Beyond the Crisis: Reinventing Public Health for the Next Generation
A Crisis of Uncertainty, Not Purpose Right now, it’s hard not to feel discouraged. Across the U.S., public health departments are facing shrinking budgets, hiring freezes, and painful layoffs. I’ve seen friends and colleagues, some of the most dedicated professionals I know, lose their positions. I’ve felt the stress ripple through my own work as an epidemiologist and public health consultant. For many of us, especially those who gave everything during the COVID-19 response, this feels like a harsh and confusing reward. But as painful as this moment is, it’s not a signal that public health is failing. It’s a signal that public health is evolving. We've Been Here Before: A History of Grit and Ingenuity Public health has never had it easy. When Dr. John Snow traced a cholera outbreak in 1854 to a single water pump in London, he had no lab, no funding, and no real institutional support. What he did have was curiosity, data, and a deep concern for his community. From t...