The Impact of Federal Grant Cuts on Coconino County’s Public Health Services
In a significant blow to public health services, the Trump administration has rescinded nine grants totaling $1.8 million, affecting Coconino County. These cuts have resulted in layoffs and disrupted essential health services in rural areas.
The financial shortfall has forced Coconino County to halt its mobile vaccination initiatives in rural communities. Additionally, a program offering free bus passes for medical appointments has been discontinued. Michele Axlund, the Health Director for Coconino County, expressed concerns over the profound impact on senior citizens and veterans, stating, “One of our largest hits came to our senior population and our veteran population, which was our vaccine equity program, so that was a real hard hit at the last second.”
Axlund further highlighted that the cuts have weakened the county’s infectious disease monitoring capabilities, particularly troubling as measles cases rise in the Southwest. She emphasized, “Healthcare is about prevention. […] So, are we as robust as we would love to be? We are not due to those cuts.”
The financial distress extends beyond these nine grants, as 40 additional federal grants face potential jeopardy. These grants cater to critical services, including rental assistance and programs for women, infants, and children. County Supervisor Patrice Horstman underscored the challenge of compensating for the lost federal funds, asserting, “Are we gonna have enough money to cover the federal programs? Absolutely not. That would be an impossibility without cutting other major programs that are needed for our communities and our residents. We just don’t have enough to cover. I mean, that’s why you have partnerships with the states, why you have partnerships with the federal government.”
The repercussions are being felt in neighboring counties as well. In Navajo County, six health department positions were eliminated, and three jobs were downgraded from full-time to part-time. Similarly, the Tuba City Regional Healthcare Corporation has had to reduce its disease investigation team, reflecting the broader regional impact of these funding cuts.
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