Public Health On Call

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:
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

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:
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@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

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:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

@‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram

@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:
Despite swirling controversy around public health policies, some experts and advocates are finding ways to work together. In this episode: what an unlikely collaboration between a grassroots MAHA organizer and a Yale epidemiologist can teach us about finding common ground for the betterment of people's health.
Guests:
Brinda Adhikari is an award-winning executive producer, showrunner and journalist. She is currently an executive producer and co-host of the podcast, "Why Should I Trust You?".
Tom Johnson is an Emmy award-winning executive producer with experience in documentary series, digital, cable and network news. He is now an executive producer and co-host of the podcast, "Why Should I Trust You?".
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:
A Model For Public Health In the Age of Mistrust—Why Should I Trust You?

Our podcast 'Why Should I Trust You?' connects MAHA and public health. Here's what we've learned—STAT

Odd bedfellows: Moving with MAHA from conversation to collaboration—Your Local Epidemiologist

Unfiltered Conversations to Restore Trust in Public Health—Public Health On Call (August 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:
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@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:
The CDC has long collected and publicly reported data on infectious diseases, vaccination rates, overdose deaths, and other health topics. But in 2025, many of these datasets inexplicably went dark. In this episode: the importance of real-time data in implementing public health solutions and the potential consequences of these lapses in reporting.
Guests:
Janet Freilich, JD, is a professor at the Boston University School of Law. She writes and teaches in the areas of patent law, intellectual property, information law, and civil procedure.
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:
Unexplained Pauses in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Surveillance: Erosion of the Public Evidence Base for Health Policy—Annals of Internal Medicine

Dozens of CDC vaccination databases have been frozen under RFK Jr.—Ars Technica

The Changing CDC Website—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.