I can hardly believe what I’m witnessing. Is this truly taking place in the United States? As a pediatrician and advocate for public health, I feel we are observing the actual systematic dismantling of our healthcare system.

For example: the federal government’s mismanagement of two recent lead contamination crises (in Michigan and Wisconsin). These missteps not only put children at risk for avoidable toxic harm but also expose a deeper failure in democratic accountability and responsible governance. This should concern us all.

I am a pediatric cardiologist, a physician devoted to caring for some of the most vulnerable children. In my specialty, it often comes down to life and death. For thirty years, I have always championed access to the highest quality medical care for critically ill infants and children. I have faced my share of conflicts with insurance companies and the bureaucratic stagnation of our healthcare system. I can proudly assert that I have never backed down when my patient’s health and safety were on the line. I do not accept mediocrity. I never expected to see the day when my own government would be among those obstructing urgently needed medical and public health care. It is profoundly distressing to witness the thoughtless irresponsibility of those entrusted with leading our healthcare system.

In 2023, lead levels at the Okemos Public Montessori School (OPMS) in Michigan exceeded three times the state’s action limit, the level at which the risk of harm to those exposed significantly rises. In 2024, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) detected lead levels as much as 170 times the safety limit. These figures are not just alarming; they urgently require swift, expert intervention. Yet there has been a total absence of federal aid. The United States has a long history of dealing with lead toxicity. By the 1970s, it was firmly established that even low-level lead exposure could result in irreversible harm, particularly to children’s developing brains. The prohibition of lead-based paint in 1978 and the gradual elimination of leaded gasoline were significant milestones in a broader initiative to protect public health. Key to that initiative was the CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, which facilitated surveillance, education, and community-level responses. These efforts proved effective as the nation experienced a substantial decline in average blood lead levels among American children over subsequent decades. However, we never fully resolved the issue. Lead remains present in aging infrastructure. When schools like OPMS and MPS encounter acute contamination, they require expert assistance more than ever.

The original success story, however, is coming undone. In April 2025, just as communities like OPMS and MPS were seeking assistance and without consulting the public, the CDC’s lead prevention program was unceremoniously terminated under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In Milwaukee, Health Commissioner Dr. Mike Totoraitis expressed dismay at the abrupt dismissal of federal lead specialists, labeling the decision “astonishing” and counterproductive to public health. I completely concur. Meanwhile, during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on May 20, RFK Jr. claimed that the CDC had a team “actively aiding” Milwaukee. Local officials immediately contradicted this assertion. Totoraitis clarified that the only CDC involvement had been a brief, prearranged technical visit unrelated to the school crisis. In actuality, Milwaukee has been compelled to establish its own emergency infrastructure consisting of testing clinics and water line replacement strategies while contending with a $630 million budget shortfall. This discrepancy between federal claims and the reality faced by Milwaukee is both deceptive and perilous.

In Okemos, Michigan, local leadership adopted a different strategy. They rose to the occasion when federal support faltered. Superintendent John Hood openly acknowledged the district’s slow response, accepted full responsibility, and oversaw vital interventions including the installation of filtered water systems and comprehensive testing. This is the level of transparency and leadership we expect and desperately need at the federal level.

Yet I sense a more profound concern: How can communities safeguard themselves if they are not even made aware that crucial public health infrastructure has been dismantled? The CDC Lead Poisoning Prevention Program was eliminated without public notification, which sets a dangerous precedent. It undermines the very democratic process of deliberation and open proceedings intended to protect community health. The government is neglecting its obligation to safeguard, particularly when it opts for ideology and budget cuts over scientific knowledge and public safety.

What is the value of a child’s life? To me, it is beyond measure.

And let us be clear: This is not an issue confined to underserved communities. Meridian Township, home to OPMS, is relatively affluent and well-educated, surpassing many regions in Michigan on standardized testing. If a prominent school in a high-income area can be neglected during a public health crisis, we must all be vigilant about our safety. No community is immune. The decline of science-based governance in favor of ideological decision-making is not just shortsighted; it is abusive.