COVID has already begun to 'reshape' the public health workforce


A deep dive into hundreds of health departments nationwide revealed the U.S. could be less prepared for the world's next pandemic than it was for that of COVID-19, reports The New York Times — and it's not for lack of trying. Instead, state and local public health institutions "endured not only the public's fury, but widespread staff defections, burnout, firings, unpredictable funding and a significant erosion in their authority" to implement orders necessary to pandemic response.
An "invisible casualty" of the last year and a half, COVID has already begun to "reshape the public health work force in ways that could impair the ability to fight future pandemics," writes the Times. In fact, its examination identified "more than 500 top health officials who left their jobs in the past 19 months." Exiting personnel are "exhausted and demoralized," in part because of abuse and threats. And despite money from the federal government, "dozens of departments reported that they had not staffed up at all, but actually lost employees."
"They didn't join our department to COVID test 10 hours a day or to give vaccinations 10 hours a day," said Kathy Emmons, executive director of the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department in Wyoming, of employees. "We were asking people to completely change their work priorities."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
With experienced-yet-frustrated workers out the door, short-staffed departments are unable to lure in replacements. And few departments can compete financially, "with hospitals in the middle of a nationwide nursing shortage," adds the Times.
Sue Rhodes, a health department administrator in Kansas, echoed Emmons' frustration, explaining she's one of many officials unable to hire extra help. "Everybody looks at public health now and says, 'Who wants to work there?'" she said. "Who wants to work in that chaotic mess?" Read more at The New York Times.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
June 25 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons include war on a loop, the New York City mayoral race, and one almighty F-bomb
-
How generative AI is changing the way we write and speak
In The Spotlight ChatGPT and other large language model tools are quietly influencing which words we use
-
How long can Nato keep Donald Trump happy?
Today's Big Question Military alliance pulls out all the stops to woo US president on his peacemaker victory lap
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr.: A new plan for sabotaging vaccines
Feature The Health Secretary announced changes to vaccine testing and asks Americans to 'do your own research'
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia