News Releases

Gatlin Discusses the Effect of Federal Grant Funding Cuts

On Tuesday, March 22, The Center for Health Affairs’ ASPR Project Director Beth Gatlin was interviewed by Cleveland.com discussing how federal grant funding cuts will affect their preparedness in the future.

In the piece, “Cleveland hospitals prepared for events like Brussels bombing, but concerned over budget cuts,” Gatlin explains the concern due to federal grant funding cuts for training and supplies. “We were receiving close to $2 million then,” she said referring to the money the regional hospital association began receiving in 2003. “Now we’re down to $800,000.”

While the cuts are a cause for concern, Gatlin explained that hospitals in Northeast Ohio are prepared for emergencies and can handle mass casualty events such as the Brussels bombing. The Center regularly coordinates regional drills to provide an opportunity for all healthcare institutions to practice how to respond in emergencies and natural disasters. “The hospitals are well prepared, but the cuts bode badly for maintaining equipment,” explained Gatlin.

To read the full Cleveland.com piece on the effect of federal grant funding cuts, click here.