Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Pandemic Preparedness Caucus, hosted a Pandemic Preparedness Roundtable with Massachusetts HHS Secretary Kate Walsh, local community hospital CEOs, and other community health leaders from across the Third District.

The roundtable discussion comes three years after the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency was first declared in the United States and in advance of the reauthorization of the Pandemics and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), which according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, contains “key legal authorities to sustain and strengthen our Nation's preparedness for public health emergencies involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents, as well as emerging infectious disease threats.”

The roundtable is just one part of outreach being done by Congresswoman Trahan and her office to ensure that she can better advocate for the needs of the Massachusetts public health community during the reauthorization process. The Pandemics and All-Hazards Preparedness Act is a must-pass piece of legislation for the 118th Congress with reauthorization due September 30, 2023.  

“There is simply no excuse for us to get caught flat-footed by another pandemic like COVID-19. We must apply the lessons learned over the past three years to ensure we’re better prepared to prevent another infectious disease outbreak in the future – and that’s exactly what our conversation today was about,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “With the expertise of local and state public health leaders, including Secretary Walsh, I could not be more pleased with the breadth of knowledge and experience we had at the table today. I’m more prepared than ever to return to Washington and fight for our local priorities to strengthen the programs that Massachusetts is going to rely on in the Pandemics and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.”

“In the early days of COVID-19, there was no playbook guiding our pandemic response. In the three years since, we have learned a lot about multi-sector partnership, effective leadership, and necessary preparedness measures,” said Secretary Walsh. “We must build on what we’ve learned to ensure that we are equipped to respond to any future disasters. Thank you to Congresswoman Trahan for convening today’s conversation and taking critical steps toward a strong pandemic preparedness framework to ensure that Massachusetts is well-positioned for the future.”

Congresswoman Trahan and Secretary Walsh were joined by

• Laura Bronner, Ginkgo Bioworks VP for Business Development
• Dr. Robert Colgrove, Chair Diagnostics Committee, Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
• Michael Curry, MA League of Community Health Centers President & CEO
• John DeMalia, Community Health Connections President & CEO
• Dr. John Fangman, HIV Medicine Association
• Dr. Guy Fish, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center CEO & President
• Robin Hynds, Lawrence General Hospital EVP/COO
• Brian Johnson, MassMEDIC
• President Susan Levine, Lowell Community Health Center CEO
• Dr. Dany Matar, Color Health VP of Client Services
• Elijah White, President of Zoll Medical
• Jody White, Lowell General Hospital CEO
• Craig Weiss, Senior Director of Commercial Operations, Hologic’s Diagnostics Division 
• Rachel Wilson, CIC Health CEO
• Steve Wolfe, Medical Countermeasures Coalition

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Trahan worked around the clock with public health officials and health care facilities across the Third District. She co-founded the Pandemic Preparedness Caucus to advance results-driven, bipartisan policy solutions to challenges presented by COVID-19 and future public health emergencies. She also authored and secured passage of the BIO Preparedness Workforce Act to strengthen the pipeline of bio-preparedness and infectious disease professionals that was critical during the pandemic. 

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