Washington health groups sue to stop federal government’s deletion of vital health data and resources

Seattle — Today, a coalition of nine co-plaintiffs, including three Washington-based health professional organizations, sued the federal government (PDF) to stop the deletion of vital public health and science data. Since January, the federal executive branch has deleted numerous websites that physicians, nurses, healthcare providers, scientists and public health professionals rely upon, removing data on a wide range of topics including pregnancy risks, opioid-use disorder, the AIDS epidemic and more.

“These executive-ordered website deletions were driven by ideology, not by science or evidence,” said John Bramhall, MD, PhD, president of the Washington State Medical Association. “In an instant, trusted health information vanished—resources that physicians, other clinicians, and clinics relied on to manage patients’ health conditions and overall care. This is more than a policy shift; it is a direct attack on science, evidence-based medicine, and our profession’s ability to care for our patients. As the leading voice for physicians in Washington state, we must stop this direct interference into our ability to provide the best care for our patients.”

The suit, filed in United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, would require the administration to restore deleted websites and stop any further removal of public health data. The suit highlights the administration’s “arbitrary, capricious and unreasoned” decisions to delete these critical resources, which federal law requires be made available to the American people.

“Nurses strive to provide evidence-based care. That means care that is driven by current data—but we can’t do that if the data is unavailable,” said Justin Gill, DNP, APRN, RN, President of the Washington State Nurses Association. “The Administration’s actions in deleting and scrubbing information from federal health agency websites not only harms our members—it endangers our patients, their families, and communities. We need access to current data to provide our patients with the care they need and the knowledge they need to make informed healthcare decisions.”

In recent years, Washington has been on the front lines of public health crises where up-to-date, evidence-based care is crucial to effective prevention and treatment, from the first confirmed US cases of COVID-19 and a recent surge in whooping cough cases to crises in youth mental health, fentanyl addiction and many more.

“WCAAP is joining this lawsuit so that pediatricians regain access to the evidence and databases we need in order to care for children and their families,” said Beth Ebel, MD, MPH, President of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Our members have been startled to discover that critical travel advice to protect children and adolescents from infections has been removed, including guidance on highly effective medications and vaccinations. Early alert data identifying new injury and poison risks have been impacted. Long-time data that guide the health of kids in school and emergence of new risks such as Zyn pods filled with flavored nicotine are impacted. Families rely upon pediatricians to provide the best advice for their children, and pediatricians need access to critical data to guide their care and do our jobs.”

Washington State Medical Association et al. v. Kennedy et al. highlights the significant impact of the deleted information. The scrubbing of data is preventing physicians, nurses and other practitioners from providing critical information to their patients, preventing nonprofit health organizations from utilizing data to inform cutting-edge research and impeding efforts by local governments to track the spread of disease and address behavioral health crises.

“We can’t afford to stand on the sidelines while the foundation of evidence-based research—open, public data—is quietly dismantled,” said Aaron Carroll, MD, president and CEO of AcademyHealth. “Access to trustworthy information is what allows us to solve real problems, improve health outcomes, and plan for the future. If we don’t stand up for data now, we risk losing the tools we all rely on to make progress—regardless of politics.”

The lawsuit’s nine plaintiffs are the following: Washington State Medical Association, Washington State Nurses Association, Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, AcademyHealth, Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, Fast-Track Cities Institute, International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, National LGBT Cancer Network, and the Vermont Medical Society.

Relevant EOs: Executive Order 14168, titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” was signed on January 20, 2025. Executive Order 14151, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” was signed the same day.

“Gold-standard” resources deleted, identified include: NIH’s HIV Risk Reduction Tool, information related to National Immunization Awareness Month,  HRSA FAQs for Mpox treatment, HRSA information about opioid use among women,  various resources on health issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, guidance to integrate diversity and inclusion in work related to mental-health assistance for the homeless, training modules from NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health, information related to transgender behavioral-health disparities, an HHS reading list titled “Advancing Better Health Through Better Understanding for Black and African American Communities: Health Literacy, Health Care Access, and Culturally Appropriate Care,” and HHS’s website dedicated to reproductive rights.

About WSMA: The Washington State Medical Association represents nearly 13,000 physicians, resident physicians, physician assistants, and medical students across all specialties and practice types in Washington state. The WSMA has advocated on behalf of the house of medicine for more than 125 years. Our vision is to make Washington state the best place to practice medicine and receive care.

About WSNA: Washington State Nurses Association (“WSNA”) is a professional organization and labor union representing more than 20,000 registered nurses in Washington state.  It is the Washington constituent of the American Nurses Association and an affiliate of AFT, a national union representing professionals in education, healthcare, and public service. WSNA is dedicated to advancing and advocating for nurses and the nursing profession in Washington. It provides leadership for the nursing profession and promotes quality health care for consumers through education, collective bargaining, and policy advocacy. WSNA and its members are on the frontline of providing healthcare services, including preventive care.

About WCAAP: The Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics represents over 1200 pediatric health care professionals from across Washington state. Our mission is to optimize the health and well-being of children and their families while advancing pediatric care. WCAAP frames and leads the public discussion on child health issues, advances public policy to benefit children, and empowers pediatric clinicians to provide quality medical care.