966 - "CDC is a horrible place to be at this time"

About this episode: Following months of personnel cuts, funding terminations, and escalating violence, CDC employees face a new hurdle with the government shutdown. In this episode: Yolanda Jacobs, president of the union chapter that represents more than 1,000 CDC employees, offers an inside look at how employees are grappling with these challenges and shares how those of us outside the CDC can offer support. Guests: Yolanda Jacobs is a health communications specialist at the CDC and the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2883. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: With new cuts at CDC, some fear there's 'nobody to answer the phone'—NPR Supporting the Public Health Workforce in Challenging Times—Public Health On Call (October 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.