Last week HHS Secretary Kennedy terminated more than $190 million in multi-year federal grants that were designed to fill holes we found in Arizona’s public health system during the pandemic.
This abrupt and possibly illegal decision has left state and county health departments, along with their contractors, scrambling to address the immediate and long-term impacts on public health services.
See last week’s blog post to get a flavor for the scale and magnitude of the irresponsible and even dangerous cuts: Kennedy Cuts $190M in Federal Public Health Grants to Arizona – AZ Public Health Association
A significant portion of the funding affected comes from multi-year grants provided by CDC which were all designed to strengthen Arizona’s public health infrastructure in areas in areas identified as weak or vulnerable during the pandemic.
Those improvements were focused on disease surveillance, response capabilities, and health disparities. The sudden loss of these funds means that critical projects aimed at monitoring and responding to health threats are now at a standstill, leaving gaps that could have serious repercussions in future health emergencies and dozens of now half completed projects.
In addition to the CDC grants Kennedy also targeted AHCCCS. Those reductions stem from cuts by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which plays a pivotal role in funding behavioral health services.
The loss of SAMHSA funds jeopardizes services that many Arizonans rely on for mental health and substance use disorder treatment, potentially leaving thousands without essential care.
Read more about the SAMHSA cuts here: AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes says federal grant cuts are illegal
Fortunately, we have an Attorney General who is vigilant, recognizes the danger to Arizona’s public health system that the cuts pose – and who also believes that the contract cuts were illegal.
Last week she joined a coalition of attorneys general in suing Kennedy, arguing that the abrupt termination of these grants violates federal law and harms public health nationwide. The lawsuit looks to restore funding and prevent further disruptions to essential health services.
