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Public Health On Call

Public Health On Call

By: The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
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Evidence and experts to help you understand today's public health news—and what it means for tomorrow.Copyright of this audio content is owned by The Johns Hopkins University. Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Abel Wolman, "Friend of the Thirsty": A Life and Legacy of Water Sanitization

    Abel Wolman, "Friend of the Thirsty": A Life and Legacy of Water Sanitization
    Aug 24 2026
    About this episode: At the turn of the 20th century, waterborne diseases like typhoid and dysentery posed a significant threat to public health, accounting for a large part of infant mortality and overall morbidity. Enter Abel Wolman, an early graduate of Johns Hopkins' engineering program and a professor at the university's school of public health. In this episode: the story of the Baltimore-born pioneer of water sanitization and how his work in water chlorination and infrastructure set the stage for better health across the globe. Note: This episode was produced in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University sesquicentennial campaign. Guest: Graham Mooney, PhD, is an associate professor of history of medicine and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Host: Ari Goldstein, MD, is a family medicine physician and a recent alum of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health General Preventive Medicine Residency program. This year, Dr. Goldstein served a one-month rotation with Public Health On Call. Show links and related content: Heroes of Public Health: Abel Wolman—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Friend of the Thirsty—New York Times
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    24 mins
  • The Workplace Hazard of Radiation—For Flight Crews

    The Workplace Hazard of Radiation—For Flight Crews
    Aug 20 2026
    About this episode: Long flights at high altitudes can expose pilots and flight attendants to dangerous levels of cosmic radiation over their careers, potentially increasing their risk for a variety of cancers and posing special dangers to pregnant crewmembers. In this episode: a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine urges action on in-flight radiation exposure, including mandating airline safety programs and developing new ways to measure hazards. Guest: Tom Burke, PhD, MPH, is an emeritus professor at Johns Hopkins and a former top official with the Environmental Protection Agency in the Obama administration. Lindsay S. Fenwick is an accomplished pilot with over 21,000 flight hours spanning military, corporate, VIP, and major airline operations. He also has extensive experience in aviation safety management. 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. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009. Show links and related content: Assessing Radiation Exposure, Health Outcomes, and Mitigation Strategies for Flight Crewmembers—National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Aircrew and Cosmic Ionizing Radiation—CDC 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.
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    18 mins
  • Child Sexual Abuse is Preventable, Not Inevitable

    Child Sexual Abuse is Preventable, Not Inevitable
    Aug 19 2026
    About this episode: Millions of children will experience sexual abuse before they turn 18, either in-person or online and often at the hands of people they know. The mental, behavioral, and physical health consequences can linger into adulthood. In this episode: Elizabeth Letourneau, director of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, explains why child sexual abuse is one of the nation's most pressing public health crises and what can be done to prevent it. Guest: Elizabeth Letourneau, PhD, MA, is a professor of mental health and the director of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. She is also the co-author of "One in Five: Why Child Sexual Abuse Is Our Biggest Public Health Crisis—and What We Can Do to Stop It." 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. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009. Show links and related content: One in Five: Why Child Sexual Abuse Is Our Biggest Public Health Crisis—and What We Can Do to Stop It—Hachette Book Group What Would It Take to End Child Sexual Abuse?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dr. Elizabeth Letourneau and Luke Malone (on child sexual abuse prevention)—Armchair Expert Preventing Child Sexual Abuse—Public Health On Call (January 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: @‌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.
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    17 mins
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