Alliance Alert: The recent termination of seven public health employees at New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is an example of how federal funding cuts can disrupt critical public health priorities. These positions, which supported vaccine outreach and tuberculosis control, were funded through federal dollars—and their loss comes at a time when the city is grappling with low childhood immunization rates and rising tuberculosis cases.
The Alliance for Rights and Recovery is closely monitoring how these federal funding changes will affect New York State and national efforts to advance key health policy goals through funding and programming. The sudden halt in Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) further complicates public health preparedness, reducing access to essential information on routine and emerging threats.
At a time when public health infrastructure is more important than ever, it is critical to safeguard funding and resources that protect community health and safety. The Alliance will continue to advocate for sustainable investments in public health and mental health services, ensuring that New Yorkers receive the support they need amid shifting federal priorities.
City Health Commissioner Sounds the Alarm on Public Health Threats
By Maya Kaufman | Politico | February 20, 2025
Acting City Health Commissioner Michelle Morse is sounding the alarm on New York City’s public health emergency preparedness — and asking the state for help.
Seven employees who work at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene were terminated over the weekend by the federal government, which funds their positions, POLITICO Pro’s Maya Kaufman reported.
Among their responsibilities were vaccine outreach and tuberculosis control.
Meanwhile, a worryingly low childhood immunization rate is leaving the city vulnerable to a measles outbreak, and tuberculosis cases are on the rise, Morse said during a City Council oversight hearing Wednesday.
Compounding the issue, the city already has less information at its fingertips about routine and emerging public health threats due to the CDC halting communication with the WHO.
Morse told POLITICO the health department is “staying ready” for a whole host of potential public health threats, but she is concerned about the Trump administration implementing additional staffing cuts and yanking federal funding.
Federal dollars account for 20 percent of the department’s budget, including 80 percent of the disease control division’s funding.
The Hochul administration could help protect New York City from any potential shortfall by raising its reimbursement rate for Article 6 funding from 20 percent to 36 percent, Morse told the Council. That’s where it was before former Gov. Andrew Cuomo slashed the city’s match rate in 2019.
Six prominent public health experts, including former city Health commissioners Dave Chokshi and Oxiris Barbot, further pressed the issue in an op-ed.