An epidemiologist colleague was fond of saying "When I do my job right, nothing happens." In public health, we don't know whose lives we save, and it can be hard to quantify them. But our work does save lives. Eliminating entire programs? Real lives will be lost, but only some of us will know.
All public health is local, is a popular mantra in public health circles. But the lion share of funding for local public health doesn't originate from State Governments. The federal government, specifically HHS, USDA, and DHS financially support local public health efforts. Cutting federal programs that support local public health, endangers the lives and the livelihood of millions of Americans. We are currently in the middle of a measles epidemic. What specifically is President Musk and his Health Team doing to prevent and control its spread?
While Dr. Faust’s piece rightly condemns the callousness and destructiveness of yesterday’s cuts, I found the inclusion of commentary from “some in his orbit” not only jarring, but profoundly obtuse. At a moment when thousands of careers—and lives—have been upended, this kind of detached technocratic musing about bureaucratic bloat and hypothetical efficiencies feels almost grotesque. It’s the sort of rationalization that too often enables cruelty under the guise of reform. That Dr. Faust ultimately disavows this mindset is important, but I wish he hadn’t given it airtime at all. It risks minimizing the moment—and normalizing what should never be normalized. Even if those individuals meant well, their comments landed as indifferent at best—and let’s be honest: the people offering those ‘moderate’ takes are rarely the ones who will be fighting to undo the damage or protect what remains. They weigh in from a distance, then disappear when the real work begins.
Completely agree. There is nothing good in the intentional destruction of the agencies tasked with protecting our health. The gleeful humiliation of the workers shows the mindset behind it all.
I so agree (as my comment later attests). No time to appease those in "ivory towers". We are already way past that. We need to, instead, be thinking innovatively as to how we can still maintain and fund some of those services NOW.
Do you remember when Musk bought Twitter and proceeded to slash and burn entire departments immediately, rename the company, and install a giant X sign - which he was later forced to change - on the building?
This is a feature of how he operates, not a bug, and clearly a style that appeals HUGELY to someone like Trump.
Rules and sappy "feelings" mean nothing. Soft managerial concepts like morale, camaraderie and teamwork are not part of the equation for success for men of action!
I have asked myself, why do I become increasingly upset with the events unfolding within the US?
From any vantage point the actions of Trump & his band of misfits, are abhorrent... substitute your choice of endless synonyms!
My personal & professional integrity requires I speak out about these actions precipitated by faceless/nameless individuals... "reflect a cruel indifference to the human cost" (Dr. Faust).
Our English language has & will continue to be dynamic & evolving, however I question the utility of some recent additions to our modern lexicon.
"Reduction In Force,”...“You don’t RIF someone by badging them,” a former HHS employee told are now verbs...🤔
Can you imagine finding out you’d lost your job this way?
Dr. Faust I have borrowed your words to emphasis my anguish...not simply a rant, on my part.
One of the RIF notices they sent out listed a manager for staff to reach out to who had passed away four months ago,” one HHS source told me. (this bears repeating)
😢 The author is likely one of the same dumb___'s that gave Trump his moronic talking points in his speech falsely...yes another lie... deceased centenarians purported to be receiving government cheques.
Maybe there were a few fraudulent claims being enabled by deceitful individuals...aka criminals, such as the convicted felon living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave who defrauded various banks & the IRS via false property valuations.
I remain more than saddened for all those affected by Trump's actions. I referred to myself being empathetic to those affected yet I have no reference point. I do believe in time those with true compassion and foresight will regain the more positive image of USA within your borders & internationally. 🙏🤞JJF Phm 🇨🇦
It is no time for reinforcing those in Ivory Towers. When you're the patient, and or working on the ground you're already in danger and watching the same for others. In my city, we are already being hit hard not just by NIH cuts but other crossover agencies of service/funding like Medicaid. Medicaid funds a majority of transportation for disabled, chronically ill, elderly and those without cars to get to services, doc appts, and treatments like dialysis. Since Medicaid is getting cut massively, we're already trying to compensate. In the Commission on Disabilities that I chair we are trying to get access to monies from HP parking fines that we can use to pay for these sorts of transportation issues. We are all going to have to think outside of the box and work together.
Why are you wasting any part of your time trying to rationalize what this regime is doing? What they are doing has nothing to do with efficiency or the the greater good that Public Health provides. Their agenda is self serving. Yours is not. You have every right to speak openly and knowledgeably about the destruction this butchering of healthcare services will do and is already doing. Years ago I co-founded an organization in MD to stop the "blood-flow" of the destructive No Child Left Behind in our county of 19 public middle schools, thousands of students, teachers, administrators, biz, legislators, parents, etc. A frequent mantra of our leadership group when faced with the frustration of irrational response and non-critical thinking was, "That's because you're thinking logically and they're not."
You are such a kindly doc! I would love to have you care for me. But that is out of place here. For all the reasons you enumerate, the HHS RIFs have NOTHING to do with saving money or good management. No other explanation is possible except DOGE's approach is bold, cruel, ignorant, destructive, unpatriotic and maybe irreparable. As Lucas Kuntz put it, "America just blew its brains out."
An epidemiologist colleague was fond of saying "When I do my job right, nothing happens." In public health, we don't know whose lives we save, and it can be hard to quantify them. But our work does save lives. Eliminating entire programs? Real lives will be lost, but only some of us will know.
All public health is local, is a popular mantra in public health circles. But the lion share of funding for local public health doesn't originate from State Governments. The federal government, specifically HHS, USDA, and DHS financially support local public health efforts. Cutting federal programs that support local public health, endangers the lives and the livelihood of millions of Americans. We are currently in the middle of a measles epidemic. What specifically is President Musk and his Health Team doing to prevent and control its spread?
While Dr. Faust’s piece rightly condemns the callousness and destructiveness of yesterday’s cuts, I found the inclusion of commentary from “some in his orbit” not only jarring, but profoundly obtuse. At a moment when thousands of careers—and lives—have been upended, this kind of detached technocratic musing about bureaucratic bloat and hypothetical efficiencies feels almost grotesque. It’s the sort of rationalization that too often enables cruelty under the guise of reform. That Dr. Faust ultimately disavows this mindset is important, but I wish he hadn’t given it airtime at all. It risks minimizing the moment—and normalizing what should never be normalized. Even if those individuals meant well, their comments landed as indifferent at best—and let’s be honest: the people offering those ‘moderate’ takes are rarely the ones who will be fighting to undo the damage or protect what remains. They weigh in from a distance, then disappear when the real work begins.
Completely agree. There is nothing good in the intentional destruction of the agencies tasked with protecting our health. The gleeful humiliation of the workers shows the mindset behind it all.
Fighters to undo the damage is who we need.
I so agree (as my comment later attests). No time to appease those in "ivory towers". We are already way past that. We need to, instead, be thinking innovatively as to how we can still maintain and fund some of those services NOW.
Do you remember when Musk bought Twitter and proceeded to slash and burn entire departments immediately, rename the company, and install a giant X sign - which he was later forced to change - on the building?
This is a feature of how he operates, not a bug, and clearly a style that appeals HUGELY to someone like Trump.
Rules and sappy "feelings" mean nothing. Soft managerial concepts like morale, camaraderie and teamwork are not part of the equation for success for men of action!
I have asked myself, why do I become increasingly upset with the events unfolding within the US?
From any vantage point the actions of Trump & his band of misfits, are abhorrent... substitute your choice of endless synonyms!
My personal & professional integrity requires I speak out about these actions precipitated by faceless/nameless individuals... "reflect a cruel indifference to the human cost" (Dr. Faust).
Our English language has & will continue to be dynamic & evolving, however I question the utility of some recent additions to our modern lexicon.
"Reduction In Force,”...“You don’t RIF someone by badging them,” a former HHS employee told are now verbs...🤔
Can you imagine finding out you’d lost your job this way?
Dr. Faust I have borrowed your words to emphasis my anguish...not simply a rant, on my part.
One of the RIF notices they sent out listed a manager for staff to reach out to who had passed away four months ago,” one HHS source told me. (this bears repeating)
😢 The author is likely one of the same dumb___'s that gave Trump his moronic talking points in his speech falsely...yes another lie... deceased centenarians purported to be receiving government cheques.
Maybe there were a few fraudulent claims being enabled by deceitful individuals...aka criminals, such as the convicted felon living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave who defrauded various banks & the IRS via false property valuations.
I remain more than saddened for all those affected by Trump's actions. I referred to myself being empathetic to those affected yet I have no reference point. I do believe in time those with true compassion and foresight will regain the more positive image of USA within your borders & internationally. 🙏🤞JJF Phm 🇨🇦
It is no time for reinforcing those in Ivory Towers. When you're the patient, and or working on the ground you're already in danger and watching the same for others. In my city, we are already being hit hard not just by NIH cuts but other crossover agencies of service/funding like Medicaid. Medicaid funds a majority of transportation for disabled, chronically ill, elderly and those without cars to get to services, doc appts, and treatments like dialysis. Since Medicaid is getting cut massively, we're already trying to compensate. In the Commission on Disabilities that I chair we are trying to get access to monies from HP parking fines that we can use to pay for these sorts of transportation issues. We are all going to have to think outside of the box and work together.
Why are you wasting any part of your time trying to rationalize what this regime is doing? What they are doing has nothing to do with efficiency or the the greater good that Public Health provides. Their agenda is self serving. Yours is not. You have every right to speak openly and knowledgeably about the destruction this butchering of healthcare services will do and is already doing. Years ago I co-founded an organization in MD to stop the "blood-flow" of the destructive No Child Left Behind in our county of 19 public middle schools, thousands of students, teachers, administrators, biz, legislators, parents, etc. A frequent mantra of our leadership group when faced with the frustration of irrational response and non-critical thinking was, "That's because you're thinking logically and they're not."
You are such a kindly doc! I would love to have you care for me. But that is out of place here. For all the reasons you enumerate, the HHS RIFs have NOTHING to do with saving money or good management. No other explanation is possible except DOGE's approach is bold, cruel, ignorant, destructive, unpatriotic and maybe irreparable. As Lucas Kuntz put it, "America just blew its brains out."
#NIHobbling
#HealtHobbling