“Do No Harm” Means Speaking Up
As a physician, I swore an oath to do no harm.
But staying silent while science, medicine, and public health are under attack is doing harm.
Right now, the Trump administration’s proposed 2026 budget is gutting the very systems that keep our patients—and our communities—safe. This is not a partisan issue. This is a public health emergency.
research scientist in a lab
We need to talk about it.
This isn’t just politics. This is about patients.
These proposed cuts aren’t theoretical. They’re already affecting our ability to prevent, detect, and treat disease.
If you’re a doctor, nurse, or other health professional—you will feel this. And so will your patients. Hard. And soon.
Let me walk you through what’s at stake:
1. The CDC Is Being Hollowed Out
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—the agency tasked with preventing disease and responding to public health emergencies—is facing a budget cut of nearly 50%.
Here’s what that means:
Epidemiologists are being laid off.
Disease outbreak tracking is being shut down.
Programs focused on chronic diseases, tobacco, and injury prevention? Closed.
We are dismantling our frontline defense against the next pandemic, and abandoning efforts to reduce the conditions that silently kill millions every year.
2. Medicaid Cuts Will Devastate Vulnerable Patients
Congress is considering massive cuts to Medicaid, a lifeline that covers over 70 million Americans.
These cuts would affect:
The elderly
People with disabilities
Rural hospitals already on the brink of closure
This isn’t about saving money—it’s about stripping access to care from those who need it most. These cuts will throw our already-strained clinics and hospitals into chaos.
3. Medical Research Is Being Defunded
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has already lost more than $2 billion in research funding.
That means:
Clinical trials frozen
Grants canceled
Scientists fired
Lifesaving discoveries delayed—or lost entirely
This budget sets the U.S. back decades in cancer research, dementia treatment, infectious disease innovation, and so much more. We are forfeiting our global leadership in medical science.
4. The FDA Is Being Crippled
The Food and Drug Administration is facing nearly a 20% workforce cut.
This puts patient safety at risk:
Drug approvals will be delayed.
Oversight will weaken.
Dangerous products may enter the market unchecked.
We worked hard as a profession to move past the days of thalidomide and snake oil. We cannot let that era return.
5. Mental Health Support Is Being Dismantled
At the peak of a national mental health crisis—when suicide rates, depression, and opioid deaths are soaring—the agency tasked with addressing it is being shut down.
SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is on the chopping block. Behavioral health funding is facing a 16% cut.
Our patients need more care, not less. Instead, they’re being left behind.
6. Even the Data Is Under Attack
Evidence-based medicine depends on access to research and data. But that foundation is being eroded:
Medical journals are being investigated.
Certain research topics are being banned.
Federal databases are disappearing.
Without facts, physicians are flying blind. And worse, the truth is being buried—intentionally.
This Isn’t “Draining the Swamp.” It’s Dismantling Science.
Let’s be clear: we support thoughtful reform, accountability, and efficiency in government. But that’s not what this is.
This is an ideologically-driven gutting of our public health system. It’s:
Endangering our most vulnerable patients
Undermining evidence-based medicine
Setting back science by decades
We Must Sound the Alarm
If you’re a health professional, your voice matters now more than ever. Speak up with your credentials. Speak up with your conscience.
We must speak up for the public. Fo policymakers. For our patients.
We must stand for science. We must protect health. We must not stay silent.
🗣️ What You Can Do
✅ Sign the open letter
✅ Share this post with colleagues
✅ Contact your representatives
✅ Use your platform—however big or small
Your silence will be remembered. So will your courage.
#StandWithScience
