FAIRMONT – As part of a $38 million national funding cut by the Centers for Disease Control, the Faribault and Martin County Health and Human Services (FMCHS) will be dealt a blow, barring any changes due to potential legal battles.

The piece that affects FMCHS is a Public Health Infrastructure Grant, which was given out in the summer of 2023 and is meant to last until 2028. The grant was approved for $157,156, but with that funding now cut, what had been budgeted for future use is in limbo, and potentially gone.

“There is simply no need or valid justification for these targeted cuts that put Minnesotans at risk,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham in a press release. “These cuts by the federal government, and other cuts to public health funding over the past year, highlight a total disregard for promoting health and well-being. The ongoing cuts create an environment of chaos and confusion for communities.”

Nationwide, 107 health departments across 50 states received this type of funding, but this grant termination only targets departments in Minnesota and three other states. FMCHS was only notified an hour before a news release was issued to the public, according to FMCHS Executive Director Chera Sevcik.

“This funding is essential to support public health staff positions, hiring, training and recruitment efforts, especially in rural areas that have ongoing staffing challenges,” she said.

This is not the first time funding has been pulled either; $165,000 in funds meant for FMCHS to use help people after COVID-19 was revoked less than a year ago in April, and the government shutdown from October to November also created problems for their programs. Sevcik said the sudden removal of funding is one of the most difficult aspects of situations like this.

“No forewarning, no time to plan, etc,” she said. “Then those decisions are challenged, we receive temporary restraining orders, and we can continue the work. At the same time, we are now planning for the possibility that the funds could still end. We’ve all spent so much time pivoting to respond to these immediate decisions that we’ve lost valuable time focusing on services for our communities.”

With a continuous grant like this being pulled, planned usage over the span of years has been thrust into jeopardy.

“These funds are built in as revenues to our agency budget,” Sevcik said. “When they are pulled without warning, we must stop providing those services or identify other funding sources to support the work.”

Even in funding cuts not directly to FMCHS, such as those to the Core State Injury Prevention Program, Preventative Services Block Grant, HIV and STD Prevention Grants and Health Infrastructure Grants to other county health agencies, they could all take their toll.

“We expect these funding rescissions to have significant impacts on the state health department and their ability to respond to emergencies, plan for challenges as they arise and address immediate health needs,” Sevcik said.

As they grapple with this removal of funds and what to do, Sevcik said they will continue to do exactly what they need to.

“We will continue to plan for the unknown,” she said. “Pivot when we need to and do our best to continue this crucial work to support the health and well-being of our communities.”