July 1, 2020
KFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN), AP
Investigate the State of the Nation’s Public Health Infrastructure as It
Confronts the Challenge of the COVID-19 Pandemic
A
new investigation from KFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN) and The Associated
Press examines the troubling state of the public health infrastructure the
nation is relying on to navigate the health and economic threats presented by
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The
multipart investigation, which launched today, finds that the public health
workforce in the United States is underfunded and under threat, lacking the
basic tools to confront the worst pandemic in a century. The novel
coronavirus has infected at least 2.6 million people in the U.S., killed more
than 12,000 people and cost tens of millions of jobs and $3 trillion in
federal rescue money.
- Since 2010,
spending on state health departments has dropped by 16% per capita, and
in local health departments by 18%, in 2019 dollars after adjusting for
inflation, according to the KHN and AP analysis.
- At least 38,000
state and local public health jobs have been eliminated since the Great
Recession in 2008, leaving an inadequate workforce in what was viewed in
the mid-20th century as one of the world’s best public health systems.
- At least 14
states have already cut or are actively considering cuts to health
department budgets or positions. States, cities and counties, facing
declining revenues amid the economic downturn, are laying off and
furloughing the already limited staff.
For
their first investigative collaboration, KHN and AP journalists interviewed
more than 150 public health workers, policymakers and experts, analyzed state
and federal financial records, and surveyed statehouses around the country.
Their investigation finds that governments at every level have failed to
provide the public health system with the resources — both human and
financial — that are required to protect the nation from pandemics.
The
reporting also shows how public health officials, who already work on an
array of tasks for their communities — such as administering vaccination
programs, tracking and preventing infectious diseases, screening infants,
monitoring water and air quality, and conducting food and restaurant
inspections — are stretched thinner than ever as they work to reduce and
monitor the effects of the pandemic. Departments are having to spend already
constrained budgets on adequate supplies to keep workers safe as they try to
implement preparedness plans and mount effective contact tracing efforts with
limited staff. And they have been targeted for criticism by frustrated
elected officials and members of the public who blame them for unpopular
lockdowns and safety restrictions.
“Bringing
together the resources of both The Associated Press and KHN enabled us to marry
hard-to-wrangle data with compelling stories from the front lines of the
nation’s public health system as it grapples with this pandemic,” said KHN
national editor Kytja Weir.
“We
are pleased to be working with Kaiser Health News to take a deep look at what
is really happening inside the U.S. public health system," said AP
investigative editor Alison Kodjak. "This is important public service
journalism at a critical time.”
Through
the collaboration, AP and KHN have shared data and offered guidance to news
organizations that are AP members and customers to help them localize the
findings of the investigation for their regions. KHN and AP expect to publish
more stories in the series over the coming weeks and months.
About KFF
and Kaiser Health News
Filling
the need for trusted information on national health issues, KFF (Kaiser Family
Foundation) is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a nonprofit news service
covering health issues. KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF and,
along with Policy Analysis and Polling, is one of the three major operating
programs of KFF. KFF is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
About AP
The
Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to
factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source
of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of
the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the
world’s population sees AP journalism every day. Online: www.ap.org
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