Episode #453 Public Health Is Political, With Susan Polan, PhD
- Apr 21
- 5 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
On This Episode Of The Public Health Epidemiology Conversations (PHEC) Podcast
What Happens When Public Health Becomes a Target?
Days after the 2024 election, Susan Polan, PhD's boss asked her a single question: "How comfortable are you with risk?" Her answer set the tone for everything that followed. As Associate Executive Director for Public Affairs and Advocacy at the American Public Health Association (APHA), Dr. Polan has spent over two decades building the systems, coalitions, and communication strategies that keep public health at the center of national policy. In this episode, she sits down with Dr. Huntley to talk candidly about what the current landscape looks like from the inside, and what it is going to take to move forward.
Wins, Lawsuits, and the Fight That Never Stops
APHA currently has six active lawsuits running simultaneously, something that has never happened in the organization's history. Dr. Polan walks through hard-won victories, including grant reinstatements and federal budget language pushing back against unchecked reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services. She also speaks honestly about the exhaustion that comes with fighting for every inch of ground, and why she believes the public health community is only beginning to understand its own power.
The Policy Action Institute: Where Science Meets Advocacy
One of the most compelling parts of this conversation centers on APHA's Policy Action Institute (PAI), an intensive training experience designed to give public health professionals the skills and confidence to communicate their work to legislators, community members, and anyone who does not already speak the language of public health. Dr. Polan describes how PAI bridges the gap between knowing the science and knowing how to make it resonate with people across the political spectrum. Registration opens in early April, and the event takes place every June. Links are provided in the show notes.
Your Voice Is More Powerful Than You Think
Dr. Huntley asks the question many listeners have been sitting with: Does any of this even matter if no one seems to be listening? Dr. Polan's answer is clear and backed by decades of experience. Congressional staff are counting every contact, noting every constituent who writes in, calls, or shows up. You do not need a law degree or a perfectly polished argument. You need your real-world expertise and the willingness to use it. Dr. Polan walks through practical, accessible entry points for getting involved at every stage of a public health career.
About Our Guest
Susan L. Polan, PhD
Susan L. Polan, PhD, is Associate Executive Director for Public Affairs and Advocacy at the American Public Health Association, where she has served for over 21 years. In this role, she oversees the Association's departments of government relations and affiliate affairs, communications, and membership. She is responsible for planning and directing APHA's legislative, regulatory, and legal activities, communicating those initiatives and Association news to members and the public, and overseeing membership recruitment, retention, and affiliate, caucus, and section relations.
Prior to joining APHA, Dr. Polan served as Director of Government Relations at Trust for America's Health, where she led lobbying efforts on public health infrastructure, chronic disease prevention, and environmental health tracking. Her career also includes leadership roles at the American Cancer Society and Partnership for Prevention, as well as service as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Science and Technology Fellow with the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, where she drafted legislation on tobacco control and school health policy.
Dr. Polan earned her bachelor of science degree in psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, her master of science degree in health psychology from San Diego State University, and her doctorate in social ecology from the University of California, Irvine.
Listen To This Episode Of The Public Health Epidemiology Conversations (PHEC) Podcast
Conversation Highlights
Public health is political, and that is not a problem.
Dr. Polan draws a clear distinction between being partisan and being political. Effective public health work requires engaging in the policy process, and professionals at every level have both the standing and the expertise to do so.
Congressional staff are the people who matter most.
Members of Congress are pulled in many directions, but their staff are the decision drivers. Building a relationship with a staffer in your district is one of the most high-impact advocacy moves a public health professional can make.
You already know more than the people you are talking to.
Advocates often hold back because they fear they do not know enough about legislation. Dr. Polan reframes this entirely: your frontline expertise in a program or community is exactly what legislators need to hear, and they cannot get it from anyone else.
Small victories are still victories.
In a climate where every win feels temporary, Dr. Polan encourages the public health community to recognize the real impact of grant reinstatements, court victories, and budget language that holds the line. Half a step forward is still movement.
Advocacy starts at home and builds from there.
From a conversation at the dinner table to an action alert to a visit with your legislator, advocacy exists on a spectrum. Dr. Polan encourages every public health professional to identify where they are and take the next step.
Communication across difference is the skill public health needs most right now.
The field has long excelled at speaking to itself. Dr. Polan challenges listeners to develop the ability to speak compellingly to people who hold entirely different worldviews, because those are the conversations that will define what comes next.
"Move across the aisle. Talk to non-traditional champions. We can't do it alone." — Susan Polan, PhD
APHA Policy Action Institute
Arlington, Va and Digitally | June 9-10, 2026 (June 11 optional Hill Day)
The APHA Policy Action Institute brings public health professionals together to learn how to navigate today’s evolving policy landscape, including understanding the state of public health in 2026, navigating funding cuts, finding common ground among MAHA and other emerging wellness movements and interpreting the implications of the upcoming midterm elections. Through hands-on advocacy training, message development, community engagement strategies and an optional Capitol Hill visit on June 11, attendees will gain practical tools to effectively communicate priorities, influence decision-makers and advance health equity.
Connect With Our Guest:
Links Mentioned In This Episode:
Reach Out To Us:
Other Resources
Podcast Links
📲 Haven’t downloaded the PHEC Podcast Community app yet?
Enjoying the podcast? Please write a favorable review of the Public Health Epidemiology Conversations Podcast in Apple Podcasts.
Listen to the Public Health Epidemiology Conversations Podcast (PHEC Podcast) in Spotify.
Listen to the Public Health Epidemiology Conversations Podcast (PHEC Podcast) on other podcast platforms.
Like This Episode?
Click links below to share this episode with your network!
Comment below with your favorite takeaway!
Public Health Consulting To Support You
DrCHHuntley LLC is a public health consulting firm that specializes in epidemiology consulting, supporting large nonprofit organizations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida that serve Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). We also provide nationwide public health consulting and epidemiology consulting support to BIPOC organizations across the United States.
Comments