The recent mass firings at the CDC and NIH are not merely administrative decisions; they represent a deliberate and egregious dismantling of our nation’s public health and biomedical infrastructure. By terminating thousands of dedicated professionals, the administration is crippling our ability to respond to health crises and undermining decades of medical progress. This shortsightedness not only jeopardizes current research and disease prevention efforts but also endangers the health and safety of all Americans.
Compounding the recklessness of these actions is the haphazard manner in which they are being executed. Reports have surfaced of termination emails riddled with errors, including incorrect names and nonsensical, cut-and-paste sentences. Some letters even cite poor performance reviews that never occurred. This chaotic process reflects a profound disrespect for the professionals who have dedicated their careers to public service and raises serious questions about the competence of those overseeing these terminations.
In this challenging climate, I extend profound gratitude to Dr. Faust and others who courageously speak out against these reckless actions. Their unwavering commitment to defending public health, despite the administration’s propensity to target dissenters, exemplifies the resilience and dedication necessary to safeguard our nation’s well-being.
You are justifiably angry at the reckless disregard for human life. I cannot believe that Mike Pence is someone I'm going to be rooting for but that's where we are. Thank you for all your insight.
Meanwhile, I'm wondering how do we protect patients?? Not hearing much about that specifically. We already had a poor quality, enormously expensive, inaccessible, inequitable healthcare system. What will happen to the Affordable Care Act and protections for pre-existing illness when Musk/Trump tires of raiding Fed gov?? As I advocate in small scale as Chair of my city's Commission on Disabilities, we are already seeing funds and grants disappear. By law, most of our members are required to be disabled (and/or chronically ill), and at least 1 member be a caretaker. My former Chair is fighting cancer. One of our other members has a beautiful boy of 10 years old in a wheelchair who needs 24-hour care due to severe CP. My diseases are progressing and I can't access the healthcare I need because my complex health history requires more than a 15 minute doc exam. Yet ALL of us meet regularly to discuss and act on the needs of this very vulnerable but valuable population in our community. As I write this I'm putting off calling my insurance company for the zillionth time. All last week, billable hours lost in my paying job, I have no paid staff, as I spend entire days on the phone with CVS, BCBS, Medicare, and the doc office. They have denied authorization for a drug I've been infusing every 2 weeks for 11 years that my insurance has always thankfully covered. CVID is not curable, so my diagnosis is eternal, my insurance has stayed the same, so, why? It literally keeps me free of infectious disease, and this latest snafu has caused me to miss one dose and soon to miss another at the height of respiratory bug season when I'm highly immune compromised. I'm literally (like the many people of all ages who are like me) living Lord of the Flies. But we're still fighting for others. You bet I have high expectations of those who are abled and still have power to do the same. (And gratitude to those who use it well like Dr. Gawande.)
Which is why I say long term is probably my bigger worry. Since Covid 19 people will shrug & say meh I don't trust the Feds on a whole host of things. And Jr comes in on his white horse saying I will fix it all!!! No one knows a yr or two from now or 4 what will happen. And the US global standing in health & research is being gutted for ex WHO. Just wait until GOF with little/no oversight is done in India or Brazil or China or Russia. US will be last to know of any issue. Think NIAID oversight was lacking you ain't seen nothing yet. Sen Paul will pine for NIAID to get involved.
Definitely this is all long range but don't discount what is also massively right now. Again working myself with Feds and state legislators on current and past bills and a husband with a 45 year career with state and fed gov we know that programs are already lost. We also know that immense planning takes place in advance for programs, conferences, professional education, etc. to acquire funding, staff, supplies, travel. Just the threat of constant fed shutdowns taught us what chaos fear and obfuscation can cause. Long range because these many programs take a long time to create and apply. Because the destruction by DOGE so far in so many, many departments including those that are cross-sectional, the continued executive orders and actions of Trump/Musk and cabinet will not end in a Blue Wave in 4 years but any recovery will take much longer.
Best wishes by the way on your personal health issues. Just hold on & TRY to be proactive as much as possible as we all will have to be. Keep on insurance comps and your local & affiliated doctors, etc as much as possible.
I do sincerely appreciate the bit of humanity of your acknowledgement. This is not a case of "as we all have to be", however, Nancy. It's very different when you are part of one of the largest marginalized groups in the world (WHO stats for those who are disabled.). It is not my job (in fact the proactive work you suggest takes me days and literally weeks of phone calls and writing that is lost billable hours in my job), but our lives that are threatened. Patients don't have unions, or professional associations to protect us. We cannot write our own prescriptions, nor do our own surgeries, or purchase our own MRI's or scans. We are a captive market to the private equity firms and CEO's that run our health institutions. I've been dealing with insurance companies since HMO's first came into existence. Longer than most of my doctors and nurses have been practicing. Back when docs could afford private practices and had autonomy and a calling. My father quit an executive position in 1976 in an medical insurance company because they were asking him then to do unethical things even back then. I have 40 years of serious illnesses including Progressive MS, RA, CVID, Breast Cancer, and the list goes on. My local affiliated docs are part of the problem. My over-worked GP passes me on to 7 different specialists most of whom don't recognize me (or my medical history) from visit to visit. (Unlike Dr. Faust or Dr. Atul Gawande. They are rare birds.)
What I worry about is frankly long term. After Jr is able to be in HHS running it for a while. He acknowledged in testimony in so many words he was hired for chronic diseases. Infectious diseases can "take a break". I worry about soon to be head of NIH Dr Bhatt. who is NO friend of the NIH through his Barrington Dec, etc who along with REK Jr trashes Dr Fauci at every turn & Jr making $$ of books on Dr Fauci. It is what it is obviously, but my optimism is severely tested. Infectious diseases don't give a squat about "taking a break" they will just laugh and keep on spreading.
Yes the problem is that long term effects won't be immediately apparent. I like it to not re-paving the road. You save money today and tomorrow and everything seems fine. But eventually things break down and the road becomes unsafe and people get hurt. But then, they find something else to blame.
Once again, none of this is a surprise to those on the ground. This last round is aptly being referred to as "The Valentines Day Massacre". And we have to recognize that to help the health depts, we have to consider all the other depts being hit as these people and their beneficial programs are mutually dependent. Infectious disease docs should understand that ecology metaphor as all elements within that circle impact the others. And this latest round is once again many "probationary" fed employees. Many of whom have exemplary work performance records. Talking heads on networks think there is a legal issue here. But I would say, we have an "administration" not concerned about morals or legalities (they'll just keep buying lawyers). Remember obfuscation and deceit is their super power. And Trump/Musk owns Majority in Congress, the Justice system (up to S Court, enforcement depts (police, FBI, etc.). So, if we win, who's going to enforce it?? We're awfully slow in thinking outside the box.
Thank you for your reporting and for being a voice of reason against the absurdity.
This may be naive, but is there any hope that other entities can/will step in to keep at least some of the research and services going? It's maddening to see billionaires making cuts and decisions, but while they're at it, are there any good billionaires (maybe an oxymoron) willing to fund and support this critical work in public health and medical research?! I'm dreaming of Mackenzie Scott, Melinda Gates, a Michael Bloomberg funding all of these passionate people doing important work and setting them up with everything they need (maybe through universities) to continue working.
Trump & Musk gut U.S.A.I.D., this can now be added to the list of effects:
As many as three million Vietnamese have been affected by Agent Orange, including more than 150,000 children born with serious developmental problems.
Trump has essentially stalled 30 years of progress in bringing together former enemies, including two militaries still feeling out whether to trust one another.
Another example of a selfish, short-sighted & ill-conceived plan ( I struggle for the correct noun...). These mounting tragic events will sadly have lasting effects that will not MAGA, which is oxymoronic acronym given the misery that Trump's actions are precipitating.
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t understand that post from Hailey Piper at all. The quotation marks and vague use of “they” and “them” are confusing. Guess I need more coffee …
The recent mass firings at the CDC and NIH are not merely administrative decisions; they represent a deliberate and egregious dismantling of our nation’s public health and biomedical infrastructure. By terminating thousands of dedicated professionals, the administration is crippling our ability to respond to health crises and undermining decades of medical progress. This shortsightedness not only jeopardizes current research and disease prevention efforts but also endangers the health and safety of all Americans.
Compounding the recklessness of these actions is the haphazard manner in which they are being executed. Reports have surfaced of termination emails riddled with errors, including incorrect names and nonsensical, cut-and-paste sentences. Some letters even cite poor performance reviews that never occurred. This chaotic process reflects a profound disrespect for the professionals who have dedicated their careers to public service and raises serious questions about the competence of those overseeing these terminations.
In this challenging climate, I extend profound gratitude to Dr. Faust and others who courageously speak out against these reckless actions. Their unwavering commitment to defending public health, despite the administration’s propensity to target dissenters, exemplifies the resilience and dedication necessary to safeguard our nation’s well-being.
You are justifiably angry at the reckless disregard for human life. I cannot believe that Mike Pence is someone I'm going to be rooting for but that's where we are. Thank you for all your insight.
You never know who might end up being helpful.
However, he opposed RFK Jr. because of his previous pro-choice views.
Meanwhile, I'm wondering how do we protect patients?? Not hearing much about that specifically. We already had a poor quality, enormously expensive, inaccessible, inequitable healthcare system. What will happen to the Affordable Care Act and protections for pre-existing illness when Musk/Trump tires of raiding Fed gov?? As I advocate in small scale as Chair of my city's Commission on Disabilities, we are already seeing funds and grants disappear. By law, most of our members are required to be disabled (and/or chronically ill), and at least 1 member be a caretaker. My former Chair is fighting cancer. One of our other members has a beautiful boy of 10 years old in a wheelchair who needs 24-hour care due to severe CP. My diseases are progressing and I can't access the healthcare I need because my complex health history requires more than a 15 minute doc exam. Yet ALL of us meet regularly to discuss and act on the needs of this very vulnerable but valuable population in our community. As I write this I'm putting off calling my insurance company for the zillionth time. All last week, billable hours lost in my paying job, I have no paid staff, as I spend entire days on the phone with CVS, BCBS, Medicare, and the doc office. They have denied authorization for a drug I've been infusing every 2 weeks for 11 years that my insurance has always thankfully covered. CVID is not curable, so my diagnosis is eternal, my insurance has stayed the same, so, why? It literally keeps me free of infectious disease, and this latest snafu has caused me to miss one dose and soon to miss another at the height of respiratory bug season when I'm highly immune compromised. I'm literally (like the many people of all ages who are like me) living Lord of the Flies. But we're still fighting for others. You bet I have high expectations of those who are abled and still have power to do the same. (And gratitude to those who use it well like Dr. Gawande.)
Which is why I say long term is probably my bigger worry. Since Covid 19 people will shrug & say meh I don't trust the Feds on a whole host of things. And Jr comes in on his white horse saying I will fix it all!!! No one knows a yr or two from now or 4 what will happen. And the US global standing in health & research is being gutted for ex WHO. Just wait until GOF with little/no oversight is done in India or Brazil or China or Russia. US will be last to know of any issue. Think NIAID oversight was lacking you ain't seen nothing yet. Sen Paul will pine for NIAID to get involved.
Definitely this is all long range but don't discount what is also massively right now. Again working myself with Feds and state legislators on current and past bills and a husband with a 45 year career with state and fed gov we know that programs are already lost. We also know that immense planning takes place in advance for programs, conferences, professional education, etc. to acquire funding, staff, supplies, travel. Just the threat of constant fed shutdowns taught us what chaos fear and obfuscation can cause. Long range because these many programs take a long time to create and apply. Because the destruction by DOGE so far in so many, many departments including those that are cross-sectional, the continued executive orders and actions of Trump/Musk and cabinet will not end in a Blue Wave in 4 years but any recovery will take much longer.
Best wishes by the way on your personal health issues. Just hold on & TRY to be proactive as much as possible as we all will have to be. Keep on insurance comps and your local & affiliated doctors, etc as much as possible.
I do sincerely appreciate the bit of humanity of your acknowledgement. This is not a case of "as we all have to be", however, Nancy. It's very different when you are part of one of the largest marginalized groups in the world (WHO stats for those who are disabled.). It is not my job (in fact the proactive work you suggest takes me days and literally weeks of phone calls and writing that is lost billable hours in my job), but our lives that are threatened. Patients don't have unions, or professional associations to protect us. We cannot write our own prescriptions, nor do our own surgeries, or purchase our own MRI's or scans. We are a captive market to the private equity firms and CEO's that run our health institutions. I've been dealing with insurance companies since HMO's first came into existence. Longer than most of my doctors and nurses have been practicing. Back when docs could afford private practices and had autonomy and a calling. My father quit an executive position in 1976 in an medical insurance company because they were asking him then to do unethical things even back then. I have 40 years of serious illnesses including Progressive MS, RA, CVID, Breast Cancer, and the list goes on. My local affiliated docs are part of the problem. My over-worked GP passes me on to 7 different specialists most of whom don't recognize me (or my medical history) from visit to visit. (Unlike Dr. Faust or Dr. Atul Gawande. They are rare birds.)
What I worry about is frankly long term. After Jr is able to be in HHS running it for a while. He acknowledged in testimony in so many words he was hired for chronic diseases. Infectious diseases can "take a break". I worry about soon to be head of NIH Dr Bhatt. who is NO friend of the NIH through his Barrington Dec, etc who along with REK Jr trashes Dr Fauci at every turn & Jr making $$ of books on Dr Fauci. It is what it is obviously, but my optimism is severely tested. Infectious diseases don't give a squat about "taking a break" they will just laugh and keep on spreading.
Yes the problem is that long term effects won't be immediately apparent. I like it to not re-paving the road. You save money today and tomorrow and everything seems fine. But eventually things break down and the road becomes unsafe and people get hurt. But then, they find something else to blame.
Saving money was a pretext for the destruction of USAID https://www.propublica.org/article/usaid-peter-marocco-state-department-bosnia-serbia-diplomacy-trump-foreign-policy
Once again, none of this is a surprise to those on the ground. This last round is aptly being referred to as "The Valentines Day Massacre". And we have to recognize that to help the health depts, we have to consider all the other depts being hit as these people and their beneficial programs are mutually dependent. Infectious disease docs should understand that ecology metaphor as all elements within that circle impact the others. And this latest round is once again many "probationary" fed employees. Many of whom have exemplary work performance records. Talking heads on networks think there is a legal issue here. But I would say, we have an "administration" not concerned about morals or legalities (they'll just keep buying lawyers). Remember obfuscation and deceit is their super power. And Trump/Musk owns Majority in Congress, the Justice system (up to S Court, enforcement depts (police, FBI, etc.). So, if we win, who's going to enforce it?? We're awfully slow in thinking outside the box.
I’ll be snarky for y’all ~ Anyone just say f*ck it I’m eating extra cheese this week and maybe ordering pizza twice ?
Thank you for your reporting and for being a voice of reason against the absurdity.
This may be naive, but is there any hope that other entities can/will step in to keep at least some of the research and services going? It's maddening to see billionaires making cuts and decisions, but while they're at it, are there any good billionaires (maybe an oxymoron) willing to fund and support this critical work in public health and medical research?! I'm dreaming of Mackenzie Scott, Melinda Gates, a Michael Bloomberg funding all of these passionate people doing important work and setting them up with everything they need (maybe through universities) to continue working.
NY Times article 17 Feb/24...😥
Trump & Musk gut U.S.A.I.D., this can now be added to the list of effects:
As many as three million Vietnamese have been affected by Agent Orange, including more than 150,000 children born with serious developmental problems.
Trump has essentially stalled 30 years of progress in bringing together former enemies, including two militaries still feeling out whether to trust one another.
Another example of a selfish, short-sighted & ill-conceived plan ( I struggle for the correct noun...). These mounting tragic events will sadly have lasting effects that will not MAGA, which is oxymoronic acronym given the misery that Trump's actions are precipitating.
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t understand that post from Hailey Piper at all. The quotation marks and vague use of “they” and “them” are confusing. Guess I need more coffee …