Public health is more than policies and mandates—it’s about saving lives and creating healthier communities. Yet the very term “public health” has been politicized and misunderstood. Here’s why public health still matters, and why we need to reimagine how we talk about it.

My work lives in the thick of health policy — analyzing bills, tracking regulations, and understanding how laws shape our communities. But outside of my job? I live completely offline.

No TikTok. No Instagram. No Facebook (deleted years ago). My only “social media” is LinkedIn, and even that feels more like a professional tool than a place to scroll.

It’s not that I’m disconnected. If anything, I’m deeply connected — just not in the way most people expect. COVID-19 taught me that public health professionals don’t need to be glued to a feed to understand what’s going on. Sometimes, stepping away from the noise is exactly what keeps us focused on the work that matters.

Protesting on July 4th didn’t change the bill that was already on the president’s desk. But calling your senator might have. Voting definitely would have. We keep saying we want to reduce chronic disease and mortality—but how, if we’re not working across the very systems built to protect our health?

In November, I took a leap of faith and left my toxic work environment. The reward? A $20K pay increase, private-sector perks like profit sharing and better benefits, more work-from-home flexibility, and—most importantly—better mental health. The pivot to the private sector had always intrigued me, and now I understand why: the opportunities and support far outweigh what I experienced in the public sector. Health policy might just be my calling!