759: New CDC Rural Health Plan, Congress Extends Funding for Public Health

SUMMER JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Friday, September 27, 2024.

I'm Summer Johnson.

Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

DIANE HALL: 

CDC's Rural Public Health Strategic Plan will advance the best rural public health science and practices through a coordinated, transparent, and strategic approach.

JOHNSON: 

The CDC's new Rural Public Health Strategic Plan is out. Dr Diane Hall, with the CDC Office of Rural Health, says the plan has key strategies.

HALL: 

So, the first strategy is to advance results-based engagement with partners and communities, and for state health departments, this might include working with the state offices of rural health, or local health departments and local rural communities to establish those partnerships.

JOHNSON: 

Another strategy focuses on the public health workforce.

HALL: 

A second priority is strengthen rural public health infrastructure and workforce. We know that ASTHO and health departments do a lot of training and development of resources. Adding rural considerations more consistently to trainings and products will help the rural communities in your state.

JOHNSON: 

The last two strategies center on science and preparedness.

HALL: 

The third is advancing rural public health science. If you're doing data collection or analysis, try to include rural in there. And finally, our fourth is improve rural public health preparedness and response.

JOHNSON: 

You can use the link in the show notes to read the CDC full Rural Public Health Strategic Plan.

Congress avoided a government shutdown this week. We turn to ASTHO's Carolyn Mullen for the details on this week's View from Washington, D.C. Report.

Hi Carolyn, it's nice to see you again. Happy Friday.

CAROLYN MULLEN: 

Happy Friday.

JOHNSON: 

Big news on the Hill this week, Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution. Tell us what's in the bill.

MULLEN: 

So, if you hear that sound, it's airplanes taking off in Washington, D.C. Members of Congress are headed back home to continue campaigning for the election. And over the weekend, Congress released a short term continued resolution funding the federal government through December 20, but also included in there is a big win for one of our territorial members, $27.11 million to deal with a short-term Medicaid fix for CNMI. Really great advocacy on their part. It's extremely difficult to get any additional funding in a CR and it happened in this bill.

JOHNSON: 

How did it happen?

MULLEN: 

So, Esther Munia, our territorial health official, has been working for years and has made it a priority to fly to Washington, D.C., to meet with her delegation, to meet with the White House Every time she's in D.C. And because of that prioritization and always being available with data and information about the shortfall that her territory was facing due to the Medicaid cap, we were able to work with her and get $27.1 million. But it really was her advocacy and ASTHO helping support her, but huge kudos to our member. It's really a model for how our members should advocate for their priorities. You know, meeting members of Congress in person, being available when members of Congress asked for data and information, and then her representative, Sublan, really went to bat for her in the CR, so it's a big win. Huge relief to her and her territory and the population they serve. But we do need a long-term solution. We can't just keep band aiding the Medicaid funding shortfall in some of the territories, so we continue to advocate as ASTHO for a long-term fix to Medicaid funding.

JOHNSON: 

What happens after December 20?

MULLEN: 

I don't know, and that's the honest answer. We are in an extremely contentious political environment right now. I believe there's three options before us.

Number one, we could have a government shutdown on December 20. I know no one likes to hear that, but it is a reality of what I'm thinking about that could possibly happen.

The second option is there could be another short-term continuing resolution through March, and that is not ideal, because the debt ceiling also needs to be raised around that time. And so as we know in the past, Congress likes to marry debt ceiling negotiations with funding the federal government. So again, that's a risky proposition, because we could end up with a government shutdown or economic calamity in March. So that's not ideal.

The third option is potentially omnibus appropriation bill, and that's what we're most hopeful for. Though Speaker Johnson, earlier this week, said he's walking away from a side deal, which, by walking away from it, would result in a $75 billion cut to non-defense discretionary spending. So, there's just really a lot of uncertainty about what comes next.

But I can assure our listeners that number one, Esther is going to continue to advocate on the hill. This is a really key time for us to be up on the Hill talking to members of Congress. And number two, we will continue to keep you all updated as things unfold after the election.

JOHNSON: 

Carolyn, we always appreciate the work that your team does, and we look forward to hearing what's next.

MULLEN: 

Thanks so much.

JOHNSON: 

Also, today, Dr Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health and an ASTHO member, announces the launch of the new lead-free CT campaign.

MANISHA JUTHANI:  

We are going to be making a significant dent in a problem that we have in our state that is long standing, and be able to help protect children from getting poisoned with lead in the first place, or those that may already have it, help solve the problem that they currently have.

JOHNSON: 

Juthani's full announcement is online. Watch it by clicking the link in the show notes.

Finally, on Monday's newscast.

STACY SCOTT: 

We know, while there has been progress in recent years, the U.S. still faces challenges compared to other developed countries.

JOHNSON: 

Dr. Stacy Scott with the National Institute for Children's Health Quality details efforts to address infant mortality. Follow the show, and you'll have the episode on your mobile device at 5am Monday. Just tap the plus sign in the upper right corner of the screen you're looking at right now.

That'll do it for today. We're back Monday morning with more ASTHO news and information.

I'm Summer Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition.

Have a great weekend.