There are few people more immersed in promoting public health in Rhode Island than Amy Nunn.
Nunn is a professor of behavioral health and social sciences at Brown University’s School of Public Health; she holds a secondary appointment in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brown University Medical School. She is the executive director of the Rhode Island Public Health Institute (RIPHI), and the CEO of Open Door Health, the state’s first health clinic for the LGBTQ+ community.
Today, public health advocates are wrestling with research cuts from the Trump administration and trying to decide how to respond to what many see as dangerous ideas from the Make America Healthy Again movement. So how does Nunn see the way forward? What would it take to truly make Americans healthier? Ocean State Media politics reporter Ian Donnis sat down with Nunn to ask these questions and more in this in-depth conversation.
Interview highlights
On how the Trump administration is affecting public health in Rhode Island
Amy Nunn: I think we’re all really concerned.
For example, right now, the government shutdown has affected a lot of things in public health. We’re on the precipice of having really steep increases in premiums for people who buy their insurance on the exchange through the Affordable Care Act. A lot of people are not sure whether or not they will receive their full SNAP benefits. So there are a lot of things affecting public health right now.
I think, also, we are concerned about reimbursement rates for Medicaid, and in the future here, trying to get them on par with our neighboring states of Massachusetts and Connecticut.
On the impact of the crisis in SNAP benefits
Nunn: I think the impacts of the (lack of the) SNAP assistance program will be nothing short of catastrophic.
People will be going hungry. There’s also the potential to really bankrupt our food banks and emergency support systems. We’re all really concerned about it, and I think there are also some other things happening in the health system that probably will affect people’s ability to get medical care, both in inpatient systems at the hospitals, as well as in primary care settings.
On how the public health landscape will change with President Trump in office
Nunn: I’m really nervous about that. I think we may not be able to rely on the federal government at this time.
We can’t go without the federal government, but it’s a time for our state leaders to really lean in, and step up to the plate to fill some of these gaps. And also to demand accountability, I believe, from the federal government.
