The Pima County Health Department plans to lay off workers and cancel vaccine clinics as it tries to slice nearly $2 million from its budget due to a cut in federal funding, its top administrator says.
The cost-saving moves are due to a pause in funding of two federal grants, County Administrator Jan Lesher said Friday.
That will result in the termination of 25 grant-funded positions and the cancellation of 18 upcoming vaccine clinics among other planned health-related events, Lesher said.
Lesher
The grant, called the National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities, was set to end in May 2026. It now leaves over $903,000 in remaining funds inaccessible. Another grant for “vaccine equity†that was to end in June, halts access to nearly $1 million in funding, Lesher said.
Losing the federal health disparities grant will “significantly reduce†the county health department’s efforts in health education, insurance enrollment assistance, NARCAN education and extreme heat response efforts, Dr. Theresa Cullen, the department director, said in a memo. Similarly, losing the vaccine grant will result in staff shortages and a loss of health education and outreach, “particularly in rural communities that rely on these services,†the memo said.
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Dr. Theresa Cullen
The cuts here come after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced this week that $11.4 billion in COVID-19-related funds for state and local public health departments across the country will be pulled back, the Associated Press .
The Centers for Disease Control “expects to recover money beginning 30 days after terminations notices, which began being sent out on Monday,†the AP reported.
Cullen, in her memo, said Pima County received stop orders Wednesday.
The county has not yet “activated†a layoff plan for the 25 grant-funded workers, Lesher said. That’s because some of the affected workers could be candidates for vacant positions in the department, she said.
As of , the county health department had 96 vacancies across its 489 total positions, the most recent data available. Changes to the county’s workforce platform have impeded more recent vacancy rates, Lesher said.
An additional 25 workers will be affected by the grants being cut, albeit marginally, Lesher said. Those employees “periodically charge†an hour or two to the grant per month.
Last week, the Pima County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved having the health department develop a plan to deploy mobile vaccination units to county schools that have vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) below 95%, the accepted level for herd immunity. The supervisors agreed to vote on the plan in about 90 days, so it can be implemented ahead of next school year.
The cuts to these grants “simply can’t impact†that push, Lesher said Friday. The county is going to have to find a way to right the ship through other means, such as reallocating general fund dollars, she said.
Supervisors, in closed-door executive session during last week’s meeting, began conversations with the Pima County Attorney’s Office about possible litigation over funding freezes, Lesher said.
Pima County is facing layoffs and a canceling of 18 vaccination clinics as it deals with a $2 million freeze in federal grant funds for health-related services.
