Public health departments across the U.S. are struggling.
From Flush to Bust
Remember all that money that flooded into state budgets during COVID-19? It’s all gone now, and what was once a spike in funding is now turning into budget cuts and layoffs. The boom has turned into a bust, and local health departments are struggling to tread water.
A Look Back
Let’s rewind back to the pandemic. Congress poured over $800 billion into state budgets to help state and local health departments beef up their teams and tackle the crisis head-on. The cash was quickly spent on expanding the workforce, with health departments growing by nearly 20% between 2019 and 2022.
The Staffing Surge
These new staff were much needed. Departments had been struggling to operate at those staff levels for years leading up to the pandemic, and for many, the money was a lifeline they’d been begging for for years.
The Year the Music Stopped
But now that it’s 2024 and the pandemic is in our rearview mirror, that extra money is vanishing fast – but the fallout is hitting hard.
Slashing and Burning
Widespread cuts have already begun. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a massive $300 million cut to the state’s public health funding. Over in Washington, the Department of Health has already laid off more than 350 workers and plans to let go of 349 more.
A Domino Effect
It’s the same story in states like Montana and Texas. As their COVID-19 funds run dry, the delayed consequences are piling up – and it’s making things much tougher for the public health workers who are already stretched thin.
When Every Dollar Counts
The Central Montana Health District – which covers five rural counties – never saw a huge amount of pandemic cash, but it did get just enough to keep the lights on and to handle the pandemic’s increased workload.
Hanging by a Thread
They managed to fill a crucial staff vacancy that had been unmanned for months thanks to the federal grant, but now that the money’s drying up, Their five full-time staff members are hanging by a thread and any new crisis could be the last straw for them.
The Calm Before the Storm
Public health experts have been warning that the worst is yet to come.
Old Problems, New Challenges
Layoffs and budget cuts are expected to hit harder and faster as health departments struggle to deal with issues that got pushed aside during the pandemic – think rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, increasing suicide rates, and more substance abuse problems. And that’s while their budgets are shrinking before their very eyes.
The STI Surge
Recent reports show a huge rise in cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, with more than 2.5 million cases reported between 2018 and 2022.
Vaccination Nation
And let’s not forget that vaccination rates for kids haven’t bounced back to pre-pandemic levels – partly due to fear-mongering during the pandemic.
The Pandemic’s Lingering Shadow
Nearly 75% of states didn’t meet the federal vaccination targets for measles, mumps, and rubella last year, which means we’re at risk for outbreaks.
Lone Star State, Big State Problems
In Lubbock, Texas, the local health department used a five-year CDC grant to hire specialists to tackle a surge in sexually transmitted diseases. But now, with federal funding cut short by two years, they’re left with a nearly $400,000 budget gap.
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul
State officials might redirect other federal money to fill the gap, but the health department isn’t holding its breath. All that’s happening while syphilis cases in Texas skyrocket.
A Never-Ending Ride
What’s happening here isn’t a unique situation – public health funding in the U.S. has always been a rollercoaster. The funding boom of the past few years was always going to be followed by a bust, but the health issues don’t go away when the funding does.
Rural Health on the Ropes
Most of the time it’s rural health departments that directly see the impact of these budget cuts, where they’re often the last point of call for those seriously ill or injured.
At Risk of Collapse
Without funding, they’re at risk of falling apart just when they’re needed most.
Health Doesn’t Wait for Budgets
It’s anyone’s guess whether these clinics and hospitals will get the support they need, or if they’ll be left to pick up the pieces with even less to work with.
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