U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, on Dec. 9 announced a $21.5 million grant for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District to support the improvement of public health infrastructure.
According to a news release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is extending Public Health Infrastructure Grants to help local governments boost their public health systems.
Metro Health will use the federal funding to modernize the health department and fund the SA Forward Plan, the city’s response plan to COVID-19 to enhance public health infrastructure, the release said.
The release also said the funding will support SA Forward’s six focus areas: access to care, data and technology infrastructure, food insecurity and nutrition, health equity and social justice, mental health and community resilience, and violence prevention.
Cuellar said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to upgrade most of the local public health infrastructure.
“Thanks to the CDC’s vision, this new groundbreaking grant program will help us fulfill many of the health necessities in our community by providing the necessary improvements to better promote and protect health in San Antonio,” Cuellar said in a statement.
State Rep. Liz Campos, D-San Antonio, thanked Cuellar for ensuring San Antonio was included in this round of public health workforce funding made available nationwide.
“These federal dollars will make it possible for kids to see a nurse at school, for seniors to see a doctor at home, and for all of us to receive quality health care in our community," Campos said.
State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, D-San Antonio, said the new federal funding will help to shore up public health infrastructure for economically and socially marginalized communities.
“This grant will help address the historic underinvestment in communities in my district that are economically and socially marginalized communities and communities comprised of high-risk and underserved populations. This is a much-needed tool, and the CDC will now be able to provide direct support to public health agencies and deliver future resources for data modernization and foundational infrastructure,” Gervin-Hawkins said.
State Rep. John Lujan, R-San Antonio, said the federal money will drive innovation and improve public health services.
“These dollars will be used to recruit, retain, and support our local health care workforce to ensure that we are prepared to respond and prevent future health threats. This investment is critical to building a strong foundation of support for our local, state, and national public health workforce and infrastructure,” Lujan said.
The release said the CDC is seeking to award an additional $4 million for a total of $25.5 million, but that will depend on future appropriations.
