming
- Public Health and Gambling Part 1: How Gambling Became So Ubiquitous, and the Potential for Problems—Public Health On Call (February 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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
5 February 2026, 11:00 am
14 minutes 36 seconds

1006 - Public Health and Gambling Part 1: How Gambling Became So Ubiquitous, and the Potential for Problems
About this episode:
Sports betting has exploded in popularity, offering bettors the opportunity to gamble on everything from coin tosses to touchdowns. But experts are becoming increasingly concerned about the public health implications. In this episode: Researchers Matthew Eisenberg and Mark Meiselbach discuss the rise of online sports gambling, its potential dangers, and how policy guardrails could make it safer.
Guests:
Matthew Eisenberg, PhD, is a health economist and associate professor of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where he also serves as the Director of the Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy.

Mark Meiselbach, PhD, is a health economist and assistant professor of Health Policy and Management 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:
- As Online Betting Surges, So Does Risk of Addiction—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
- New Survey Shows Rising Rates of Disordered Gambling Among Marylanders Since Legalization of Online Sports Betting—University of Maryland School of Medicine
- Warning Signs—Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling
- Voluntary Exclusion Program—Maryland Alliance for Responsible Gaming
- Public Health and Gambling Part 2: Problem Gambling—Public Health On Call
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
4 February 2026, 11:00 am
16 minutes 51 seconds

1005 - Vaccines 101: The Past, Present, and Future of the Federal Vaccine Schedule
About this episode:
For decades, the recommended immunization schedule has guided physicians through the proper administration of vaccines and empowered individuals to protect themselves against preventable diseases. But recent changes to the schedule and the overhaul of the CDC committee leading vaccine recommendations throws public and personal health into uncharted territory. In this episode: Vaccine expert Walter Orenstein explains the importance of a transparently developed, standardized schedule and shares his concerns about recent changes to the recommendations.
Guests:
Dr. Walter Orenstein is the associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center. He previously held roles with the CDC and served as the director of the United States Immunization Program and Assistant Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service.
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:
- CDC Acts on Presidential Memorandum to Update Childhood Immunization Schedule—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Who Decides Which Vaccines Americans Should Get and When?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- The history of the United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—Vaccine
- Vaccines 101—Public Health On Call
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
3 February 2026, 11:00 am
16 minutes 47 seconds

1004 - The State of Obesity in the U.S.
About this episode:
Following decades of surging adult obesity rates, numbers have leveled out since 2022. But with GLP-1s dominating culture, nutrition guidelines shifting, and funding for chronic diseases vanishing, the state of obesity is set to undergo even more change. In this episode: J. Nadine Gracia returns to Public Health On Call to talk about the latest State of Obesity report from Trust for America's Health.
Guests:
Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, MSCE, is the president and CEO of the Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public health policy, research, and advocacy organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community.
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:
- State of Obesity Report 2025 : Better Policies for a Healthier America—Trust for America's Health
- RealFood.gov—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Dismantling CDC's chronic disease center 'looks pretty devastating' to public health experts—STAT
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
2 February 2026, 11:00 am
20 minutes 42 seconds

1003 - The U.S.'s Insurance-Based Health Care System
About this episode:
The U.S. takes a unique approach to health care by tying coverage to employment. This has led to high rates of uninsured Americans, the creation of the Affordable Care Act, and ongoing fights about health care spending culminating in a government shutdown late last year. In this episode: Jonathan Cohn details the health care debate happening in Washington right now, the nuances of universal coverage in other countries, and what might come next for health insurance in the U.S.
Guests:
Jonathan Cohn is a writer for The Bulwark and the author of "The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage".
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:
- Lawmakers reached a surprise bipartisan health deal. Now they have to keep it.—POLITICO
- Oregon Health Insurance Experiment—National Bureau of Economic Research
- Defenders of Medicaid cuts are misunderstanding a study I worked on—STAT
- Inside Rising Health Insurance Costs—Public Health On Call (November 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:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
29 January 2026, 11:00 am
15 minutes

1002 - On Public Health and Human Rights in Minneapolis
About this episode:
Today: a human rights perspective on immigration enforcement and public protest in Minneapolis. Professor Joe Amon is the director of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has also studied human rights issues in more than 40 countries. He talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about his perspective on some of the most dramatic images that have emerged over the last several weeks. Note: this episode contains descriptions of violence and trauma. Please listen with care.
Guests:
Joe Amon is the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights.
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:
- Disaster Epidemiology: Human Rights and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Siege of Minneapolis—Health and Human Rights
- KARE 11's Jana Shortal recounts being pushed, pepper sprayed by ICE after fatal shooting—KARE 11
- A preschooler was taken away by ICE, but officials say they had no choice. Here's what we know—CNN
- Mother of 3 who loved to sing and write poetry shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis—CNN
- Alex Pretti identified as man fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis—Minnesota Star Tribune
- Medical Care in Immigration Detention—Public Health On Call (October 2025)
- Mental Health Care in ICE Custody—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:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
28 January 2026, 11:00 am
20 minutes 33 seconds

1001 - Vaccines 101: How FDA Regulates Vaccines
About this episode:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for reviewing the safety and effectiveness of vaccines—a job that requires deep scientific understanding as well as thoughtful regulatory judgment. In this episode: Dr. Jesse Goodman, a former top vaccine regulator and chief scientist at the FDA, explains how the agency came to lead the world in vaccine oversight—and shares his concerns for the future.
Guests:
Dr. Jesse Goodman, MPH, is a professor and the director of Georgetown University's Center on Medical Product Access, Safety and Stewardship. He worked at the FDA from 1998 until 2014, including as chief scientist.
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:
- How HHS, FDA, and CDC Can Influence U.S. Vaccine Policy—KFF
- Vaccines 101—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Recent "Expert Panels" Could Undermine the FDA's Credibility—Public Health On Call (September 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:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
26 January 2026, 11:00 am
28 minutes 59 seconds

1000 - Celebrating 1,000 Episodes of Public Health On Call
About this episode:
It started as a time-limited series of interviews with public health experts at the start of a global pandemic. Over nearly six years, Public Health On Call expanded to a wide range of topics, including humanitarian health, aging, and vaccines, becoming a home for nuanced public health discussions and analysis. In this episode: Hosts Stephanie Desmon, Josh Sharfstein, and Lindsay Smith Rogers reflect on 1,000 episodes of the show, the challenges of covering complex health topics, and what issues they want to focus on next. Note: This episode is also available as a video on YouTube.
Guests:
Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

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.
Episodes mentioned:
- 001 - Global Preparedness, Misinformation and Community Transmission—March 2020
- 060 - The Epidemic Within the Pandemic: Opioids and COVID-19—April 2020
- 064 - How COVID-19 Has Changed a Baltimore Public School—May 2020
- 132 - The Enemy of the People, by Henrik Ibsen and Parallels to the COVID-19 Pandemic—August 2020
- 169 - Online Learning with Baltimore Public School Principal Matt Hornbeck—September 2020
- 285 - COVID-19 and the Arts Part 2: Performing Arts and the Pandemic with Marin Alsop—March 2021
- 311 - A Baltimore Public School Reopens—May 2021
- 401 - School in the Time of COVID: A Tour Of Hampstead Hill Academy—November 2021
- 465- A Special Mother's Day Episode—May 2022
- 653 - Back to School: How One K-8 School Is Getting Ready for the Fall—August 2023
- 751 - The New Federal Regulations Aimed Making Methadone More Accessible—And Less Stigmatizing—April 2024
- 823 - Special Episode—The Fight For A Swimmable Harbor in Baltimore—November 2024
- 862 - The Misinformation Around Seed Oils—March 2025
- 891 - B'More For Healthy Babies: A Look Back at 15 Years of Infant Mortality Reduction in Baltimore—May 2025
- 953 - Interpreting the Data on Tylenol, Pregnancy, and Autism—September 2025
- 967 - An Update on Baltimore's Swimmable Harbor and the Pistachio Tide—October 2025
- 973 - Baltimore's Record Low in Homicides—November 2025
- 979 - Why Are More People Choosing Not to Vaccinate Their Pets?—November 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:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
22 January 2026, 11:00 am
17 minutes 13 seconds

999 - Head Lice and Bed Bugs
About this episode:
Nothing can make your skin crawl quite like the mention of lice or bed bugs, especially if you're the parent of young children. The good news: though these blood-sucking pests are a nuisance, they pose limited risk to human health. In this episode: Parasitologist Conor McMeniman explains why infestations start, who's susceptible, and how to get these pests out of your hair—literally.
Guest:
Conor McMeniman, PhD, is an associate professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and faculty at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute.
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:
- No-Panic Guide to Head Lice Treatment—Johns Hopkins Medicine
- Bed Bugs: Get Them Out and Keep Them Out—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
21 January 2026, 11:00 am
15 minutes 33 seconds

998 - Marion Nestle on the New Dietary Guidelines
About this episode:
Renowned nutritionist Marion Nestle likes the federal recommendation to reduce ultra-processed foods and its emphasis on healthy school meals. But there are other things she finds muddled, contradictory, and incomplete about the nation's new dietary guidelines. In this episode: Nestle talks protein, whole grains, and expanding access to healthy foods.
Guests:
Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, is emeritus faculty at New York University. She is the author of the Food Politics blog and the book "What To Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters".
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:
- RealFood.gov—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- The MAHA 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines have arrived: Cheerful, Muddled, Contradictory, Ideological, Retro—Food Politics
- Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Guidelines—Public Health On Call (January 2026)
- The Misinformation Around Seed Oils—Public Health On Call (March 2025)
- Marion Nestle and Food Politics—Public Health On Call (February 2025)
- What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters—Food Politics
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:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
20 January 2026, 11:00 am
14 minutes 24 seconds

997 - The New Drug Igniting a Withdrawal Crisis
About this episode:
Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative similar to xylazine, is appearing more frequently in drug supplies in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania—and the withdrawal symptoms are debilitating. In this episode: Addiction medicine specialist Jordan Nahas-Vigon details the risks facing people who use drugs and why it's so difficult to quit.
Guests:
Dr. Jordan Nahas-Vigon is a primary care doctor with Johns Hopkins Medicine who specializes in addiction medicine.
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:
- A Powerful New Drug Is Creating a 'Withdrawal Crisis' in Philadelphia—New York Times
- Why the animal sedative behind a Baltimore mass overdose is so hard to quit—The Baltimore Banner
- Sedative 'dex' is replacing 'tranq' in illegal drug supply and causing excruciating withdrawal—STAT
- The Xylazine Crisis—Public Health On Call (May 2023)
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:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
15 January 2026, 11:00 am
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