Regional Coordinator

When Policy Hits Home – A Letter to Partners

April 8, 2025

Dear Health Partners,

In recent weeks, many of our partners have begun to feel the pain of the abrupt shift in Federal policies.

God’s Storehouse alerted the community to the increased need food pantries across the Dan River Regions are facing following massive cuts to USDA funding that helps support food banks like Feeding Southwest Virginia and Second Harvest of Northwest North Carolina. Food pantries across the region depend on them and the generosity of community members to feed the hungry people who come to them for help. 

Noah’s Educational Ark in Yanceyville, recently shared their concerns on social media. They’ve lost grant funding that helps provide staff and report that some parents have unexpectedly been left with daycare bills after their assistance was cancelled with no notice. Meanwhile, the National Head Start Association issued THIS RELEASE voicing their concern over the closing of regional Head Start offices, which they say will negatively impact families and children. 

Anyone receiving funding from the Department of Health and Human Services has nervously watching all the changes, and court orders. Several local positions were eliminated with the recent clawing back of $11.4 billion in CDC funding that had previously been awarded to state and local health departments. The funding included: 

  • $348 million in grants to state and local jurisdictions for the National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities; 
  • $60 million in grants to state and local jurisdictions for Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities Evaluation and Technical Assistance; and  
  • $21 million in grants to several universities for work in Strengthening Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control and Improving Patient Safety.

Virginia lost $425 million in funding while North Carolina estimated they would lose $230 million. Critics claim that COVID is behind us so there is no need to continue the funding streams created to address the pandemic. Health professionals say COVID highlighted disparities and systemic issues that needed to be addressed and that the COVID-era funding provided means for building capacity to address chronic diseases in communities. Agencies are expressing frustration over suddenly having to pause programming and lay off staff despite having grant agreements in place.

Attorneys General and other officials in North Carolina and 23 other states and the District of Columbia filed suit against the US Department of Health and Human Services, and its Director, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. requesting an emergency restraining order for what they contend are illegal funding cuts made with no “rational basis” that would result in “serious harm to public health”. 

Of note: “Clawbacks” refer to funding that has already been awarded, but those awards are now rescinded while “cuts” refer to reductions made to future funding. 

On Thursday, April 3, a federal judge blocked implementation of the clawbacks before the matter is decided by the courts. But some programs right here in the Dan River Region have already been halted, and staff have already been sent home. The future for them and the work they were doing is uncertain. 

The Network for Public Health Law walks us through the HHS Restructuring and Funding Cuts in THIS ARTICLE. They also draw attention to other clawbacks such as $1 billion in SAMHSA grants to address mental health and substance use issues and $2.1 billion for state and local Immunization and Vaccines for Children grants.

The National Association of Social Workers recently published THIS PIECE highlighting the impact Project 2025 would have on social safety nets. Project 2025 provides a clear roadmap of many of the sweeping changes being implemented by this administration. 

Meanwhile, it’s budget season and governing boards across the Dan River Region are wrestling with rising costs, funding gaps, and lots of uncertainty around things like Medicaid and SNAP. 

Back to Basics 

Training programs for Emergency Medical Technicians and First Responders stress the importance of centering the ABCs when triaging and treating a patient. Airway. Breathing. Circulation. Air goes in and out, blood goes ’round and ’round. Any deviation of the two is a problem that requires intervention. Non-specific sick call? Start your exam with the ABCs. Driver ejected from a vehicle with multiple broken bones, open wounds, and a head injury? Airway. Breathing. Circulation. 

But what do we do when we’re facing other types of emergencies? What do we do as leaders when we’re unsure of the future funding landscape? What do we do when the words we use to describe the work we do make us targets? What do we do when we’re worried about our ability to continue providing services for the community? What do we do when our own jobs are on the line? 

We go back to basics and we center the ABCs – Accountability. Budgeting. Community. 

Accountability is defined as a willingness to accept responsibility. When we view the current moment through a lens of accountability it helps us more readily identify those things for which we are truly responsible, and where some responsibility may lie with others. Once we tune out the noise of those things we have no control of, we are able to better identify strategies to ensure we remain accountable to our mission, our values, our partners, and our community. Accountability allows us to better recognize strategies that may not be having the desired effect and need to be updated or discontinued. This practice of accountability also keeps us focused on the mission, on moving forward with the work that is ours to do. By continuously holding ourselves accountable, it becomes easier to actively continue the work, even amidst chaos and uncertainty. 

Budgeting is a crucial part of our personal financial wellness and of successful program development and administration. Some organizations have a bare bones budget that is little more than a retroactive look at their income and expenses for the year while others have complex budgets that reflect various funding streams, anticipated reimbursements, and multiple service lines. Similarly, some individuals are doing good to record and review their expenses every month while others have robust financial plans that include debt payoff and planned savings and investments for retirement, emergencies, college, etc. This current economic environment gives us the opportunity to take a hard look at the state of our finances. When HHS funds were frozen in early March, some Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) had to close their doors, but thanks to careful budgeting practices that carefully monitors cashflow and creates reserves, the FQHCs that serve the Dan River Region were able to keep their doors open. Have you done the math? Have you identified the absolute bare bones minimum you require to meet your financial obligations? What about for your organization? Do you know how much it costs to keep the lights on? Have you identified the staffing or services most likely to be impacted? Have you identified any additional cost saving measures you might take without jeopardizing services or staff? Does your governing board have a solid understanding of the revenue streams you rely upon and where you are most vulnerable? Have you considered how funding cuts and clawbacks in government or at other organizations might impact demand for your services or your ability to provide those services? The Dan River Region is filled with people and organizations that are accustomed to doing more with less. Austerity measures are nothing new for us, but the careful monitoring and planning of our budgets to ensure we are being good stewards of our funding is even more important than ever. 

Community. In times of chaos or uncertainty, it can be easy for us to retreat into ourselves, or into our own organizations. Reduced funding streams can lead to greater competition and a reluctance to share available resources with partners. A flurry of Executive Orders, legislation, and other policies that reduce or roll back our Civil Rights protections and target some of our most vulnerable populations and the programs that serve them feels like an all out assault to many. Many of us who have only just begun to trust others enough to work collaboratively are now tempted to silo ourselves off once again in an effort to protect ourselves and the communities we serve from the fall out of broken social contracts. 

In Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope, bell hooks reminds us that, “Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid, to make us choose safety instead of risk, sameness instead of diversity. Moving through that fear, finding out what connects us, reveling in our differences; this is the process that brings us closer, that gives us a world of shared values, of meaningful community.”

Now is the time for us to move through that fear, not turn away. It is time for us to shift our focus from fixing a system we’ve all agreed was broken, to working together to create a system that works well for us all.

We hope you’ll join us and our partners in collaboratively creating that new system. We also invite you to visit TheHealthCollab.news for more partners announcements, resources, and community events. 

-Shannon

Danville Chapter Meeting

Thursday, April 10, 2025 at Noon

This month as we continue the housing conversation, we will be highlighting partners who provide permanent housing for low-income individuals.  

  • Wendi Goods Everson, Executive Director, Danville Neighborhood Development Corporation (DNDC)
  • Donald Paredez, CEO, Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (DRHA)

We will also hear from Dana Kern, Housing Redevelopment Specialist about the annual city sponsored campaign “Make Danville Shine.”  

The Danville Chapter has taken a deep dive into housing over the past few months but other workgroups have continued to meet. To learn more about other work happening across the chapter and chime in on priorities, please email Danville Chapter Coordinator, Kitt Mayo at Danville@TheHealthCollab.com

RSVP HERE

Caswell Chapter Meeting

Tuesday, April 15th at 12:30pm

In honor of April being Earth Month, the Caswell Chapter will spend their April meeting exploring local efforts that could impact the environment and learning more about who pays attention to such things in the county. To learn more about other work happening across the chapter, please email Kyle Warren-Love at Caswell@TheHealthCollab.com

RSVP HERE

Pittsylvania County Chapter Meeting​

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 11:30am

Join us for the April 29th meeting of the Pittsylvania County Chapter of The Health Collaborative where we continue to serve as a regional convener and facilitator and provide opportunities for shared learning, leadership development and collective action toward health equity.

To learn more about the work happening across the chapter, please email Jolandria Graves at Pittsylvania@TheHealthCollab.com.

RSVP HERE​

The Health Collaborative Seeks Sustainability Director​

Position Summary

The Sustainability Director is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive revenue strategy to drive sustainable growth and ensure the financial health of the organization. The Sustainability Director will oversee fundraising, partnerships, earned income strategies, and donor relations while fostering innovation and collaboration. This role is pivotal in aligning revenue-generating functions within The Health Collaborative’s mission and long-term strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

  • Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a multi-channel revenue strategy to diversify and maximize funding sources.
  • Fundraising & Development: Oversee the functions as required by the revenue strategy as they relate to donor engagement, major gifts, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants to ensure a robust funding pipeline.
  • Partnerships & Earned Revenue: Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with corporations, institutions, and government agencies to support revenue growth.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilize data analytics and market research to assess revenue performance and identify growth opportunities.
  • Board & Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with The Health Collaborative’s staff, Coordinating Committee, the membership at large, donors, and other key stakeholders to drive funding initiatives and build strong relationships.
  • Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and support an organizational culture that understands the intersections of revenue, development, marketing, and sales functions where applicable as it relates to sustainability of The Health Collaborative’s mission.
  • Brand & Communications Alignment: Collaborate with The Health Collaborative’s other staff to ensure that marketing and communications are consistent in messaging that supports fundraising and revenue efforts.
  • Operational & Financial Oversight: Collaborate with The Health Collaborative’s other staff and the Coordinating Committee to establish revenue forecasts, budget alignment, and impact measurement for development initiatives.

Qualifications & Skills

  • Bachelor’s degree preferred in Business, Nonprofit Management, Finance, or a related field.
  • Minimum 5 years of leadership experience in nonprofit fundraising, business development, sales, or a related field.
  • Proven track record in securing major gifts, corporate sponsorships, grant writing and management of diverse revenue streams.
  • Strong analytical skills with experience in data-driven fundraising and marketing strategies.
  • Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills.
  • Experience working with boards, high-level donors, governmental and institutional funders.
  • Passion for The Health Collaborative’s work and commitment to its mission and values.

For more information on how to apply, please CLICK HERE. Applications will be accepted until Friday, April 25th at 5pm. 

Check Out These Partner Announcements and Events

Please be sure to check out our online newsletter, News & Notes at TheHealthCollab.news for even more partner announcements, tools, resources, and a robust meeting and events calendar. Have something to share? Send it to info@TheHealthCollab.com or submit your events directly to the calendar.

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