The Public Health Workforce is Not OK

The Public Health Workforce is Not OK

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The Value of a Promise: A Spoken Word Poem - Love Letter #5
An emotionally resonant poem captures the spirit of global public health with clarity and grace, offering a reflection on the values and commitments…
 • 
Dr. Katie Schenk
This is the Anger of the Silenced: Public Health Workers at Risk - Voices #15
A CDC epidemiologist breaks their silence on the troubling quiet that has followed the recent attack at the agency’s headquarters.
 • 
Dr. Katie Schenk
 and 
Jessica S. Rogers-Brown
1
We Are Public Health: Reactions to the CDC Shooting - Voices #14
Last week’s shooting at the CDC in Atlanta killed police officer David Rose and shook our community of public health professionals. We are speaking out…
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Dr. Katie Schenk
4
A Plea for Humanity at Public Health’s Hardest Moments: We’re Neighbors, Not the Enemy - Voices #13
A CDC employee responds to the tragic August 8, 2025 shooting at the CDC campus with a plea for recognition of the humanity of federal public health…
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Dr. Katie Schenk
1
We Were Just Getting Started: Grieving the Loss of a Public Health Team - Voices #12
A seasoned leader in behavioral health reflects on his unexpected departure from federal service, mourning the loss of potential and calling for renewed…
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Dr. Katie Schenk
 and 
Scott M. Gagnon

July 2025

Still Standing: What It Means to Stay in Public Health - Voices #11
A public health educator reflects on the personal and professional toll of an unstable landscape and calls for a more resilient, inclusive, and…
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Dr. Katie Schenk
 and 
Michelle Jeu, MPH
3
From Federal Dreams to Independent Action: A Public Health Reckoning - Voices #10
A public health professional turns her disillusionment into action, building independent platforms to deliver the science and trust our institutions can…
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Dr. Katie Schenk
 and 
Jess Steier, DrPH
3
When the Work Gets Heavy: How to Keep Going in Tough Times - Voices #9
A public health professional from a State health department writes candidly about the emotional cost of working under a hostile political climate, and…
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Dr. Katie Schenk
Empty Offices, Full Hearts: Survivor’s Guilt in Public Health - Voices #8
In this moving reflection, a public health scientist grapples with grief, survivor’s guilt, and gratitude in the wake of mass layoffs.
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Dr. Katie Schenk

June 2025

When Silence Is Not an Option: A Public Health Resignation Letter - Voices #7
A CDC public health scientist resigns from his dream job, citing censorship, political interference, and the erosion of scientific integrity under the…
 • 
Dr. Katie Schenk
3
This is What Public Health Sounds Like: A Season 4 Recap
Real voices from the field during a season shaped by resilience, grief, and grit
Telling It Like It Is: You Can’t Build Trust Without Communication - Voices #6
A public health communications professional shares her decade of experience in the federal government and reflects upon the essential role of…
 • 
Dr. Katie Schenk
 and 
Ellen (Langhans) Mills
© 2025 Dr Katie Schenk
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