America Needs Public Health
Three Things Thursday
Three Things Thursday highlights three things I am paying attention to as an epidemiologist each week. Before jumping into this week’s three things, I wanted to share something positive. This week, I completed a year’s worth of research — our county’s community health needs assessment. I was invited to share the top needs with City Council and another group of community leaders this week. The response to the findings has been overwhelmingly positive — everyone wants our community to be healthy and safe. And there were thoughtful questions and suggestions for moving forward and addressing the health needs identified. While we are facing devastation at the federal level, it is encouraging to know that at the local level, there is a desire to work collaboratively to improve public health.
If you are local, you can read the report’s Executive Summary now. The full report will be available next week. In addition to finishing this major project and the positive response to it, my new t-shirt arrived in time for both presentations. I may never take it off…
And now — here are the three things you need to know this week and along with three things you need to do.
Hoping this post helps to educate and empower you
to be healthy and create healthy communities.
First — cuts to Medicaid are still being discussed at the federal level. If Medicaid is cut, it will be devastating to our healthcare system. Medicaid matters to ALL of us.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities —
“These changes would hurt not just Medicaid enrollees, but entire communities. That’s because Medicaid is a critical part of our nation’s health care ecosystem, providing coverage to millions of people at all stages of life and supporting providers that serve the broad public. Proposed Medicaid changes that take away eligible people’s coverage (such as work requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, or restrictions on retroactive coverage) would leave more people uninsured and raise hospitals’ costs for providing uncompensated care to patients whose coverage has been terminated. The downstream effects of all of the proposed federal Medicaid changes would reduce Medicaid enrollees’ access to health care, potentially affecting children, seniors, people with disabilities, and all those who need support and have no other affordable pathway to health coverage.”
Cuts to Medicaid will likely result in —
An increased number of uninsured individuals. These individuals will not seek preventative care, but instead will rely on emergency rooms when they need immediate and often costly care (that could have been prevented).
The loss of home- and community-based health services, such as in-home nursing care and programs that assist individuals who need health bathing, dressing, feeding, and managing their medications themselves. Not only will these individuals see a decrease in their quality of life, but it could result in decreased home prices (if upkeep is not maintained) and an increase in mice, rats, and bedbugs at properties.
Safetynet providers, who are committed to serving the poor and disabled, will struggle to stay open. And overall access to healthcare providers will decrease.
Hospitals, especially those in communities with large populations of Medicaid recipients (like my own community), will struggle to stay open and offer the same services, as they will be serving an increasing number of uninsured patients. Hospitals may close, or services, such as OB/GYN or emergency departments, may be eliminated.
Call your senators NOW. And let them know you are opposed to cuts to Medicaid.
Second — earlier this week, RFK Jr fired all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. RFK Jr announced the firings through an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. In his op-ed, he justified his decision by claiming that the old/previous committee was plagued with conflicts of interest; no credible evidence was provided to support this claim.
Eight new members of the committee have already been named. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), RFK Jr states these the new members of the Advisory Committee “includes highly credentialed scientists, leading public-health experts, and some of America’s most accomplished physicians.”
This is just NOT true.
One new member is a neuroscientist who studies omega fatty acids. Another is the volunteer coordinator for research at an anti-vaccination non-profit and a parent who perpetuates a story that vaccines are the cause of her child’s long-term health problems. Another was fired by Harvard and supported the idea that we should just let COVID run through our communities during 2020. Yet another studies supply chain logistics.
According to Senator Patty Murray, speaking with MedPage Today —
"Let's be clear: RFK Jr. is not just crossing a red line for public health. He is sprinting into dangerous, uncharted territory in support of totally deranged conspiracies, and he is dragging us all along with him. He is putting our communities and our families in harm's way ...”
What can you do? Speak up…
Tell your elected officials that RFK Jr needs to be fired. He lied to everyone under oath during his confirmation hearings, and he is making decisions that will kill people.
Write an op-ed in your local newspaper. Share this post.
Do NOT be silent.
Finally — on Saturday, No Kings protests are taking place across the country. Find the one closest to you (here) and go.
Make a sign in support of public health. Here are a couple of suggestions —
America Needs Public Health
Vaccines Lead to Adulthood
Public Health Saves Lives
Healthcare Is a Human Right
If you have other protest sign ideas, please share them with me. And please share your pictures from the protests you attend, the op-eds you write, and the social media posts you make.
We cannot be quiet.
And as I shared last week, we must come together and fight for the health and safety of our communties together. This is my new benediction —
“The fight for public health and health equity will be a lifelong one. But for the next few years, we can look to our families, our communities, and our cities to help us stay healthy. We should not waver in the demand for safe and healthy communities as well as for evidence-based health information. Love each other, protect each other, and get vaccinated!”
What else can you do?
Click the “Like” button on the posts you enjoy. It’s a small thing, but it helps.
Share posts, either on social media or with your friends and family.
Comment on the posts. Hearing from you is a form of encouragement & it helps move Epi(demiology) Matters up in the Substack algorithm.
Send me your ideas & questions.