Public Health on Call Podcast
Evidence and experts to help you understand today’s public health news—and what it means for tomorrow.
About the Podcast
The Public Health On Call podcast makes important public health topics accessible to all through quick, informative conversations. Hosts tackle complex topics through engaging interviews and real-world perspectives.
Our ever-growing list of guests have included researchers, public health commissioners, elected leaders, patients, clergy, ethicists, front line clinicians, and even former health officials who were fired for doing their jobs.
Since launching in March 2020 with the purpose of sharing credible expertise and debunking misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Health On Call has covered a range of topics, including other viral outbreaks, reproductive health, gun violence prevention, international humanitarian crises, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, health equity, racial and environmental justice, the opioid crisis, and so much more. In 2023, the show's success was chronicled in The Journal of Health Security.
Meet the Hosts
Joshua Sharfstein, MD, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement, a faculty member in health policy, pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department.
Stephanie Desmon, director of public relations and marketing for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs and a former journalist.
Lindsay Smith Rogers, director of content strategy for the School and producer of Public Health On Call.
Contact the Show
Email your questions and ideas to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu, and follow @PublicHealthPod on Twitter.
Awards
Anthem Awards
2022 Silver Award for Special Projects in Health.
2023 Silver Awards for Podcasts or Audio in Health and our series on gun violence as a preventable public health issue.
2024 Silver Award for our episode The Surge in Anti-Trans Bills and Attacks on LGBTQ+ Health.
2024 Silver Award for our series How Can We Solve the Black Maternal Health Crisis?
2024 Bronze Award for Podcast or Audio.
CASE Awards
2021 Silver Circle of Excellence Award.
2022 Silver Circle of Excellence Award.
Signal Awards
2022 Silver Award for Podcasts in Education.
2023 Silver Award for our series on How Can We Solve the Black Maternal Health Crisis?