Understanding the State of the Agency: A New Resource for Health Advocacy
By Victoria Barahona, Senior Policy Associate, Coalition for Health Funding
Advocating for robust federal investments in public health and health care programs requires more than knowing funding levels. It requires understanding the agencies behind those investments, their impacts in communities across the country, and the challenges they currently face as they carry out their missions.
Over the past year, federal health agencies have undergone significant changes, including workforce reductions, funding uncertainty, organizational restructuring, and shifting program priorities. As these developments accelerated, the Coalition for Health Funding (CHF) identified a need for accessible, informative resources to help policymakers and advocates better understand what is at stake.
That need led CHF to create the State of the Agency one-pager series for the following agencies:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Each one-pager provides a balanced snapshot of an agency's role, examples of impact and successes, and current challenges. While discussions about federal health agencies often focus on emerging concerns, policymakers and advocates also need to understand the vital work these agencies perform every day. Each resource therefore outlines the agency's core functions, highlights tangible outcomes and accomplishments, and underscores the importance of congressional investments that make this work possible.
The one-pagers also support advocacy efforts. Congressional staff work across a wide range of policy issues, and many may not be deeply familiar with the specific responsibilities of a particular health agency or have the time to fully keep track of rapidly evolving agency disruptions. By bringing together key information in a concise, easy-to-read format, CHF gives advocates a tool to communicate both the value of federal health agencies and the consequences of policies that may affect their ability to serve the public.
Most importantly, CHF will continue to build on the State of the Agency series as circumstances evolve. The Coalition has been updating these resources to give advocates, congressional offices, and stakeholders timely and relevant information. We will continue to monitor the challenges facing these agencies and the successes they achieve, helping tell the full story of how federal health programs improve health outcomes and strengthen communities nationwide.
CHF first used versions of these one-pagers in our annual CHF Hill day earlier this year, and we encourage members to continue using them in meetings, briefings, and outreach efforts to educate policymakers and support continued investment in the nation's health infrastructure.
CHF extends a special thank you to the members who contributed their expertise, insights, and resources to help inform and strengthen the State of the Agency one-pagers. Their willingness to review materials, share information, and provide subject matter expertise helped the CHF team ensure these resources accurately reflect the work, impact, and challenges facing federal health agencies. We are grateful for their partnership and continued commitment to advancing federal investments in public health and health care.
If you have questions about the State of the Agency series or would like to share updates, developments, or other information that could help inform our members, please reach out to Victoria Barahona. The CHF team welcomes input from members and partners as we continue to monitor developments across federal health agencies.