To the Ones who Work Unseen and Unsung: Love Letter #2
Last week, as many public health professionals faced terminations, the calendar showed National Public Health Week. At a time meant for celebration, instead we focus on communication and visibility.
Celebrating National Public Health Week felt like a tall order this year. Throughout the public health workforce, we are facing budget cuts, layoffs, and growing uncertainty about the future of our work. In this moment, rather than celebration, I believe that it’s more meaningful to focus on visibility — by speaking up about what we love in public health, and why it matters.
In this newsletter, public health leader and biostatistician Dr. Melody Goodman shares her love for the people of public health.
If you would like to follow Dr. Goodman’s example by sharing a love letter to any aspect of public health or reflecting on your public health career, please get in touch!
To the incredible field of Public Health,
by Dr. Melody Goodman
I write this love letter to my dear field of public health during National Public Health Week with immense gratitude for the people who did this work before me and profound admiration for how far our field has come since its inception. Public health is not just a profession; it is a calling, a relentless pursuit of well-being, and the foundation upon which thriving societies are built.
Working in public health requires unwavering dedication and tireless efforts, often unseen and unsung, in the face of complex challenges. You are the silent guardian, working tirelessly to prevent disease, promote health, and protect communities locally and globally. Your impact is immeasurable, from the innovative strategies that tackle chronic illnesses to the urgent responses to emerging infectious threats.
You are the data scientists meticulously analyzing trends to inform policy, the epidemiologists tracing outbreaks to protect populations, the community health workers building trust and bridging gaps in access, the policy advocates championing health-promoting legislation, and the environmental health specialists safeguarding our planet. You are the educators empowering individuals to make informed choices and the researchers pushing the boundaries of our understanding.
You understand that health is not merely the absence of disease, but a fundamental human right. Your expertise and leadership are more critical than ever in a world facing unprecedented challenges. You are the beacon of hope, guiding us towards a healthier future.
To the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and practitioners who dedicate their lives to public health: your passion is infectious, your resilience is inspiring, and your contributions are invaluable. Thank you for your unwavering commitment, intellectual rigor, and compassionate hearts.
This National Public Health Week, let us celebrate your achievements, acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead, and reaffirm our collective commitment to strengthening public health systems worldwide. Let us continue to collaborate, innovate, and advocate for a world where everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilling life.
With deepest respect and enduring admiration,
Dr. Melody Goodman
Dr. Melody Goodman is the Interim Dean and Professor of Biostatistics at New York University School of Global Public Health. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and 2 books: Public Health Research Methods for Partnerships and Practice (Routledge, 2018) and Biostatistics for Clinical and Public Health Research (Routledge, 2018). She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the inaugural recipient of the Societal Impact Award from the Caucus for Women in Statistics (2021).
If you would like to follow Dr. Goodman’s example by sharing a love letter to any aspect of public health or reflecting on your public health career, please get in touch!
Action steps - a note from Katie
Thank you for reading this newsletter for and about the public health workforce. I’m still really not sure where we go from here. But each time that I publish this newsletter and receive positive feedback from readers, my list of ideas for action continues to grow. I will start to compile these suggestions here. As we learn more, let’s keep adding to this list:
Do Dr. Goodman’s words above inspire you? Would you also like to write a love letter to public health? Or to reflect on your public health career? Got something to say? I would love to publish your words here. Get in touch.
Let’s communicate what public health is and why it matters that so many of us have been forced to leave our jobs. What is your proudest moment in public health? Complete this form to submit your public health story to be used for advocacy.
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Do you have suggestions for how to leverage this newsletter and community to be a supportive resource to public health professionals at this time? Please get in touch.
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Got more ideas for action steps that should be on this list? You know the drill. Get in touch.
I close by emphasising what I said in a previous newsletter:
“At this time of uncertainty for the public health workforce, let’s remember our commitment to science and evidence and data. We know that validating emotions and baggage has a place too, but we need to be able to identify them and distinguish opinion from fact.
Let’s recommit to kindness and mutual support for the public health workforce and beyond. If leaders are trying to sow divisions among us, the best we can do is to respond with empathy, and by strengthening, connecting, and lifting up one another.
Right now, the best I can offer my fellow public health professionals is a place* to gather and reflect and share and vent and organize and ask questions and offer support to one another. We’re going to need that now more than ever.”
*This is a plug for the Public Health Connections Lounge on LinkedIn, where we seek to build community and conversation among public health professionals. Join us.
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Incredible words! I had the great honor of having Dr. Goodman teach me biostats when I was a grad student. Brilliant.
I received the following comment from a reader: "How do you support others who are facing mental health challenges?"
Thanks for this question. I'd love to know more about the context for your question and those that you are thinking of.
Several times throughout this newsletter, I've addressed the question of mental health challenges among public health professionals - e.g. https://phworkforceok.substack.com/p/mental-health-and-wellbeing-among, https://phworkforceok.substack.com/p/mind-the-gap, and please search the archives for more. (Posts over 1 year old are paywalled but please contact me if payment is a barrier and I will give you access.)
But the current moment calls for more action. My recent advice and suggestions are here: https://phworkforceok.substack.com/p/this-is-not-normal
So I turn the question to readers: how do we support others [I think this means public health professionals] who are facing mental health challenges? I welcome your suggestions.