58: Health Partnerships in Action - Managing COVID-19 at the Southwest Border

Public Health Review

On this episode, we dissect concerns at the southwest United States border, where health and governmental officials find themselves managing an extraordinarily complex situation, handling an increase in migration activity during a global pandemic.

Pritesh Gandhi, MD, Chief Medical Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Erica Pan, MD, State Epidemiologist and Deputy Director, Center for Infectious Diseases at the California Department of Public Health, share how community-based partnerships are vital to managing an issue with both public health and national security implications.

Our speakers discuss how leaders at all levels of government ultimately lean on partners at the local level to carry out their missions and what that looks like at the border right now.

Guests:

Erica Pan, MD, MPH, FAAP, California State Epidemiologist and Deputy Director, Center for Infectious Diseases at the California Department of Public Health

Pritesh Gandhi, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Resources:

• Official California COVID-19 Dashboard
• Department of Homeland Security Profile: Pritesh Gandhi