Astho

What it reported doing in 2024

Health security: astho's health security unit (hsu) focuses on health emergencies caused by natural disasters, outbreaks and pandemics, deliberate attacks, and environmental catastrophes. The unit is comprised of 4 separate but integrated teams: emerging infectious disease team, preparedness team, infectious disease policy and infrastructure team, and the environmental health team. Continued on schedule o. The hsu mission is to support and proactively empower health agencies to address health security challenges through evidence-based resources, knowledge, partnerships, and innovation. Hsu is actively engaged in all aspects of emergency response, in conjunction with the executive office, providing leadership and sme input for all responses ranging in size from annual wildfire and hurricane response to larger national outbreaks such as ebola, mpox, and covid-19. The hsu had over 35 active projects funded through cdc in the last year totaling over $12 million. In addition to cdc, our other federal funders include fda, epa, and aspr. The hsu is funded to provide peer to peer support to our members by supporting 3 policy committees (environmental health, infectious disease, and preparedness) and several peer groups such as the state environmental health directors, the directors of public health preparedness, the medical countermeasure coordinators, and the state tribal health liaisons. These groups serve as a forum and space to allow for members to provide:- feedback on pre-decisional federal guidance and grants- share best/promising practices- problem solving - development of astho policy statements- feedback for federal policy such as the reauthorization of the pandemic and all hazards preparedness act (pahpa) and national health security strategy.hsu also manages several other leadership councils or associations of associations that have come together to provide guidance and the best public health thought around a topic or issue. These groups include: - the council for outbreak response: healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial pathogens (corha). Corha consists of 9 partner organizations/federal agencies all aligned to improve practices and policies at the local, state, and national levels for detection, investigation, control, and prevention of hai/ar outbreaks across the healthcare continuum, including emerging infections and other risks with potential for healthcare transmission. - the national alliance for radiation readiness (narr). The narr is a coalition of public health, healthcare, and emergency management organizations that serve as the collective "voice of health" in radiological preparedness. Hsu staff also provide support to our members by representing astho and staffing members on the following national boards and committees:- the national homeland security consortium- cdc's board of scientific counselors - national academies of sciences med prep forum- healthcare infection control practices advisory committee- advisory council for the elimination on tb- astho/nema/governor's homeland security advisors council- national association leadership council- national council for environmental health & equity leadership hsu manages two projects that provide direct staff support to public health agencies. We are in the final stages of our disability and preparedness specialists project in which astho placed specialists in 18 jurisdictions to work to close the inclusivity gaps for people living with disabilities during emergency preparedness and response efforts, including those for covid-19. More recently we are managing a project which provides state environmental health staff support in 14 jurisdictions.the hsu also manages several immunization-related projects including the partnering for vaccine equity grant which allows astho to partner with the national community action partnership to support 5 community action teams to provide targeted education and address barriers to accessing covid-19 and other adult va

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 85.3%; rating input score 85
• Program expense ratio: 88%; rating input score 88
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Limited
  • Conducts field audits: Limited
  • May suspend future funding: Limited
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Limited
  • Requires grant agreements: Limited
  • May require repayment: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 3.1%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.41; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.58; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 11.9% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 13.1% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings