Tarrant County Public Health let go of some employees funded by federal grants in late March, as nationwide cuts have left health departments across the U.S. and North Texas scrambling.
An unknown number of employees at Tarrant County Public Health were notified that certain positions within the department were no longer being funded as of March 24, according to a memo shared with the Fort Worth Report.
Affected staff would no longer have a position with the department at the close of business March 26, according to the letter. The department declined to share the number of positions and programs impacted or the amount of federal dollars the department is no longer receiving.
Kennedy Sam, a spokesperson for Tarrant County Public Health, told the Report that while 鈥渞ecent federal funding changes present challenges,鈥� the department鈥檚 commitment to the community 鈥渞emains steadfast.鈥�
Dr. Brian Byrd, director for Tarrant County Public Health, acknowledged the layoffs to the Report April 1, but said he would 鈥渉old off鈥� on sharing further details until April 2, when County Administrator Chandler Merritt is expected to give a presentation during a Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting, Byrd said.
Byrd said he may speak at the end if commissioners have questions about 鈥渟pecifically which programs were affected and how we are responding to that,鈥� he added.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pulled back over $11 billion in funds on March 25 after reviewing a list of Human Health Service-provided COVID-19 grants and identifying 鈥減rograms that were no longer needed,鈥� NBC News .
The grants were allocated to state and community health departments, along with nongovernmental organizations, in response to the pandemic. The funding supported testing, vaccinations, community health workers and other initiatives.
The Texas Department of State Health Services notified public health departments of the federal government鈥檚 plans on March 25, The Texas Tribune . Dallas County Health and Human Services lost two federal grants totaling $70 million for immunizations and immunization research, according to . Dallas County notified staff on March 28 of potential layoffs for as many as 80 employees.
Erin Copeland was one of the Tarrant County Public Health employees who was let go last week. She worked for the data informatics department and her position was funded through a pandemic-era grant which was set to end in May, Copeland said.
鈥淚 thought I had until May, and the rug (was) just kind of ripped out right from under us,鈥� Copeland said. 鈥淔ederal decisions are not an excuse to treat people like this, because we do have families.鈥�
Data informatics handles the collection of public health data from hospitals and clinics across the county and disperses the information for community use. Eleven grant-funded positions within the department were discontinued last September, Byrd told the Report.
The department also eliminated the deputy director, compliance program director and two administrative assistants last year.
Some employees within the data informatics team have moved to other divisions within the public health department, Byrd told the Report April 1, but he did not offer more details on the status of data informatics employees.
Trump administration cuts to federal funding had already caused Tarrant County to March 14. The clinic worked in cooperation with the national resettlement group U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants to provide incoming displaced persons from around the world with screenings for general health, nutrition and tuberculosis, according to a .
The federal government froze some funding for the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants while officials conducted 鈥渁 program integrity review鈥� process that began Feb. 3, according to a by Andrew Gradison, acting assistant secretary for children and families for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Other organizations have also been rocked by federal funding moves. Catholic Charities Fort Worth, which operates the statewide Texas Office for Refugees, and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in early March over frozen funds that had led to hundreds of layoffs across the state.
The nonprofit received the funds, amounting to about two weeks later. Catholic Charities Fort Worth is expected to ask the courts to dismiss the lawsuit by April 2, according to court .
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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