Local health providers feeling the sting of sudden federal budget cuts

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Southeastern Idaho Public Health (SIPH) will lose thousands of dollars in federal funding following the US Department of Health and Human Services' cancellation of around $12 billion of state grants.

SIPH representatives told Local News 8 that the federal grant cuts will take about $50,000 from their fiscal year 2025 budget, and the loss is already affecting local infectious disease monitoring and vaccination programs.

"The cuts that were announced this week definitely are having an impact on us," said Maggie Mann, district director of SIPH. "They fund work like working with assisted living centers to monitor for respiratory infection outbreaks, and that's a really vulnerable population... also, education and outreach about immunizations and the safety and effectiveness and need for immunizations, that's being impacted as well with this round of cuts."

Mann said around 50% of SIPH's budget comes from the federal level, and if funding keeps dropping, it could affect other public health programs, including clean water monitoring, mental health services, and clinical care for low-income people in the area.

"We are definitely watching this very closely," said Mann. "If cuts continue to be made, then that's going to have a direct impact on the services we're able to provide to people in our local community, and those are really critical services for people that often don't have a lot of options for other places to get those services."

For more information, you can visit the Southeastern Idaho Public Health website.