Hundreds of public health jobs at risk in Philly after city loses federal grants

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The city of Philadelphia risks losing hundreds of contract workers after losing three significant federal grants to its public health department estimated to be worth between $30 million to $50 million, according to a source who requested anonymity for fear of losing their job.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health department’s disease control division had about 400 contractors. That has since dropped to roughly 300 workers.

“It’s kind of infuriating that the city was not better prepared,” the source said about the city leadership’s response to President Donald Trump administration’s funding cuts. “Now everybody is scrambling.”

Philadelphia Department of Public Health Commissioner Palak Raval-Nelson emailed a department-wide letter in late March describing the situation, according to the document obtained by WHYY News.

Those COVID-19 related grants included money for expanding the city’s epidemiology and laboratory capacity to enhance the detection of diseases, immunization and vaccines for children, as well as the Philadelphia Equitable Access Project to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities, according to the letter. These grants were not slated to expire until mid-2025, 2027 and 2029, according to USA Spending grant information.

“The work that the listed grants fund is critical and supports cross-program, cross divisional and external collaborative work to conduct surveillance, respond to novel and endemic outbreaks, develop plans for future outbreaks, develop capacity to support health department operations and help the most vulnerable Philadelphians survive and thrive,” Raval-Nelson wrote in the letter. “This entire situation is upsetting.”

Raval-Nelson then described reaching out to the Mayor Cherelle Parker administration for help and the law department “to see what we can do to forestall or ameliorate the situation” but added it was “a fluid situation and we do not have yet a complete understanding of how this is going to affect us.”

In response to questions by WHYY News about the layoffs and impact of the federal grant cuts, a health department spokesperson said in a statement that officials are examining how to best respond to the situation.

“We are closely monitoring changes to federal funding streams that may impact city services and are aware of the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s] announcement. We are exploring all options for recourse,” spokesperson James Garrow wrote.

It’s unclear whether the Parker administration is considering allocating any money from the general fund to close the budget gap. The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Public health advocates are worried that budget cuts could mean less disease prevention efforts in vulnerable communities which could lead to more outbreaks.

“Things can come back as we have seen with many viruses, measles, for example,” said Tariem Burroughs, director of experiential learning and career services at Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health. “We need to stay resolute and ensure these [communicable diseases] don’t come back. It’s essentially preventative care. It doesn’t make sense because we have seen the value of investing in this, so not to invest in this is just in many ways just ludicrous.”

Burroughs said he worries about the next generation of public health workers, who are watching the industry shrink as they graduate into a tenuous labor market, as well as vulnerable marginalized communities since health equity was defunded.

These grants supported the health department during the COVID-19 pandemic but also the Mpox outbreak that spread rapidly among LGBTQ communities. It also supported longstanding public health initiatives such as HIV, tuberculosis and measles.

“It will have a devastating effect on the local ecosystem,” he said.

The Board of Health that advises the city of Philadelphia Health Department discussed the threats of federal funding cuts and commitment to health equity during its last meeting in February 2025.

Dr. Marla Gold, a retired professor of health management and policy at Drexel University and board member, said during the meeting she’s worried about the future of public health.

“One of the greatest threats to public health overall that is happening right now involves the new federal administration in just about every single way,” Gold said.

She then questioned Raval-Nelson about what the city was doing to prepare.

“We are doing all the things to fortify ourselves,” Raval-Nelson said at the time.

None of the Board of Health’s board members responded to questions for this news story.