Public Health and Human Services staff told the Columbia City Council that recent state and federal funding cuts are forcing program reductions and time-limited staffing changes that will affect several public health services.

Key program impacts
Rebecca, a public-health staff member who addressed council at the work session, said the department had several recent funding losses and suspensions:
- Community health worker program: three community health worker positions funded by COVID-era grants will end on Sept. 30; two of the three staff have been reassigned within the department, and the remaining position will be discontinued.
- Emergency preparedness grant (EPL/ELC): the department received only 50% of an expected contract amount; staff said they retooled the budget to continue the program for six months while they await state guidance in October on remaining funding.
- Home visiting program: a DESE-funded home-visiting program that supports birth outcomes and reduces child abuse and neglect will lose funding on Sept. 30 and the state indicated it will provide two-thirds of the previous amount starting Oct. 1.

Flu clinics and service changes
As a cost-saving measure, the department will not operate in-school flu vaccination clinics this year for the first time since H1N1; the department will continue community clinic offerings and maintain immunizations at its office. Rebecca said school-based vaccination numbers have declined in recent years — from roughly 7,500 to about 4,700 in the most recent year — and that vaccinations are increasingly available through pharmacies and other providers.

Why it matters
Public-health program reductions change where residents receive services and which services are available in schools and community settings. Staff said they will issue press releases and coordinate with school partners to inform residents about alternate vaccine locations and clinic schedules.

Council questions
Council members asked about outreach and whether the department can steer residents to alternative providers; staff said they will publish clinic schedules and coordination plans for community providers and schools.

Staff note
Rebecca warned that the situation remains fluid: "Everything is stable-ish. We've received as many cuts as we're anticipating. But I mean, that can change at any minute," she said. Council members thanked public-health staff for efforts to adjust services and for the data they provided on vaccination trends.