By Dr. Lyndon Haviland

July 22, 2025

TheHill.com

President Trump recently announced his intent to impose a 200 percent tariff on pharmaceuticals to lure drug manufacturing back to the U.S. This action, if implemented, will come at great cost to millions of Americans already struggling to cover their medical bills and force them deeper into health care debt. …

It took decades for U.S. pharmaceutical production to move overseas; moving it back to America can’t happen overnight. We need measured policy approaches, not knee-jerk ones, to prevent America’s most vulnerable from digging themselves further in debt to pay for medications many already can’t afford.

By Dr. Lyndon Haviland

June 19, 2025

TheHill.com

President Trump has signaled his intent to pause deportations on immigrant workers in the hotel, agriculture and restaurant sectors: an important step toward lowering the temperature that led to riots in the streets of Los Angeles last week. 

It’s welcome news for millions of hardworking individuals. But it ignores another important industry demographic, one we can’t exist without, where millions more will continue to live in perpetual fear: immigrant health care workers. 

Variety, June 6, 2025: Julian Lennon is making his mark in children’s entertainment, unveiling “Love the Earth,” a new animated series, at SXSW London. … The series is produced by Compassionate Studios in the U.K., with executive producers including Lennon, Davis, Lyndon Haviland, Rebecca Warfield and Forest Trends.

By Dr. Lyndon Haviland

June 1, 2025

By Dr. Lyndon Haviland

Pantries like the Daily Table across the country are struggling to stay open after the U.S. Department of Agriculture quietly cut $1 billion in 2025 funding back in March for food relief programs that have historically supported the nation’s most disadvantaged communities. … Administration officials and members of Congress alike should heed the warnings from those on the front lines who run food banks and have seen firsthand the impacts the USDA cuts have had on their ability to address food insecurity in their communities.  

By Dr. Lyndon Haviland

April 30, 2025

TheHill.com

Earlier this month, a high school student in Joliet, Ill. tested positive for a highly contagious disease that has claimed more lives than any other throughout human history.  

Many mistakenly believe this pathogen was eradicated decades ago. It not only still exists but is thriving, especially in some of the poorest countries around the world. The ability to monitor this disease, save lives and protect the health of Americans grows weaker by the day as the U.S. deprioritizes international funding to combat it. 

By Dr. Lyndon Haviland

January 30, 2025

TheHill.com

Telemedicine has increased patient access to quality care and helped millions receive efficient, cost-effective medical support, especially for elderly and rural populations. But its widened coverage under Medicare is now in jeopardy. Congress must act to preserve this critical lifeline. …

Telehealth benefits everyone. Advancements in software, high-speed internet and remote connectivity technology have made it easier for physicians to reach patients and provide important medical attention. It saves money and opens access to quality care for all.  

The federal government has a role to play in making sure patients continue to benefit from virtual medicine. There’s no better model of efficiency — the very platform of the Trump administration — than telehealth, which has proven to be a cost-effective solution.  

Expanded coverage for telehealth has transformed the way patients across America receive medical support. If it goes away, millions of Americans stand to lose. Congress can put an end to any doubt in the minds of an anxious nation by making it permanent.  

By Dr. Lyndon Haviland

January 2, 2025

TheHill.com

Important public health measures designed to protect unaccompanied minors held in U.S. custody at the southern border are set to expire nine days after President-elect Trump takes the oath of office.  

With mass deportations expected on the horizon and the fate of children in limbo, America must show compassion and extend these initiatives to ensure their safety while being detained by U.S. law enforcement. …

A legal settlement with the U.S. government in 2022 created a series of baseline requirements to help ensure the health and safety of children detained at the southern border. It was reached after three children from Guatemala died while under Customs and Border Protection control.  

Unless the courts act to extend these provisions, detained children could be at risk of similar atrocities happening in the future.  

By Dr. Lyndon Haviland

November 22, 2024

TheHill.com

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has thrust the debate over vaccine efficacy into the national spotlight. 

The facts about vaccine safety have never been more important, and they must prevail over misguided theories from immunization skeptics, who may soon have a champion at the wheel of our nation’s largest U.S. health agency. …

The voice of the scientific community — and the demand for medical and public health experts to step forward, convey the facts and advocate strongly for the efficacy and safety of vaccines — has never been greater than at this moment.  

The health and safety of every American is at stake. It’s time to communicate real information about vaccines, not disinformation, to ensure that access and availability remain for all. 

By Dr. Lyndon Haviland

November 2, 2024

TheHill.com

The U.S. presidential election is days away, and the polls show the candidates are in a statistical dead heat. The outcome is unknown — even to the experts, who say it could be the tightest race “in a generation.” For public health, the election matters deeply.

Whoever wins, the next president will confront serious public health issues affecting millions of Americans. And unless he or she can rebuild trust and regain public confidence in our nation’s health system, president 47 will face significant challenges addressing them. …

We need someone willing to put his or her trust in our nation’s public health experts; someone who values the knowledge and experience of the health community; someone able to accept science-based guidance and recommendations to lead our nation’s health forward.   

Because trust can only be earned if trust is given. It’s part of the bedrock of every healthy relationship. And if our next president has the fortitude to trust America’s health agencies, it will encourage Americans to respect them again, too.