Whole Health officials warn early end to COVID-funded fellows would disrupt several public-health projects

Jeremy, of the Whole Health Department, told the committee on April 16 that Whole Health employs four fellows working across different programs and that their funding — provided through COVID supplemental sources — faces an early end unless a pending court stay preserves the awards.

"The idea of them ending early is a pretty big deal to us," Jeremy said, describing projects the fellows lead: school-based mental health outreach, an oral-health survey and work group, lead poisoning prevention work, public water monitoring and reporting tied to new state guidance, and improvements to the community health assessment and community health improvement planning process.

Jeremy said the fellows had been slated to continue through next May but that some COVID-related funding streams were ended early; as a result, their end date could move forward depending on a court ruling. He described three options the department is exploring: obtain alternate state funding, convert fellows to staff if funding can be found, or end the fellowship work and determine which projects can be completed before an early termination.

County administration said it is looking at reallocations and vacancies to minimize any county funding burden should the fellowships need to be extended without state support. Jeremy said that, once the court makes a determination (a hearing was scheduled the day after the meeting), he will provide a plan to the committee at the next HHS meeting either describing the funding found and the extension period or outlining which work cannot be completed.

Committee members expressed concern about losing capacity for multimonth projects and asked Jeremy for updates; no formal committee vote occurred on the matter.