SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 6, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Fourteen years ago Mike Leavitt, serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services under George W. Bush, sounded an alarm: a pandemic was coming. It may be avian flu; it may be something else, but when it arrived, as it surely would, it would pose a grave risk to both public health and the economy.
The year was 2006 and the former three-time Utah governor would spend the next three years crafting and promoting a detailed federal response to a prospective pandemic threat.
It was an all encompassing initiative, with billions of dollars behind it, and required the painstaking coordination of a global pandemic response from organizations like CDC and the WHO, to state and local health departments across the U.S.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, while serving at the CDC, was among Leavitt’s advisors.
During that time, Leavitt worked tirelessly and with great urgency to get a pandemic plan in place. He says it was during that early, exhaustive effort he learned an enduring lesson.
“Until it happens, anything you say sounds alarmist. After it happens, anything you do seems inadequate.”
It’s just one of the insights Leavitt shares during a recent appearance on Episode #12 of Bill Gephardt Show. In a wide-ranging interview with Bill Gephardt, owner of GephardtDaily.com, Utah’s former chief-executive talked about his uniquely personal experience guiding and implementing U.S. health policy and the crisis we are experiencing today.
He also talks about the outcome of the 2020 election, his personal view of Joe Biden, the troubled transition to a new administration, and why he is still open to the possibility of a return to public service.
Also, on Episode #12, Randall Carlisle, one of the most popular TV news anchors in Utah broadcasting history, talks about his rewarding role as communications director for Odyssey House. Hear how Randall’s personal experiences led him to this newest chapter in his career, and why he’s uniquely poised to lend a hand to the thousands of Utahns coping with the challenges of substance abuse and related health issues. Carlisle also speaks to the challenges those attempting recovery face by being further isolated due the COVID-19 crisis.
And, ‘Tis the season of cyber-scoundrels, so says the Supervisory Special Agent Casey Harrington in charge of cybercrime investigations at FBI’s field office in Salt Lake City. Find out why cyber-scams are more prevalent than ever this year and which schemes the FBI really likes taking down.
To enjoy Episode #12, click on the player below.
The Bill Gephardt Show is supported by these proud sponsors of local journalism: Robert J DeBry & Associates, 1Wire Fiber, All Utah Plumbing, Heating & Air, E.S. Solar.
