Two years ago, I got a text message from Katelyn Jetelina. “Hey, we’re thinking about a YLE state model. Starting in New York. You down?” I text back: Heck yes!!

What proceeded was a wild ride. This newsletter community grew rapidly: from zero to more than 42,000 New Yorkers subscribing in two years. It reached as high as policymakers in the state and as deep as communities, including a local running club in the city.

I am so stinkin’ proud of that level of growth and diversity, and I couldn’t have done it without this community. It can be really hard to break through in today’s information ecosystem. It shows me that the late nights, rewrites, endless research, and behind-the-scenes work were worth it, but also that there is a massive gap to be filled in public health and health care.

Sadly, this will be my last YLE newsletter. (That was such a hard sentence to write.) It’s time for me to focus on family, and having a side gig right now isn’t in the cards. This newsletter is not going anywhere! Katelyn and the team have exciting plans. In fact, she will be expanding this to a Northeast newsletter so we can bring more public health science to people.

One of the most incredible parts of this journey was getting to write for you, but even more importantly, getting to learn from you, the YLE NY community. (Hopefully you learned a thing or two from me, too.)

What I learned from you

The list is long, but here are a few highlights:

1. New York State and NYC aren’t the same, and shouldn’t be treated like it. NYC public health problems aren’t universal across our diverse state. Communities from North Country to Western New York, and everywhere in between, face their own unique and complex health realities. I would often get a message like: Don’t forget about us upstate! Thank you for advocating for the rural, small, or overlooked parts of our beautiful state, and helping push me beyond the five boroughs.
2. New Yorkers care deeply about their neighbors and communities. I got so many messages that weren’t about “what this means for me” but were about what this means for my neighbors, my patients, my family members, my community. You asked questions to help others. New Yorkers have each other’s backs.
3. People don’t need more data; they need navigators. Some of the articles I’m most proud of were my most emotional and spoke more from my heart than from a textbook. This is something we in public health are never taught. In fact, we’re taught to take all emotion out of data, but that makes it really boring for everyone else. Katelyn always encouraged me to tap into my voice, and I’m deeply grateful to have learned so much from her.
4. People are capable of understanding complex science and can handle uncertainty. I believe this even more strongly now. We are in the age of information and curiosity. That means the days when “trust me, I’m an expert” was enough are over.
5. Listening, listening, listening. I’m walking away from this experience a better epidemiologist and New Yorker because of the questions you asked and the feedback you gave. And I have a much deeper appreciation for the people behind the scenes who work quietly holding our systems together. Thank you.

What I hope stays with you

I would love to hear in the comments what you’re taking away from this newsletter. But as I reflect, there are two big throughlines I especially hope stay with you:

1. Health is hyper-local. From heat waves to wildfire smoke, tick-borne diseases and blood shortages, to state vaccine policies, ICE raids, and overdose prevention, public health is what’s happening in our neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, apartment buildings, churches, pharmacies, and homes. I’ve learned there can be real power in this. When the federal vaccine recommendations shifted towards guidance not backed by scientific evidence, New York State and NYC both took steps to protect New Yorkers and strengthen local vaccine policy. States, cities, health departments, hospitals, pharmacists, clinicians, and communities all have a role to play in public health, and it shouldn’t always flow top-down.
2. Under-the-radar systems matter enormously. A local pharmacy keeps vaccines accessible. A wastewater treatment plant tells us which viruses are circulating. A dam protects a town from flooding. A mosquito control team checks traps before we reach for our repellent. A cooling tower is inspected. These systems rarely make headlines when they’re working, but we quickly notice them when they break or disappear. Continuing to recognize and support these bedrock systems is critical to community well-being.

What’s next

This newsletter will take a two-week break, and then Katelyn will be back with more details.

What would you like to see? What have you appreciated these past two years? What could change? Put it in the comments (we turned off the paywall for comments). Or if you want to be anonymous, simply reply to this email with your thoughts. Katelyn will read all of them!

Bottom line

It has been a privilege and an honor to be your New York Epi. Thank you for trusting me with your questions, your stories, and a little bit of your time each week.

Keep doing what New Yorkers do best—taking care of each other.

With so much gratitude, Your NY Epi

Dr. Marisa Donnelly, PhD, is an epidemiologist, science communicator, and public health expert. This newsletter exists to translate complex public health data into actionable insights, empowering New Yorkers to make informed and evidence-based health decisions.