Public Health On Call

About 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:
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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:
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.

About 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.

About 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

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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:
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.