In Conversation: What Many in the Public Health Community Are Identifying as Needs in These Turbulent Times
March 19, 2026
Overview
Public health practitioners and others working to advance health and health equity are navigating a landscape filled with unprecedented challenges. In 2025, the Network commissioned Frey Evaluation, LLC to conduct focus groups to learn how the needs of those in the field have changed in light of the current climate and how the Network can respond to help meet those needs.
“I’d just say even being involved in this discussion has really lifted my spirits in a way, it’s lonely in the grassroots.”
Focus Group Participant
Public health practitioners and others working to advance health and health equity are navigating a landscape filled with unprecedented challenges—from tightening political restrictions and limited resources, to federal leadership that is upending long-held evidence-based practices.
The needs of public health have always outpaced the resources available to meet them. What has changed is the urgency and the nature of the threats. Practitioners are not simply under-resourced; they are operating inside a coordinated effort to dismantle the infrastructure and legal authority that public health depends on.
In 2025, the Network commissioned Frey Evaluation, LLC to conduct focus groups to learn about the current needs of those in the field and help the Network better understand how they currently benefit, and could benefit even more, from the resources and services provided by the Network. Nine focus groups composed of a total of 68 participants from across the spectrum of Network constituents, including health departments, and community and partner organizations, were held.
Focus group participants spoke about the daunting challenges they are facing, from funding cuts, to conflicting and unethical language requirements, to attacks on racial and health equity, to compliance dilemmas. This hostile political environment has leaders, practitioners, advocates, and others in public health and community health feeling isolated, scared, uncertain, demoralized, and burnt out. They reported having an increasingly difficult time implementing guidance from the Network, due to factors like preemption being used against public health, quickly shifting policy advocacy strategies, and political pushbacks against public health officials.
Focus group participants were also eager to share the many ways in which they are fighting back. They are using new terminology to comply with federal directives while still advancing the work of racial and health equity. They are choosing to center community values even if sometimes that means foregoing funding that doesn’t align. They are exploring new narrative strategies and using humanizing storytelling that centers people over jargon. They are utilizing and uplifting ‘targeted universalism’ approaches to further equity under the radar. And they are collaborating with new messengers to reach across the political spectrum.
And what of the Network’s role in responding to these challenges? In addition to facilitating more peer sharing and learning spaces (perhaps via additional communities of practice), constituents are asking the Network to continue in its commitment to racial health equity, contributing to a public record of resistance that can be used by those who can’t speak up. Many Network users and partners see the Network as an important leader in the field of public health law and are asking the Network to be a part of long-term planning for a future public health that centers equity, specifically beyond current political challenges and defunding crises.
Major themes from these intensive focus group discussions were identified by Frey Evaluation and synthesized to produce a set of practical recommendations. These recommendations focus on creating additional opportunities for learning, training, and communities of practice for peer-to-peer interactions; conducting webinars that provide “Public Health Law 101” information and increase understanding about how to request assistance from Network attorneys in identifying the law and policy levers that can help advance initiatives; and streamlining online, knowledge-building resources for easier access.
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The Network is moving forward with these recommendations in mind. We will host a webinar in the upcoming months on Public Health Law 101 and another on the types of assistance and consultation Network attorneys can provide. One of the key themes identified by focus group participants was the need to create communities of learning and practice, and opportunities for those in public health to better connect with one another and feel less isolated. We invite you to take our brief survey, which will help us determine how best to develop, structure, and provide opportunities for learning, support, and connection.
The Network promotes public health and health equity through non-partisan educational resources and technical assistance. These materials provided are provided solely for educational purposes and do not constitute legal advice. The Network’s provision of these materials does not create an attorney-client relationship with you or any other person and is subject to the Network’s Disclaimer.
Support for the Network is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The views expressed in this post do not represent the views of (and should not be attributed to) RWJF. Support for the Network is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The views expressed in this post do not represent the views of (and should not be attributed to) RWJF.