As of May 30, the New York State Public Health Corps Fellowship Program will end, meaning people seeking careers in public health will lose access to a two-year mentorship and education program.

“It really is a blow to our workforce and our infrastructure,” said Sarah Ravenhall, executive director of the New York State Association of County Health Officials. “These fellows were members of our teams. They were doing really, really wonderful work.”

President Donald Trump, however, said cuts to federal aid are aimed at cutting federal spending, arguing that the government wastes billions on duplicate programs and what he calls frivolous expenditures. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says this takes away $300 million in federal funding to support 168 fellows across the state.

“It's going to hurt the public health. There's no doubt about it. These people saved lives,” said Poloncarz. “These people made a difference in our community, and unfortunately they're losing their jobs just because of cuts from the Trump administration and it's going to hurt our efforts to protect the public.”

Ravenhall said these jobs open pathways for people to work in infectious disease prevention, drug and alcohol abuse care, maternal health care and more.

A spokesperson for the New York State Department of Health said in a statement to Spectrum News 1:

“Last night, we learned Judge Mary McElroy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued a 14-day Temporary Restraining Order temporarily barring the U.S. Health and Human Services from terminating various public health grants allocated to states during the pandemic. We are still assessing the impact and next steps for the Department and are watching how this unfolds in the courts before we proceed. Through all this uncertainty, our mission has not changed. We remain committed to protecting the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.”

Additionally, NYSDOH said 50 employees have been laid off to date due to the elimination of the CDC COVID Health Disparities Grant CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Grant. Public Health fellows were notified that their fellowship program is ending on May 30, and their positions will be terminated because of the elimination of the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity COVID-19 Supplemental Grant. With federal funding, the program would have continued through July 2026.