Public Health On Call

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Public Health On Call

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

14 minutes 39 seconds

1027 - The EPA's Approval of Two New Pesticides
About this episode:
In late 2025, the EPA approved two pesticides for agricultural use that opponents argue contain PFAS—"forever chemicals" that pose hazards to human health. In this episode: the debate around what constitutes PFAS and the EPA's role in regulating these harmful chemicals.
Guest:
Rachel Frazin covers energy and environmental policy for The Hill and is the co-author of the book "Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America".
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:
- E.P.A. Moves to Weaken Limits on a Cancer-Causing Gas—New York Times
- EPA just approved new 'forever chemical' pesticides for use on food—Washington Post
- Trump EPA will defend Biden rule forcing polluters to pay for 'forever chemical' cleanup—The Hill
- Uncovering America's Decades-Long PFAS Contamination—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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
25 March 2026, 10:00 am
14 minutes 38 seconds

1026 - A Mental Health Crisis for Adults with IDDs
About this episode:
Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience higher rates of anxiety and depression than those without IDDs. Barriers like cost, a lack of trained providers, and societal biases keep many from accessing the care they need. In this episode: what's fueling this crisis hidden in plain sight and what needs to change in order to fix it.
Guests:
Kayte Barton is a former Special Olympics Minnesota athlete, a founding member of the Athlete Leadership Program, and an Athlete Advisory Board member.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis, MPH, is the Chief Health Director for the Special Olympics and the George Adkins Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington.
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:
- Anxiety, Depression, and Care Barriers in Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities—JAMA Network Open
- Strong Minds (Mental Health)—Special Olympics
- Young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who participate in Special Olympics are less likely to be diagnosed with depression—Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
- The Implicit and Explicit Exclusion of People with Disabilities in Clinical Trials—National Council on Disability
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.
23 March 2026, 10:00 am
15 minutes 34 seconds

1025 - Advancing the Elimination of Schistosomiasis
About this episode:
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease transmitted to human hosts via freshwater snails. It can cause serious and debilitating chronic conditions, but the Pan American Health Organization is leading a charge to end transmission in the Americas. In this episode: PAHO Parasitologist Ronaldo Scholte details how locations like Puerto Rico are successfully working to eliminate schistosomiasis.
Guest:
Ronaldo Scholte, PhD, MS, is a technical officer at the Pan American Health Organization where he oversees efforts to treat and eliminate neglected tropical diseases.
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:
- Schistosomiasis—WHO
- Tracking the last signs of Schistosomiasis in Puerto Rico—PAHO
- Ending Neglect of Tropical Diseases—Public Health On Call (March 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.
19 March 2026, 10:00 am
13 minutes 21 seconds

1024 - "Healing in a Changing America"—Starting with Florida
About this episode:
From working in immigrant health care under the Reagan administration to tackling today's measles outbreak in Florida, George Rust has decades of experience caring for the disadvantaged. In this episode: Dr. Rust discusses the state of public health in Florida, the need to return to a community-focused model, and his new book "Healing in a Changing America: Doctoring in a Nation of Needless Suffering."
Guest:
Dr. George Rust, PhD, is a family physician, a preventative public health specialist, and a professor at the Florida State University School of 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:
- Healing in a Changing America: Doctoring in a Nation of Needless Suffering—Johns Hopkins University Press (book)
- Concerning outbreak of measles reported in SW Florida—FOX 35 Orlando
- Florida Removes Over Quarter of People From Health Care Plan—Newsweek
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.
18 March 2026, 10:00 am
22 minutes 49 seconds

1023 - How Social Media is Changing the Way We Talk About Health
About this episode:
Once a useful tool for sharing critical information during the pandemic, social media has evolved into an oversaturated and underregulated marketplace for health disinformation. In this episode: Infectious disease epidemiologist and science communicator Jessica Malaty Rivera analyzes the online landscape and advises listeners on how to approach alarmist and misleading health content.
Guest:
Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, is a DrPH student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a researcher at the Center of 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:
- CDC Urges 'Shared Decision-Making' on Some Childhood Vaccines; Many Unclear About What That Means—Annenberg Public Policy Center
- Facts About VISs—CDC
- How Americans' changing views on health paved the way for RFK Jr.—ABC News
- How Public Health Found Its Voice—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
- "Information Sick"—Public Health On Call (December 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.
16 March 2026, 10:00 am
15 minutes 17 seconds

1022 - Preventing Teen Car Crashes and Deaths
About this episode:
Getting your license as a teenager is an exciting time but it's also a dangerous one. In this episode: Johns Hopkins researcher Johnathon Ehsani discusses why teens are more vulnerable to serious crashes, how driving tests and licensing laws can improve safety, and how parents can best support their new drivers. Please send this podcast to a new driver or their parents—today.
Guest:
Johnathon Ehsani, PhD, MPH, is an internationally recognized road safety researcher and an associate professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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:
- Learner Driver Experience and Teenagers' Crash Risk During the First Year of Independent Driving—JAMA Pediatrics
- What Helps a New Driver? More Driving—New York Times
- Keeping Teen Drivers Safe—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
- Carrying Passengers as a Risk Factor for Crashes Fatal to 16- and 17-Year-Old Drivers—JAMA
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.
12 March 2026, 10:00 am
17 minutes 11 seconds

1021 - Antibiotic Overuse in Dentistry
About this episode:
Dentists prescribe about 10% of all antibiotics in the U.S., but research shows that a large share may be unnecessary. In this episode: the grave public health risks of inappropriate antibiotic use, how this can be curbed, and the questions you should ask next time you're in the dentist's chair.
Guest:
Liz Szabo, MA, is an investigative health reporter with CIDRAP News.
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:
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.
11 March 2026, 10:00 am
16 minutes 15 seconds

1020 - TrumpRx and High Drug Prices
About this episode:
The Trump administration's online prescription drug platform promises the world's lowest prices on medications. In this episode: Dr. Mariana Social explains how the site's discounts work, who they benefit, and whether they're truly the most affordable prices.
Guest:
Dr. Mariana Socal, PhD, MPP, MSc, studies the pharmaceutical market and is an associate professor in 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:
- Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Launches TrumpRx.gov to Bring Lower Drug Prices to American Patients—The White House
- TrumpRx launches, but it's unclear if it will lower drug prices for most patients—CNN
- Tariffs on Pharmaceuticals—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:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
9 March 2026, 11:00 am
15 minutes 41 seconds

1019 - Medical Aid in Dying
About this episode:
Often referred to as "physician-assisted suicide," medical aid in dying poses complex ethical, medical, and policy questions. In this episode: why some individuals with a terminal illness choose MAiD, the eligibility requirements in U.S. states, and the tension between individual health choices and public policy.
Guests:
Jeffrey Kahn, PhD, MPH, is the Robert Henry Levi and Ryda Hecht Levi Professor of Bioethics and Public Policy at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.

Anna Mastroianni, JD, MPH, is a research professor in bioethics and law at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.
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:
- Are unmet needs driving requests for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)? A qualitative study of Canadian MAiD providers—Death Studies
- Oregon's Death with Dignity Act—Oregon Health Authority
- In Your State—Death with Dignity
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.
5 March 2026, 11:00 am
14 minutes 24 seconds

1018 - Health and Wealth With Baby Bonds
About this episode:
Baby bonds programs, which create state-managed trust funds for low-income children, are associated with positive physical and mental health outcomes for recipients and their families. New research shows that a majority of Americans support these early wealth-building tools. In this episode: Professor Catherine Ettman talks about the growing excitement behind baby bonds and the state models that have already seen success. Note: The CLIMB study mentioned in this episode is supported by the de Beaumont Foundation and the Hopkins Nexus award.
Guest:
Catherine K. Ettman, PhD, is an assistant professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she studies population mental health and assets.
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:
- Majority of U.S. Adults Support Wealth-Building Investments for Children from Low-Income Families—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- CT Baby Bonds—CT.gov
- The Great Smoky Mountains Study: developmental epidemiology in the southeastern United States—Social Psychiatry and Psych
- A study in Oklahoma that funded college accounts for newborns is showing promise.—New York Times
- Trump Accounts—TrumpAccounts.gov
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.
4 March 2026, 11:00 am
14 minutes 51 seconds

1017 - Getting More Health Out of Health Care—By Paying for It
About this episode:
Private insurers and the government typically reimburse providers based on metrics of appointments and procedures. An innovative approach to health care finance asks doctors and clinicians to measure success differently: by tangible health outcomes. In this episode: Dr. Darshak Sanghavi details the early promise of this approach and how it's empowering communities to focus on better health.
Guests:
Dr. Darshak Sanghavi is Chief Medical Officer at Machinify and a former program manager at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
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:
- Transforming Population Health — ARPA-H's New Program Targeting Broken Incentives—New England Journal of Medicine
- ARPA-H launches program to reduce preventable deaths—ARPA-H
- Estimating Longitudinal Risks and Benefits From Cardiovascular Preventive Therapies Among Medicare Patients: The Million Hearts Longitudinal ASCVD Risk Assessment Tool—Circulation
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.
2 March 2026, 11:00 am
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