Job Losses and Budget Cuts
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Fifteen Percent of LHD Workforce Cut In 2008–2009, state and local health departments (LHDs) lost 25,500 jobs, or approximately 15 percent of their workforce. Tens of thousands of other public health professionals have been forced to work reduced hours, at a time when demands on the public health sector are increasing. More information about job losses and budget cuts in local health departments is available here. Information about state health department budget cuts is available here. Please fill out the following form to sign on to the letter below addressed to to Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The letter urges the Senate to take action without delay to address the ongoing problem of job losses and budget cuts in health departments. Dear Majority Leader Reid and Chairman Harkin: The undersigned organizations respectfully request that the Senate jobs agenda include robust funding to address the 15 percent loss of the nation's state and local public health workforce that occurred during 2008–2009. By including state and local health department employees among other public sector and public safety employees who would be put back to work through jobs legislation, you will help to reverse the alarming erosion of public health protections for our nation's communities at a time when more workers in public health and prevention—not fewer—are needed to fulfill the promise of health reform to make America a healthier and more productive nation. Collectively—due to budget-related cuts, layoffs, position eliminations, and attrition—state and local health departments have lost 25,500 employees over the past two years. Tens of thousands of other public health professionals have been forced to work reduced hours. These cumulative reductions in staff significantly undermine health departments' ability to meet the day-to-day needs of their communities, such as surveillance of food safety, response to regularly occurring outbreaks of preventable diseases, and reduction of chronic disease. Moreover, the lack of staff is diminishing their capacities to respond to emergencies and precludes their playing a dynamic and much-needed role in healthcare reform implementation. Without federal support, we anticipate that this trend will continue and likely worsen. The list of cuts at the Snohomish Health District in Washington, for example, is extensive: no more fluoride sealants for low income youth; no smoking cessation assistance; no screening of small group water wells; no testing for West Nile Virus; no car seat and bicycle helmet checks; hours cut for immunization clinics; limited screening or treatment for tuberculosis; and more. In Jasper County, Illinois, mental health services have been significantly cut. While budgets have been slashed dramatically, the need for services has not decreased. The clinic still manages a caseload of up to 200 clients and works diligently to extend help to the 20 or more people that are on a waiting list. Furthermore, recently, there has been an influx of new clients—emotional casualties of the economic crisis. Over the past two years, states have repeatedly cut their budgets and eliminated jobs. Two years ago, the Rhode Island Department of Health's staff was 470; now it is 360. The state's unemployment rate is the third highest in the nation at 12.9 percent, well over the U.S. unemployment rate of 10 percent. Food establishment inspections have been curtailed. Only 50 percent are inspected every other year, and 50 percent are not inspected at all. Other health departments have eliminated or cut their maternal and child health services, asthma programs, laboratory testing and surveillance capacity, immunizations, cancer programs, oral health services, among others. Vital records services are only open half a day instead of a full day because they do not have sufficient staff. This directly cuts the public's access to services and information. We understand and appreciate that Congress and the nation face unprecedented economic challenges. However, we have serious concerns that due to insufficient resources and staff, state and local health departments are facing untenable choices in providing needed services to their communities. Support for the nation's state and public health workforce through the Senate jobs agenda would achieve two essential economic and public health goals: thousands of state and local health department employees can be put back to work immediately and health departments can begin to return to previous levels of activity and strengthen their efforts to protect and promote the health of their communities. Thank you for your tireless leadership in prevention. We stand ready to work with you, your staff, and your colleagues to save public health jobs in order to promote and protect the health of America. Sincerely,
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