Dr. Patrick Remington

I've decide that I am no longer "retired." That sounds like I used to work, and now I don't.

Instead, I've simply changed jobs, from being a professor at the UW, to being a doctor who practices public health. I came to this conclusion by reflecting on my activities in the last few weeks, where I:
--worked with a PE teacher at Lakeview Elementary school in Madison to build mountain bike trails and features to get kids on bikes (https://sarisfoundation.rallyup.com/lakeview/Campaign/Details?OpenDonateModal=true);
--met with local leaders of our regional mountain bike advocacy group for strategic planning;
--testified at the capitol in opposition to a bill to soften Wisconsin's clean indoor air law;
--mentored preventive medicine residents;
--served on a panel speaking with medical students about advocacy;
--gave lectures to undergrads on environmental to***co smoke, public health students on communications, and undergrads in LaCrosse on chronic disease prevention; and more.

In my free time, I enjoy riding spending time with my wife and family in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Colorado, with friends riding mountain bikes and skiing.

I also like to tell stories, and share them on my blog, entitled "Don't Follow Pat" -- available at patrickremington.com

I've spent my entire career trying to translate evidence--that comes from credible research--into policy and practice. I never imagined a day when science would be ignored, and worse, policy would be determined based on the claims of charlatans.

The American College of Preventive Medicine reaffirms its support for evidence-based primary prevention initiatives. Immunizations and other prevention strategies play a vital role in reducing the burden of preventable disease, protecting communities and promoting overall well-being.

🔗Read more here: https://acpm.org/acpm-supports-evidence-based-primary-prevention-initiatives/

It's been said that "all good things must come to an end," but the end of the County Health Rankings will leave communities stranded as they look for data and effective programs or policies.

And with Trump's disastrous gutting of federal and state public health systems, it seems unlikely that they will assure continuation of this critical effort.

Why a UW-Madison ‘treasure trove’ of health data could go away The County Health Rankings and Roadmaps will lose its Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funding after 2026. Wisconsin health workers are disappointed.

We urge health professionals, medical researchers, and organizations to sign this open letter to raise public awareness of how federal policies are endangering health and health care.

It only takes a minute. Doing nothing is also an action. Thank you.

Please click here:

urldefense.com

Finally, after all the grim news these past 2 months, there's some good news from the Trump administration: Gun violence is no longer a public health crisis...

Trump removes gun violence public health advisory The advisory was issued by a Biden-nominated surgeon general last year.

Dear Senator Ron Johnson and Senator Tammy Baldwin,

I am writing to ask for your support of the CDC's most important public health training program: The Epidemic Intelligence Service (https://www.cdc.gov/eis/php/about/index.html).

Recently several news outlets have reported that an entire cohort of these fellows has been fired. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-disease-detectives-doge-cuts-health-agencies/

If this is true, it will certainly harm the CDC's ability to respond to outbreaks and epidemics today, and as importantly, eliminate one of the most important training programs in the world.

I know. I was born and raised in Wisconsin, and attended the UW-Madison medical school. After my clinical internship, I was an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in the US Public Health Service, serving our nation for six years (1982-1988). I then returned to Wisconsin and served as a Chief Medical Officer in the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. My 15 years of public service would not have been possible without the training provided by the Epidemic Intelligence Service.

I look forward to hearing back from you, and hope that you will support this vital program.

Patrick Re*****on, MD, MPH
Madison, Wisconsin

CDC's "disease detectives" halved as part of DOGE cuts at health agencies More than 1 in 10 of the health agency's workers are being let go, including an entire new class of CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officers.

"That dynamic tension between public health and politics sometimes plays out right in the pages of the MMWR."

Restrictions on CDC communications, Concerns about bird flu, An album inspired by Wisconsin's landscape We learn how new restrictions on communications by federal health agencies could affect public health. Then, we look at how the ongoing bird flu epidemic is affecting farmers and whether […]

Hey, how about setting up an Alt-MMWR site, to get a better handle on outbreaks in our communities?

I've heard of few people who got a flu-like illness, and were really sick. They needed to go to the ER. I wonder what the illness could be? I think I'll check the CDC's MMWR to learn more...

WTF? "CDC’s website is being modified to comply with President Trump’s Executive Orders."

Three weeks since the inauguration, and 3 weeks since we last heard about communicable diseases in this country. Thoughts and prayers if you get sick...

I was going to wait to comment on the transition of leadership at the CDC, but the time has come to speak out.

I spent almost a decade serving on the CDC's Community Preventive Services Task Force. Our committee members volunteered our time to carefully review the evidence about the effectiveness of a wide variety of public health interventions.

The results of our reviews were published on the CDC's website, and provided invaluable guidance to communities who are seeking to improve public health--making sure that they use programs and policies that are proven to work.

I heard that the CDC had taken down this website, so I had to check. Instead of gaining insight about effective public health programs, all we get now is this is a Proxy Error or link to "Stacks" that does not include the Community Guide.

Check for yourself: https://www.thecommunityguide.org/index.html

The CDC used to be the "Communicable Disease Center." Then in 1970, it became the "Center for Disease Control," and broadened its mission to address the leading causes of death, like cancer, heart disease, injuries, and environmental health.

It's incomprehensible that in 2024, anyone would propose limiting its scope to only communicable diseases, losing over 50 years of progress in public health.

Here's the backstory:

What Trump winning the election could mean for the CDC Conservatives in Congress and Washington think tanks have proposed eliminating CDC programs they say are not central to fighting infectious diseases.