Public Health Meets the Care Economy: Care As Infrastructure
In Part 2 of her two‑part miniseries, Katie Schenk argues that public‑health agencies treat caregiving as an individual issue rather than essential infrastructure, exposing a structural mismatch that fuels inequity and attrition. She details how pandemic‑era successes turned into political liabilities, leading to funding cuts, job losses, and a career landscape lacking clear pathways or salary benchmarks. Schenk calls for systemic fixes—childcare, paid leave, flexible work—and legislative pressure to restore staffing and protect the workforce. The piece ends with concrete action steps for individuals and policymakers.
When There’s No Place for Silence in Science: A Personal Disclosure
Katie Schenk, a veteran public‑health epidemiologist, publicly disclosed that she recently resigned from the CDC after years of keeping her federal role hidden. She explains that growing political pressure and a widening gap between scientific evidence and agency decisions made...
You Don’t Notice Public Health Until It’s Gone: The True Costs of Cutting the Workforce - Voices #29
Emma Aston, a former CDC health communicator, details how a 2025 Reduction in Force eliminated roughly a quarter of the agency’s workforce, silencing key public‑health messaging. The cuts halted campaigns on tobacco, HIV, and flu, while new executive orders imposed...