Some Existing Racial Health Programs Expected To Lose Federal Funding; New Programs To Be Awarded Grants
CDC on Monday is expected to announce recipients of federal funding through the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health program, and 20 groups that previously received the grants are not expected to get them this year, the Oregonian reports. Rather than have only existing programs apply for the money, CDC this year opened the application process to new programs. About 23 new programs and 17 existing programs are expected to receive the grant money, Lark Galloway-Gilliam, executive director of the Community Health Councils, said. Galloway-Gilliam said she understands why CDC might have chosen to fund new programs rather than some existing ones but added that CDC's choice to open up competition for the grants "caught people off guard."A CDC spokesperson said about 180 programs applied for the grants and underwent a "rigorous peer-review process."
As a result of the funding decision, African American Health Coalition in Portland, Ore., which runs exercise and other programs aimed at improving the health of blacks in the community, no longer will receive an $880,000 federal grant that made up half of its annual budget, according to the Oregonian. Corliss McKeever, president and CEO of the coalition, said that CDC notified the program that its grant was approved but "unfunded."
McKeever said, "The bottom line is that this program has saved lives and changed lives. We dispelled the myth of us being a noncompliant population that won't follow health regimens." Many of the coalition's no-cost exercise classes end on Friday, and participants now will have to pay for the classes that continue, the Oregonian reports (Barnett, Oregonian, 9/28). This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
