Empathy Affect

How do you turn complex environmental health data into something people can actually use—and trust?  In this episode of Empathy Affect, we talk with Matthew Montesano, senior director of data communication at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy. Matthew leads the team behind the city's Environment & Health Data Portal, a public-facing platform that unpacks key environmental health topics—like air quality, heat, and traffic—and distills complex data into clear, accessible information New Yorkers can use to understand their environment and protect their health.  We explore how thoughtful design, clear communication, and human-centered strategy can transform government data into trusted sources of information. This episode dives into how cities can meet the public's expectations for clear, actionable information.  Matthew Montesano is the senior director of data communication at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy. He was previously the immunizations program communication lead for the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health and led the development and maintenance of the Minnesota Public Health Data Access Portal. He has experience in community organizing, grant writing, and health communication. More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Explore NYC's Environment & Health Data Portal 

On the battlefield or in an emergency, military health professionals must make life-or-death decisions under extreme pressure. So how do they prepare to step into a high-pressure trauma scenario without putting real lives on the line? Enter medical modeling and simulation, where virtual reality, augmented reality, high-fidelity mannequins, and other cutting-edge technology are integrated into training to give military health professionals the reflexes and experiences they need to save lives when it matters most. The Defense Health Agency (DHA) Defense Medical Modeling and Simulation Office (DMMSO) identifies and adopts these training technologies for the Military Health System. In the latest Empathy Affect episode, DMMSO Chief Ruben Garza shares how advanced simulation tools are strengthening medical readiness and ensuring military medics are prepared for anything. Ruben Garza is chief of the DHA DMMSO. He has served in the military for 37 years—first in the Air Force as a medical technician, then standing up a modeling and simulation program in the Air Force. He has since helped centralize joint defense medical modeling and simulation training at DMMSO. More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Learn more about DMMSO here 

Americans rely on safe roads, railways, and transportation infrastructure every day, so what goes into keeping them resilient and reliable both on the day-to-day and during emergencies? We explore this question with Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Assistant State Emergency Operations Coordinator Matt Needham, learning how his team protects Georgians during snowstorms, hurricanes, and other emergencies in collaboration with agency partners. Learn what it takes to keep our communities resilient in the face of extreme weather and hazards in this episode's conversation. Matt Needham is the GDOT assistant state emergency operations coordinator. He has dedicated more than 20 years of his career to serving Georgians at GDOT, first serving as a civil engineer working on roads and infrastructure before transitioning to emergency operations. More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Explore 511 GA to get the latest on traffic conditions in Georgia Stay up to date with GDOT alerts and travel information 

Disasters like the wildfires in Southern California have destroyed homes, displaced people, and are costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars to recover. It raises the question: how can we proactively invest to protect our communities from the impacts of extreme weather and natural hazards? Washington State has looked to answer this question through its Climate Commitment Act (CCA). Passed in 2021, it has generated and reinvested $500 million across the state to reduce emissions and leverage technology to mitigate harmful and large-scale wildfires and other disasters. We speak to Joe Nguyen, one of the legislative proponents of the CCA, to discuss the program's impact across Washington State and how other states could adopt similar initiatives to keep their communities safe and resilient.Joe Nguyen is the director of Washington State's Department of Commerce. He was elected to the Washington State Senate in 2019 and was chair of the Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee. He also served as vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee.  More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Learn more about the Climate Commitment Act 

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) created its Veterans Experience Office (VEO) in 2015 with the goal of integrating a customer experience (CX) approach to veteran care, benefit, and service delivery. Since the office's launch, VA has measured that veteran trust in the department has grown from 55% to 80%. Because of VEO's collaboration with VA's administrations, veterans have been able to more easily navigate VA websites, have more streamlined and empathy-driven medical care, and more. Denise Kitts, VEO's enterprise measurement and design executive director, helped stand up VEO and has been a key player in improving how veterans, their families, and their caregivers interact with VA. She joins us in this episode to learn how CX has transformed the way veterans can get the service they need from VA and the role CX plays in building trust with veterans. Denise Kitts is the VA VEO executive director of Enterprise Measurement and Design. She rejoined VEO in 2022 after helping establish the office in 2015. She is responsible for the VA Qualitative and Quantitative Data Strategy and for deploying VA's Trust Survey, along with other operational and program-level surveys. She was chief data technology officer for the chief technology officer prior to rejoining VEO. More Links and Information: Check out more Fors Marsh Media  Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Explore the Veterans Experience Office Learn more about the Veteran Trust Report 

Although the United States has made great strides in reducing tobacco-related disparities, commercial tobacco use is still the leading cause of today's biggest health challenges. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) has been leading tobacco prevention, cessation, and control. The office's director joins us to discuss the progress the team has made in decreasing tobacco use, as well as the challenges and work ahead.  While CDC has found that smoking and e-cigarette use are down, new nicotine products threaten progress. OSH works to protect future generations by addressing these evolving threats to reduce preventable tobacco-related death and disease in the United States. Dr. Deirdre Lawrence Kittner is the director of OSH. She has more than 20 years of public health experience, with a focus on global tobacco control, tobacco and health behavior science, and preventative policy development. Previously, she worked at the National Cancer Institute and served as deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products' Office of Science.  More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Read the new Surgeon General report on prevention and control strategies to reduce tobacco-related disparities. Find resources to help quit smoking. Explore the Empower Vape-Free Youth and Tips From Former Smokers campaigns. 

The 2024 election season brings fresh and complex challenges to election systems across the country—from mis- and disinformation to threats to security. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) serves as a federal election hub, providing resources, training, grants, and support to our state and local election administrators, helping them prepare for this election so that voters can cast their ballots with confidence. For our Season 2 finale, EAC Commissioner and current Chairman Ben Hovland discusses the hard work that's gone into developing secure, resilient election administration and systems. So, whether you've voted early or plan to vote on Election Day, tune in to discover how the EAC is ensuring every vote counts!Ben Hovland is a commissioner and the current chairman of the EAC. He has served as co-chair of the Election Infrastructure Subsector's Government Coordinating Council and chair of the Joint Subsector COVID-19 Working Group, coordinating pandemic response among state and local election officials, federal partners, and the private sector. His career in elections spans over 20 years, including as acting chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and deputy general counsel for the Missouri Secretary of State's office.More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshVisit vote.gov or helpamericavote.gov to plan to vote or learn to become a poll workerDiscover video guides for voting and more about how the EAC is building election readiness 

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women behind skin cancer, with approximately 13.1% of women estimated to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is pioneering research to understand how we can better prevent breast cancer and promote risk reduction. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NCI Division of Cancer Prevention Breast and Gynecological Cancer Research Chief Dr. Brandy Heckman-Stoddard about cutting-edge solutions in cancer prevention and how you can talk to your family and doctors to stay ahead in protecting your health. Dr. Brandy Heckman-Stoddard has led the Breast and Gynecological Cancer Research Group in NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention for 6 years. She is also currently the acting chief of the division's community oncology and prevention trials and is the project scientist for breast cancer and uterine cancer for the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network. She has been with NCI since serving as a cancer prevention fellow in 2009. More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Explore NCI's Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool Learn more about breast cancer on NCI's website Learn about mammograms and recommendations for screening Explore oncological clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCORP, and NCI's other programs. 

The federal government is the United States' biggest employer, with more than 2.1 million Service members and over 2 million civilian employees. Behind those millions of professionals, federal human capital leaders provide resources, benefits, programs, and growth opportunities to uplift our civil servants, so they can uplift our country. In this episode, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. House of Representatives to learn how these institutions approach public service recruitment, initiatives to ensure federal employees grow and succeed, and more.Traci DiMartini is the Chief Human Capital Officer at the IRS. She has previously served as the Chief Human Capital Officer of the General Services Administration, Peace Corps, and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.John Salamone has served as the Chief Human Resources Officer at the U.S. House of Representatives for the last 8 years. He has previously consulted in human capital, was executive director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's Chief Human Capital Officers Council and served as a staff member of the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management.More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Search for career opportunities on USAJOBS 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s policies have been key to keeping our country's people and environment healthy and safe. The agency's Office of Policy has been hard at work with some new updates though, taking new steps to strengthen climate adaptation, resilience, and emission reductions. Office of Policy Associate Administrator Vicki Arroyo walks us through these updates, as well as how her and her family's first-hand experiences with environmental disasters have informed how she approaches her work. Vicki Arroyo is the associate administrator of EPA's Office of Policy. She also oversaw environmental justice work at the agency from January 2021 to September 2022. She has served as the executive director of the Georgetown Climate Center and was also a professor at Georgetown Law and director of the Environmental Law and Policy Program. Earlier in her career, she created and directed the Louisiana Department of Quality's policy office. More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Explore more of the Office of Policy's work Learn more about EPA's climate adaptation planning 

The warming climate is having an impact on our health, both physically and mentally. So, what do we need to do to protect our health and the planet's wellbeing? The Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) and George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication (Mason 4C) are each doing their part to understand and address climate change and health at their crossroads. We speak with OCCHE Director Dr. John Balbus and Mason 4C Director Dr. Ed Maibach to understand how they're rallying government agencies and the health sector to mobilize on climate action and help us keep our health resilient to a changing climate. Dr. John Balbus is the director of OCCHE. He is a physician and public health professional with over 25 years of experience working on the health implications of climate change. He has served as HHS principal to the US Global Change Research Program and co-chair of the working group on Climate Change and Human Health for the US Global Change Research program. He was also senior advisor for public health to the director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Dr. Ed Maibach is the director of the Mason 4C and distinguished university professor at George Mason University. He has previously served as associate director of the National Cancer Institute and worldwide director of social marketing at Porter Novelli. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Global Climate and Health Alliance.More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Learn more about OCCHE View more about the Mason 4C 

For the last 8 years, Dr. Joshua Gordon has served as director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)—the leading federal agency in mental health research. Next week, Dr. Gordon will depart NIMH and continue the next step of his career at Columbia University. As he wraps up his tenure, we sit down with Dr. Gordon to talk about the arc of progress in mental health research, how NIMH is translating evidence-based solutions to the treatment setting, and what's next for the director as he departs the institute.Dr. Joshua Gordon has served as the director of NIMH since 2016. Prior to joining NIMH, he served as an associate professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and as a research psychiatrist at New York State Psychiatric Institute.More Links and InformationCheck out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshRead about Dr. Gordon's legacyLearn more about NIMH's research

The 2019 Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act—or Evidence Act—aims to improve federal programs applying data, evidence, and evaluations in decision-making. Five years later, how are agencies meeting the requirements of the legislation, and how has the act improved how our government accomplishes its mission? We explore these questions looking into evidence and evaluations at one agency, the Department of Health and Human Services with its evaluation officer, Dr. Susan Jenkins. Dr. Susan Jenkins is the HHS evaluation officer and director of the agency's Division of Evidence, Evaluation, and Policy in the Office of Science and Data Policy. She is also a member of Federal Interagency Council on Evaluation Policy. Susan previously served as director of the Administration for Community Living's Office of Performance and Evaluation and served on detail with the Office of Management and Budget's Evidence Team. More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or Partner with Fors MarshDive into HHS's FY25 Evaluation PlanLearn how evaluation and evidence are making an impact at HHS 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) longest-running tobacco public education campaign, The Real Cost, is marking its 10th anniversary this year. The campaign aims to prevent youth from using tobacco through powerful messaging and real-life stories, but how has The Real Cost remained relevant as the media landscape, young people, and the market of tobacco products all evolved rapidly? In this episode of Empathy Affect, we explore these questions and dive into the methods and public health impact of The Real Cost.April Brubach is the acting director of FDA's Center for Tobacco Products' (CTP) Office of Health Communications and Education (OHCE) and has worked at CTP since 2010. She joined CTP in 2010, working across a portfolio of tobacco prevention campaigns, education initiatives, and communication science and policy. She has previously built and managed the Health and Human Services' COVID-19 Public Education Campaign, and she has served as deputy for FDA's COVID-19 Joint Information Cell and communication program manager at the National Cancer Institute.Merrybelle Guo is a social scientist at FDA CTP's OCHE. She has also served as a health communications specialist at CTP and a digital communications fellow at the Office of the Surgeon General.More Links and InformationCheck out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or Partner with Fors MarshLearn more about The Real Cost campaignDive into FDA's Tobacco Education Resource Library

For many mothers, the immediate postnatal period is a vulnerable one, often filled with financial, social, physical, and mental challenges while caring for a young child. Our federal government is working to provide better resources and services to support women through early motherhood, and U.S. Digital Service (USDS) is stepping up with solutions to make it easier, equitable, and more effective. Our guest, Birth of a Child Portfolio Lead Maya Mechenbier, became a mother shortly before leading these efforts at USDS, grounding the work USDS does for federal agencies with her own journey raising two daughters. Learn how she and her team are helping agencies provide supply kits for mothers, peer navigation resources, and text-based notifications to help mothers apply for federal aid. All of this comes together with technology, UX design, rigorous evaluation, and the personal touch of lived experience.Maya Mechenbier is a project lead and product counsel at USDS and Birth of a Child portfolio lead at the Office of Management and Budget, leading projects including the Peer Navigator Service, Newborn Supply Kit, and Notify for Families. Maya is in her second tour with USDS after serving with USDS's Quality Payment Program team at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in 2016 and with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) at the White House in 2015. She has also served in career roles at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC).More Links and InformationCheck out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshRead up on our government's progress supporting mothers through early childhoodGet a deeper dive on the Newborn Supply KitLearn more about USDS's work

As adults age, many retire, become empty nesters, and are trying to figure out their next chapter in life. AmeriCorps Seniors has helped 140,000 people discover that next chapter through volunteer opportunities across the country. Learn more about how AmeriCorps has created pathways for older adults to serve and connect with their community. We chat with AmeriCorps Seniors Director Atalaya Sergi to learn how volunteering has transformed lives and how you can get yourself or loved ones on a journey that discovers purpose in service.Atalaya Sergi is the director of AmeriCorps Seniors. She has more than 20 years of experience in service, education, and community engagement. Prior to joining AmeriCorps, she served as vice president of strategic partnerships and programming at Jumpstart for Young Children, managing AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs as a federal grantee. More Links and InformationCheck out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshDiscover volunteer opportunities through AmeriCorps Seniors Pathfinder

It's the start of a presidential election year. Caucuses and primaries are approaching, and the country is readying to vote. We are taking on elections and speaking with former senior election security advisor at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Kim Wyman about combatting mis- and disinformation to restore the public's faith in our elections.Kim Wyman previously served as Secretary of State of Washington and senior election security advisor at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). She was also Thurston County's elections director for nearly a decade and served three terms as the Thurston County Auditor between 2001 and 2013. Today, she is Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center.  More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshLearn more about your election from your Secretary of StateRegister to vote, check your voter registration status, and answer your voting questions here

The Inflation Reduction Act provided a historic amount of funding and opportunity for the federal government to make meaningful investments in environmental justice programs across the government. As we enter season 2 of Empathy Affect, we're joined by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Assistant Administrator for Environmental Justice Matthew Tejada to learn how the legislation is enhancing over 30 years of work that his agency has done in environmental justice and how environmental justice is becoming an all-of-government endeavor.Matthew Tejada has directed the EPA's environmental justice work for over a decade. Before joining the EPA, he was executive director of an environmental justice advocacy organization called Air Alliance Houston.Links and InformationCheck out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshLearn more about EPA EJ technical assistance centers

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) received about $80 billion in additional funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to make sweeping improvements—including how taxpayers interact with the agency. The IRS's Office of Online Services (OLS) has a big role to play in transforming the taxpayer experience as people increasingly opt to file digitally. On this episode of Fors Marsh Media's Empathy Affect, OLS Director Karen Howard and User Experience Services Director April Harding share how the IRS is using funding and strategy derived from the IRA to increase accessibility and transparency across its taxpayer services.Karen Howard is the director of the IRS's OLS. She joined the IRS in 2020 after holding positions with companies like LPL Financial and the Renfro Corporation.April Harding is the director of user experience services within OLS. She joined the IRS in 2023 after serving as a digital consultant, co-founder of Wellspring ID, and digital director at Stratacomm.Links and InformationCheck out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshRead up on the IRS Inflation Reduction Act Strategic Operating PlanSee if you qualify for tax credits and deductions 

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in the Executive Office of the President is coordinating with other federal agencies to release a Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit that can guide organizations big and small toward helping people suffering with substance use disorder on their paths to recovery. In this episode, ONDCP Senior Policy Analyst Peter Gaumond gives us a sneak peek into the toolkit, some best practices and examples of successful workplace recovery initiatives, and how companies and employees can both benefit from adopting recovery programs and policies.Peter Gaumond is a senior policy analyst at ONDCP. He has over 30 years of experience in substance use disorder treatment and recovery and helped develop the National Drug Control Policy. He has also served as ONDCP's Chief of the Recovery Brand and has held positions at the Altarum Institute, Abt Associates, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and Illinois Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.Links and InformationCheck out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshFind the upcoming toolkit in the Recovery-Ready Workforce HubTalk with someone through 988Check out FindTreatment.gov and Find SupportFind other support groups here

Suicide has been a rising public health crisis in America, and veterans are some who are at the highest risk. In honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month this September, we're joined by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Director of Suicide Prevention, Dr. Matthew Miller, to learn about how the VA is supporting veterans, caregivers, and families to prevent suicide and promote mental health and recovery. We also get into the challenges around suicide prevention and what we need to do to move forward together.Dr. Matthew Miller is the National Director for Suicide at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has previously served as Director of the Veterans Crisis Line and Chief of Mental Health at Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.Links and InformationCheck out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshVA.gov/REACHReach the Veterans Crisis Line

In part 2 of our episode on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the federal workforce, we get personal and chat about the roles of mentorship and sponsorship in raising diverse leadership across the government. Our guests, National Science Foundation (NSF) Chief of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Charles "Chuck" Barber and Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Chief of Diversity and Equal Opportunity Dr. Theresa Horne, talk about their mentor-mentee relationship and how fostering more professional relationships through mentorship can help people rise in their careers.

The United States is a diverse nation, and the federal government needs to reflect the faces and minds of the country to deliver its best services. In part one of this month's Empathy Affect, we dive into the broad strokes the federal government is taking to integrate principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) across its workforce. Our guest in this episode, Office of Personnel and Management's (OPM) Office of DEIA Director Dr. Janice Underwood, walks us through these efforts and the White House's executive order to strengthen the federal workforce with DEIA.Dr. Janice Underwood is the director of OPM's Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. She was formerly the first chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia.Links and Information:Check out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshMore information about the Chief Diversity Officers Executive CouncilRead up on the Executive Order on DEIA in the Federal WorkforceCheck out USAJOBS

Internet connectivity has become a necessity in our lives, but many in America lack quality, affordable, high-speed internet access. To bridge the digital divide, the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the Digital Equity Act, which allocated funding to establish grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is helming the efforts behind the legislation, so we spoke with NTIA's Digital Equity Director, Angela Thi Bennett, about the journey to promoting equitable access to the internet across the country.Angela Thi Bennett serves as NTIA's first-ever digital equity director, where she provides leadership and guidance around the Digital Equity Act. She was previously a champion of digital inclusion in Cleveland, Ohio, through organizations such as DigitalC.

Welcome back for part 2 of our discussion on the National Institute's of Health HEALing Communities Study—a bold research effort that looks to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths across highly impacted communities by 40% over three years. Continuing the conversation from Part 1, we look to understand the progress the study has made to date, how the study's researchers have worked alongside their participating communities to adapt to the rapidly evolving drug landscape, and how the country can continue addressing the crisis.Dr. Redonna Chandler is the HEALing Community Study Director at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). She has been at NIDA since 2002, serving in positions of increasing responsibility and leadership across the institute.Dr. Ynvild Olsen is Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). She has previously worked in substance use treatment with Baltimore City and served as Deputy Health Officer for Maryland's Harford City Health Department.

In 2018, the National Institutes of Health launched the HEALing Communities Study, a research endeavor to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths across highly impacted communities by 40% over three years. The study bridges science-driven interventions with community collaboration. In the first part of this special two-part episode, we chat with leadership behind the HEALing Communities Study about the evolution of the opioid crisis to date and how they're bridging compassion, research, and change to help communities hard-hit by opioid misuse and overdoses.Dr. Redonna Chandler is the HEALing Community Study Director at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). She has been at NIDA since 2002, serving in positions of increasing responsibility and leadership across the institute.Dr. Yngvild Olsen is Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). She has previously worked in substance use treatment with Baltimore City and served as Deputy Health Officer for Maryland's Harford City Health Department.

Every decade since 1980, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has set ambitious, measurable goals to make progress across public health—from improving quality health care access to reducing tobacco use. This decade's iteration, Healthy People 2030, is taking on 358 objectives and focusing on health equity and literacy, as well as social determinants of health. We talk with HHS's Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) Director RDML Paul Reed to dive into how we're making progress on Healthy People 2030 and the importance of developing systems that promote our wellbeing. RDML Paul Reed advises the Assistant Secretary for Health on disease prevention and health promotion programs and policies. He also oversees Healthy People 2030, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Learn more about Healthy People 2030 Check out more Fors Marsh Media  Connect or partner with Fors Marsh 

The COVID-19 pandemic took a significant toll on an already strained public health system in the United States, pushing many front-line workers to leave the field or retire. AmeriCorps—a federal agency that provides opportunities for national service—is looking to rebuild our public health workforce with Public Health AmeriCorps. Amid National Public Health Week, we talk with Public Health AmeriCorps Director AJ Pearlman on Empathy Affect to learn about the state of public health amid the pandemic, opportunities with Public Health AmeriCorps, and the rewarding nature of national service. AJ Pearlman joins AmeriCorps from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she served as the chief of staff for COVID-19 response, leading efforts across the department to address and respond to the pandemic. More about Public Health AmeriCorpsCheck out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh

Our communities' resilience has been tested amid exacerbated natural disasters and extreme weather from climate change. As we face a reality shaped by climate change, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is playing its own role in helping the country develop and rebuild in more resilient ways. In this episode of Fors Marsh Media's Empathy Affect, we untangle some of the challenges around climate resilience, community development, and affordable housing, as well available resources to build a resilient community with our guest Marion Mollegen McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development at HUD.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is known for being one of the government's top funders of federal research grants to institutions of higher learning to advance progress in the fields of fundamental science and engineering. Now, the agency is looking to bring greater accessibility to its grants and help diversify the research pipeline. NSF Office of Integrative Activities Head Dr. Alicia Knoedler joins us to talk about how she's bringing her history in research development to her current work at NSF elevating underrepresented research institutions across the country. 

A new year marks a moment to set new goals, and for many, that means embracing recovery from substance use and mental health conditions. At the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Office of Recovery provides resources and strategies to elevate the importance of recovery. Many of the office's leaders are in recovery themselves, allowing personal experiences and growth to inform their work. In this episode, we learn how national policies and efforts around recovery are moving forward and get to know SAMHSA's Dona Dmitrovic, a woman in long-term recovery who has dedicated her career to helping others heal.

Today, we continue our last episode's discussion around federal efforts to understand and combat food insecurity. We discuss policies and programs that provide nutrition assistance with Dr. Sara Bleich, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity. We'll talk about updates in nutrition assistance programs aimed at providing more equitable aid and the important role education and community engagement play in feeding America. 

In September 2022, the Biden administration convened a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to unpack and address food and nutrition insecurity across the country. Food insecurity is a deeply cross-cutting challenge to take on, so we're bringing you a two-part episode examining the science of nutrition insecurity and policies looking to address it. In part 1, we talk with Dr. Alison Brown, a program director at NHLBI, about health inequities and scientific research behind food insecurity.

Our first episode of Empathy Affect takes a big-picture look at the future of public health from the federal level with Admiral Rachel Levine, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Health. Community, climate action, and health equity all play crucial roles, and we'll learn how HHS is integrating them into its policies and action.

Join us as we explore the human side of government. On Empathy Affect, we'll get to know the real people in government who serve us—their missions, the people they serve, and the true impact of their work. Each episode will uncover insights into how our government impacts the human experience and how empathy drives action. We believe in the Empathy Affect.