PROVIDENCE, RI (AP) – Vilified, threatened with violence and in some cases plagued by outbreaks, dozens of state and local public health officials in the US have been fired as fired in the outbreak of coronavirus, a testament to how political flammable masks, lockdowns and data on infection have become.
The latest departure came on Sunday when California Public Health Director Dr. Sonia Angell was suspended without explanation following a technical issue that caused a delay in reporting virus test results – information used to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools.
Last week, the New York City health commissioner was replaced after months of friction with the Police Department and City Hall.
A review by the Kaiser Health News service and The Associated Press finds that at least 48 state and local public health leaders have been fired, retired or fired since April across 23 states. The list has grown by more than 20 people since the AP and KHN started keeping track.
The departure exacerbates a bad situation, at a time when the U.S. is in dire need of good public health leadership, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and Urban Health Officials.
‘We’re moving here at breakneck speed to stop a pandemic, and you can not afford to hit the button and say,’ We’ll change the lead here and we’ll get back to you after we hire someone , ” said Freeman.
As of Monday, confirmed infections in the United States stood at more than 5 million, with deaths above 163,000, the highest in the world, according to the count preserved by Johns Hopkins University.
Many of the fires and layoffs have to do with conflicts over mask orders or social distancing shutdowns, Freeman said. Many politicians and ordinary Americans have argued that such measures are not necessary, contrary to the scientific evidence and advice of public health experts.
‘It’s not a health part; it is a political divorce, ”Freeman said.
Some health officials said they were leaving for family reasons, others had planned to retire, and some left for jobs at other health agencies, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still many left in the afternoon from an environment with a crowd.
Leaders of public health of Dr. Anthony Fauci to officials in small communities have reported death threats and intimidation. Some have seen their home addresses published or have been attacked on social media. Fauci said his wife and daughters have received serious threats.
In Ohio, the state’s health director, Dr. Amy Acton, resigned in June after months of pressure in which Republican lawmakers tried to strip her of her authority and armed protesters appeared at her home.
It was on the advice of Acton that GOP Prime Minister Mike DeWine became the first governor to close schools statewide. Acton also called off the state presidency in March, just hours before questions were due to open, angering those who saw it as an overreaction.
The executive director of Las Animas-Huerfano Counties District Health Department in Colorado found her car twice vandalized, and a group called Colorado Counties for Freedom demanded a radio ad that her authority be diminished. Kim Gonzales has stayed on track.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice forced the dismissal of Commission on Public Health Dr Cathy Slemp in June over what he said was a discrepancy in the data. Slemp said the department’s work has been hampered by outdated technology such as fax machines and slow computer networks.
“We drive a great Aunt Pinto like what you need to drive a Ferrari,” Slemp said.
Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins, was critical of Slemp’s fire and said it was profound that public health officials who told “uncomfortable truths” to political leaders had been removed.
‘That’s terrible for the national response, because what we need to get this first is the truth. We need data and we need people to interpret the data and help political leaders make good judgments, “Inglesby said.
Since 2010, spending on public health departments has dropped 16% per capita, and the amount devoted to local health departments has dropped 18%, according to a KHN and AP analysis. At least 38,000 jobs and local public health jobs have disappeared since the 2008 recession, leaving a skeletal workforce for what was once seen as one of the world’s top public health systems in the world.
In Oklahoma, both the state commissioner for state and epidemiologist have been replaced since the outbreak began in March.
In rural Colorado, Emily Brown was fired in May as director of the Rio Grande County Department of Public Health after clashing with county commissioners over recommendations of the newly opened. The person who replaced her resigned on July 9th.
Brown said she knows many leaders of the public health department who are considering resigning or retiring because of the penalties.
‘I think there is a leadership. “Our elected officials in positions of power, whether presidents, administrators or mayors, do not support staff better or tune messages,” forcing public health officials to bear the political pressure, “Brown said. It’s really hard to hear that we could be losing that expertise. ”
——
Weber reported from St. Louis. Associated Press writer Sean Murphy and KHN writer Anna Maria Barry-Jester contribute reports.
——
Weber is a reporter with Kaiser Health News. This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and KHN, which is a nonprofit news service that deals with health issues. It is an editorially independent program of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
