Trump administration officials have been removing public health information from federal agency web pages causing concern among public health professionals who rely on this data for public health policy development and program planning and evaluation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) websites, among others, have erased or significantly altered data sets about adolescent health, racial and ethnic health disparities, HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ health.
While a court order has since restored some of the missing data, public health experts wonder about the broader implications of data erasure or alteration. What happens when the federal government not only omits public health data, but also no longer collects it for the foreseeable future?
Atrómitos Principal Amanda Rodgers joins Katy Rodgers, a data analyst for population health and quality at a health system, in a conversation about what missing federal data means for public health, health and human service providers, community-based organizations and advocates.

Katy Rodgers has used her diverse academic background in public health, medical anthropology, religious and women’s studies to lead public health
and rural health workforce programs in Idaho and transform emergency room responses to human trafficking and intimate partner violence in California health systems.

Amanda Rodgers is a public health professional with over a decade of experience in program evaluation, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. She leads data collection, stakeholder facilitation, and research development for government contracting and capital funding readiness initiatives for the firm.

Key Takeaways

Zoom in: Katy and Amanda discuss their prior work together on the CDC’s Rape Prevention and Education Program grant as an example of how federal-level data sets helped create a comprehensive approach to sexual violence prevention. Without federal data, developing an evidence-based intervention like this would be difficult, if not impossible.

Zoom out: When the federal government no longer collects public health data about specific populations, how can local and state level agencies fill in data gaps that affect not only program evaluation and grant funding opportunities, but also exacerbate health disparities and compromise public accountability?

What can be done

--

This podcast is a production of Atrómitos, a woman-owned boutique consulting firm creating a better way for our health and human services provider clients to achieve their goals by strengthening internal operations, enhancing financial stability and evaluating public policies.

Want to know more about the firm behind the podcast?

• Atrómitos, LLC Website: https://atromitosconsulting.com
• Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atromitos-llc/
• Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@atromitosllc
• Get Emails: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/#subscriber

In addition to our podcast, we've developed additional resources to improve your understanding of both long-standing and emerging issues important to leaders in the health and human service provider, government and philanthropic sectors.

Our articles, policy briefs and infographics provide you with information you can use to reach your organization’s goals.

• Atrómitos Way Podcast Website: www.atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way
• Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-atrómitos-way
• Articles: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/progress/
• White Papers: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/unlocking/