KPHD board learns about uncertainty of statewide funding

The Kitsap Public Health District board learned about uncertainty of statewide funding as part of its July 1 meeting.

Yolanda Fong, KPHD administrator, provided updates on Foundational Public Health Services and emergency preparedness funding cuts. Statewide, the Department of Health reduced FPHS by $24 million as part of its 2025-2027 budget.

“Foundational Public Health Services funding is state funding that supports core public health services provided by state, local, and tribal public health agencies. FPHS funding accounts for about 22% of (KPHD’s) budget,” Fong said.

Fong described the breakdown of reductions in funding.

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“Today, we’re looking at a 2.5% reduction, which is about $91,000 a year. This is actually on the better end of what we had been discussing,” she said. “So at this point, some of the funding will be statewide cuts that we’re gonna make across the system, and some of them will be some of the local stuff that we’re dealing with.”

In mid-June, DOH was notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it would only be receiving 75% of the state public health emergency preparedness funding starting July 1, Fong said.

“About $300,000 of this emergency preparedness funding is passed from DOH to KPHD each year, so we could see a reduction in funding based on the reductions made by CDC. DOH has not confirmed any reduction to KPHD at this time”, she said.

This follows Gov. Bob Ferguson’s May 7 appeal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for public assistance following the bomb cyclone last year. FEMA notified Ferguson on June 19 the request for additional funding was denied, per agency documents.

Heat, wildfire preparedness

Also at the meeting, Nathan Anderson, a KPHD planning specialist, shared a presentation about how the district is preparing for heat and wildfire smoke hazards.

Anderson said prolonged exposure to heat can impede the body’s ability to regulate internal temperature. Prolonged exposure can increase the risk of developing heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

He said heat and wildfire smoke are relatively new hazards in the emergency preparedness world.

“There’s a lot of research and innovation right now looking at public health interventions for these hazards. We keep up to date on current research. We collaborate with colleagues throughout the state and nationwide,” he said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service release a heat risk map that allows for forecasts up to seven days ahead of heat-related health impacts to occur over a 24-hour period, Anderson said.

Anderson also shared some of the benefits of having more detailed predictions.

“These forecasts are important because they take into account not only the climatic conditions, but they’re also looking at firefighting resources and how thinly they’ll be spread out over the course of the summer”, he said. “So as the summer progresses, those resources are spread thinner and the potential for wildland fires increases.”

KPHD also has the ability to monitor air quality in real time, Anderson said.

“Our guidance remains the same for everyone. If you have to be out in smoke, wear an N95 mask,” he said.

Jessica Guidry, KPHD assistant director of public health infrastructure, described the mission of the Public Health Preparedness and Response Program.

“Our mission doesn’t change. What does, though, are our priorities. Every program at Kitsap Public Health is important. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing the work, Guidry said. “But in an emergency, we may have to pull employees from different programs to help with the emergency, to deal with the more immediate, urgent needs.”

Quynh Sample, a KPHD resource specialist, provided the board with an overview of day-to-day emergency planning.

During day to day emergency planning includes: planning responses, testing responses through training and exercises, and medical countermeasures items such as medications, which are FDA approved.

“During an emergency is not the time to be handing out business cards,” Sample said. “Once an emergency happens, you want to know exactly who to go to for what and who needs to be involved in the response.”

The district is currently working on refreshing emergency response plans, employee preparedness, and community outreach efforts.