At a time when trust in public health institutions is under strain and federal health coordination is in flux, a coalition of state governors has added a prominent epidemiologist and science communicator to its advisory ranks. The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA), a nonpartisan coalition launched in October 2025 to support cross-state collaboration on health issues, announced on April 16, 2026, that Dr. Katelyn Jetelina will join as an advisor.
Dr. Jetelina is an epidemiologist known for translating complex public health information for general audiences. She authors “Your Local Epidemiologist,” a newsletter that reaches millions of readers, and founded Project Stethoscope, an initiative aimed at connecting community perspectives to public health decision-making systems. Her addition to PHA’s advisory structure reflects a strategic emphasis on communication and public trust alongside scientific preparedness.
PHA Managing Director Angela Botticella framed the appointment in terms of a current communications gap in public health. “At a time when public health guidance can feel fragmented and confusing, her voice will help strengthen how governors and public health leaders connect with people, reinforce trust, and ensure communities have access to credible, evidence-based information,” Botticella said.
Dr. Jetelina, in her own statement, identified a structural problem at the core of public health failures. “Public health doesn’t fail because of a lack of science; it fails when the connection between people and the systems meant to serve them breaks down,” she said, adding that governors are “uniquely positioned to rebuild that connection” through bidirectional relationships with communities.
PHA was established specifically to fill coordination gaps that can emerge when federal public health systems are under pressure or in transition. The alliance focuses on disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, vaccine access, and public health communication across state lines. Adding an advisor with a demonstrated public reach and expertise in health communication reflects a broader recognition that scientific capacity alone is insufficient to mount effective public health responses — particularly when public trust is contested.
Dr. Jetelina joins an advisory bench that includes Dr. Mandy Cohen, former CDC Director and North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services; Dr. Anne Zink, former Alaska Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Raj Panjabi, former White House Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense; and Ambassador Nina Hachigian, former U.S. Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy.
PHA operates under GovAct, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization. As a part of GovAct, the Alliance is also guided by GovAct’s Bipartisan Advisory Board of former governors — Arne Carlson (R-MN), Jim Doyle (D-WI), Deval Patrick (D-MA), Marc Racicot (R-MT), Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), Bill Graves (R-KS), and Bill Weld (R-MA) — and former senior federal officials Sally Yates and Larry Thompson.
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Leading Public Health Communicator & Epidemiologist Dr. Katelyn Jetelina Joins Governors Public Health Alliance as Advisor – Governors Public Health Alliance