Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Community leaders and participants warn staffing changes could undermine African American Health Program
Summary
Participants and community leaders, including the Montgomery County NAACP and AAHP clients, urged the Council to protect the African American Health Program's structure and funding amid proposed staff reallocation to DHHS, citing measurable health outcomes and requests for transparency.
A coalition of program participants, community leaders and civic groups urged the Montgomery County Council to protect the African American Health Program (AAHP) from staffing changes that they said would weaken a successful, culturally targeted public-health model.
Participants described individual health improvements and program metrics. "Within less than two months, I got my A1C from 16.2 down to 7," said Jamal Mohammed, a program participant who credited AAHP workshops with dramatic diabetes management improvements. Multiple speakers described high rates of breastfeeding initiation in AAHP's SMILE program and strong blood-pressure control metrics.
Abayomi Walker, chair of the NAACP Montgomery County Branch Health Committee, said the program has measurable successes, including CDC-recognized diabetes-prevention programming and high participation rates. Walker and others objected to a DHHS proposal to reallocate AAHP staff into the department without clear funding offsets or a plan to preserve the program’s community-led model.
"The FY27 recommended budget shows no reduction in AAHP in the technical adjustment; DHHS has proposed adding four new merit positions and the county has not identified where that funding for these positions will come from," Walker said, and requested transparency on potential impacts.
Nina Abdul Wakil of Delta Sigma Theta and other community leaders asked the council to require a detailed transition plan if changes proceed and to maintain core services such as SMILE and chronic-disease programming.
Council members did not act at the hearing; witnesses requested clearer budget documentation and formal assurances that proven AAHP services would not be disrupted.
