The following is an op-ed by Health Commissioner Rick Hildebrant submitted for media publication in recognition of National Public Health Week:
Rick Hildebrant: We All Need Public Health. Public Health Needs You.
In my first six months on the job as Vermont’s Health Commissioner, I’ve learned so much about the work we do as a state to provide one another with the opportunity to enjoy healthy lives. It’s not easy work, but it pays off: Vermont continues to perform among the top states in the nation on many key measures of health, reflecting strong access to care, high use of preventive services, and a deep commitment to community wellbeing. We see this in areas like maternal and child health, the strength of our systems supporting older Vermonters, and lower rates of preventable harm and premature death. We have also made significant strides in substance use and chronic disease prevention and have, for the first time in nearly 25 years, marked a sustained decline in fatal drug overdoses.
Life-saving and life-changing successes like these are supported by the daily efforts of our public health workforce, public policy initiatives, and the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists and so many other professionals we trust with our health care. It’s a privilege to work alongside dedicated colleagues across all these groups every day. Whether I’m meeting with nurses in one of our local health offices, talking with elected officials or doing a shift with my longtime colleagues at Rutland Regional Medical Center, I am surrounded by people who share a passion to improve the lives of all Vermonters.
Public health asks something of all of us – sometimes, it asks a lot. Before joining the Health Department, I served in a number of physician leadership roles while continuing my work as a hospitalist on the inpatient unit at Rutland Regional Medical Center. Like so many in health care, I carry vivid memories of how difficult the pandemic was, both clinically and emotionally. I remember the impossible task of surge planning, of standing up an alternate care site at the Spartan Arena while working to keep our hospital staffed and our teams safe. I remember far too many patients dying, and the profound heartbreak experienced by their families and by the staff who cared for them.
The many different experiences of the pandemic changed us all in some way, and I know they continue to shape the way we all think about public health. What I also want people to know is this: public health is so much more than the last pandemic. Public health is embedded in the way we live our lives. It’s present in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. It’s how we care for our children and neighbors, how we protect our environment and respond to climate change, and how we confront complex, interconnected social challenges like addiction and homelessness. Much of this work is invisible, but it is constant and far-reaching – and it does not stand still. Public health is woven into the systems that protect us every day, and it continues to push at the margins to expand access to opportunities for full and healthy lives to all of us more equitably.
It’s clear to me as our state’s Health Commissioner that we can’t take any of this for granted – in this role, I also see firsthand the many challenges we face. It’s no secret that the approach to public health at the national level is changing. The rollback of federal support systems and information sharing across state lines makes it more difficult to monitor emerging health issues. In many ways, challenges like these leave it to those of us at the state and local level to step in and provide clarity, consistency, and a steady source of trusted information. Sudden shifts in guidance, priorities and even the core programs we have counted on for decades can create real confusion, making it hard for people to know who to trust with questions about public health and even their own health.
The public health system we rely on today was built over generations, and we all have a stake in ensuring it remains strong for ourselves, our families, our communities and the generations to come. That can look like volunteering at your local hospital, school, or community organization, carrying naloxone, supporting your local farmers market, or writing to public officials and elected representatives about a health issue that matters to you. Listen to your friends and loved ones talk about their health concerns, and hold your child’s hand when they get their flu shot. There’s so much uncertainty out there, but these everyday actions truly matter – and together they shape the health of our communities.
We all need public health. And right now, public health needs you.
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