WASHINGTON — Federal officers have ended a quick pause of greater than 100 grants totaling over $5 billion awarded to states to bolster their public well being infrastructure.
States and organizations that had gotten funding by means of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s public well being infrastructure grant had acquired notices on Friday telling them that the cash had been placed on maintain whereas the division reviewed its makes use of to “guarantee alignment with administration and company priorities,” per screenshots of the notices shared with STAT.
However by Saturday night, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed that the pause had ended.
The Trump administration has put heightened scrutiny up to now yr on well being care grants, canceling some believed to be associated to range, fairness, and inclusion or counter to the White Home’s agenda. Simply this week, the Workplace of Administration and Price range reportedly requested all federal companies compile an in depth record of how a lot cash every gives to sure states led by Democrats. That memo, nevertheless, referred to as the request a data-collection train, aimed toward lowering fraud, and doesn’t contain withholding funds.
“The Public Well being Infrastructure Grants have been quickly paused so HHS may implement a brand new evaluation course of, one that may guarantee funds are used for his or her meant functions. HHS will proceed to guard taxpayer cash and guarantee they’re used for professional functions,” Nixon informed STAT in a press release.
The five-year grant program serves all 50 states and the District of Columbia in addition to three organizations that assist public well being departments, representing 107 departments throughout the nation. This system began in late 2022 with further allocations despatched to recipients every December, that means most grantees acquired up to date funding final month.
In keeping with a CDC truth sheet, recipients have used the cash to modernize their psychological well being scheduling methods to streamline appointments, bolstered their well being surveillance methods, and standardized hiring processes for group well being employees.
This text has been up to date.
