As preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough resurface across the United States, the stakes for public health leadership could not be higher. Instead of strengthening the agencies tasked with protecting our nation’s health, the Trump administration’s appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services—coupled with sweeping changes at the CDC and other critical agencies—signals a dangerous departure from evidence-based practice. When ideology replaces science, the results are measured in rising infection rates, preventable hospitalizations, and lives cut short.

Nurses see this reality unfolding in real time. From the school health office to the community clinic, they are often the first to witness the consequences of disinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and governmental neglect. In their OpEd, Donna Gaffney and Teri Mills—widely known as The OpEd Nurses—give voice to what so many frontline health professionals understand: dismantling trust in science puts every family and every community at risk.

The OpEd Nurses bring decades of experience as practitioners, educators, and advocates to this urgent call. Their message is clear: public health cannot be guided by conspiracy theories or political agendas. At this critical moment, the nation needs leadership grounded in science, transparency, and compassion. To ignore these principles is to gamble with the health of today’s children and compromise the safety of generations to come.

Now is the time for all of us, health professionals, policymakers, and the public, to stand firmly with science. Read this piece not only as a warning, but as a call to action: challenge misinformation, demand accountability from leaders, and support policies that protect the health and safety of our communities. The future of public health depends on it.

Read the full Op-Ed published by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on September 30, 2025:

Donna A. Gaffney and Teri Mills: MAHA is bad for America’s health

 

The OpEd Nurses, Donna Gaffney, and Teri Mills are both leaders in Defend Public Health.