By Barbara Heimlich
Editor
Source: State of Connecticut
Connecticut is facing a substantial loss of federal public health funding, estimated at $155 million, which is impacting various programs, particularly those related to monitoring and responding to emerging health threats. This could lead to significant challenges in tracking and containing outbreaks, as well as disruptions to other critical programs like newborn screenings and childhood immunizations.
Over one-third of U.S. states are urging a federal judge to reverse President Donald Trump’s decision to cut 20,000 Department of Health and Human Services employees, arguing the move could have dangerous and long-lasting effects on public health.
Connecticut is one of 19 states — including New York, New Jersey, and Maryland, along with Washington, D.C. — who filed a lawsuit in Rhode Island on Monday, May 5th.
Health and Human Service (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced in March that the agency would cut nearly 25% of its workforce as part of Trump’s push to overhaul the federal government and reduce spending.
“Many of our local health departments had to lay people off,” said Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner for the Department of Public Health. “They may have had epidemiologists, they may have had community health workers, they may have had nurses, they may have had people working on vaccine clinics. The list goes on and on.”
She said the department received stop work orders for six grants on March 24th.
Impact on specific areas:
Outbreak Tracking and Response: The cuts will make it harder to track and respond to disease outbreaks like measles, avian flu, and mpox.
Data Sharing: Connecticut will lose access to real-time data from emergency departments, which could delay responses to potential epidemics.
Healthcare Provider Reporting: Providers will be forced to use outdated fax systems for reporting diseases, hindering timely data collection and response.
Laboratory Services: Laboratory tests, including newborn screenings, may not be completed or reported in a timely manner.
Other Disruptions: The cuts will also disrupt childhood immunization programs, and the ability to respond to outbreaks, including in nursing homes.
Consequences for vulnerable populations:
Nonprofit Organizations: The cuts will further strain community-based nonprofit organizations that rely on state and federal funding, potentially impacting their ability to serve vulnerable residents.
Mental Health and Addiction Services: The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services is also facing cuts, potentially disrupting the behavioral health system.
Unhoused Population: The cuts could affect programs that connect unhoused individuals with mental health, employment, and other support services, according to the CT Mirror.
Dr. Juthani said one area impacted by the funding cuts is the state’s laboratory information management system. The department was in the final stages of building a system to speed up data sharing between the three major components of the state’s public health laboratory.
An example of how that translates to everyday citizens is its impact on newborns. Currently, newborns receive over 60 genetic tests at birth to check for various health concerns. Those results are shared by fax, and the department had hoped to replace that antiquated process with an automated, computerized system. That work has stopped.
Juthani said 43 DPH contracts to local health departments have been halted.
A program which ceased operation is the Family Bridge program, which provided services to families with new babies in the Bridgeport area, including home visits from nurses.
Dr. Jeffrey Hines, chief diversity officer at UConn Health, said the loss of the long-term care for women who give birth, in particular Black women, created a slew of problems.
“We already know the crisis that we are in with Black maternal morbidity and mortality,” he said. “But I think if we go upstream and look at poor nutrition, if we look at hypertensive diseases among Black women, if we look at diabetic diseases, those disparities are going to significantly increase.”
New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond said her city had lost a $7 million grant to reduce lead poisoning and had funds cut that had been targeted to reduce deaths from drug overdoses.
“Whatever race and ethnicity you are, those that are living below the poverty level are going to be impacted and the disparities are going to continue to be exacerbated if we lose these funds,” she said.
State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, D-West Hartford, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, called the loss of funding troubling, but said she wouldn’t lose hope in people recognizing the important role that government plays regarding public health, particularly in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. “I think many of us recognize [the role of government] even in these difficult times,” she said.
She added, though, that eliminating racial disparities in health care was essentially an effort at diversity, equity and inclusion, and with DEI programs under fire, she said, “unfortunately, I do think we’re going to see increases in racial disparities during this time.”
