PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island and Massachusetts have joined forces with several other states to form a public health coalition.
The Northeast Public Health Collaborative is a voluntary coalition including Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York state and New York City.
The group, which was informally created several months ago, has been working together since early this year. The first in-person meeting was held last month in Rhode Island, according to a press release announcing the formal coalition issued Thursday.
The goal is to “protect the health, safety and well-being of all residents by providing information based on science, data, and evidence, while working to ensure equitable access to vaccines, medications and services,” according to the press release.
The purpose of the collaborative is for states to work together in “new ways." This includes sharing resources and reworking core services to improve trust in public health, respond to health threats as well as “strengthen confidence in vaccines and science-based medicine.”
“Collaboration is the core of public health. We look forward to continuing to work with the Northeast Public Health Collaborative to improve information sharing, coordinate on public health initiatives, and develop policy that is grounded in science and data,” said Dr. Jerome Larkin, director of the R.I. Department of Health, in a statement. “This partnership will advance our work to prevent disease and promote the health and safety of the people in every community in Rhode Island.”
The group is similar to the West Coast Health Alliance, which includes California, Washington and Oregon, that launched earlier this month. In a joint statement, governors in all three states specifically called out President Donald Trump’s management of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as the reason for creating the group.
“President Trump’s mass firing of CDC doctors and scientists
– and his blatant politicization of the agency
– is a direct assault on the health and safety of the American people. The CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science, ideology that will lead to severe health consequences,” the governors said in a Sept. 3 press release announcing the alliance.
On Wednesday, the West Coast group recommended all adults and children receive the updated COVID-19 vaccines. This contradicts the vaccine recommendations U.S. Food and Drug Administration which limits access to those who are 65 years and older or younger people with health conditions that put them at a greater risk for developing disease.
On Monday, the Northeast group issued its own vaccine guidance, recommending people of all ages get the updated COVID vaccine, with specific directions based on different levels of risk for disease for children ages 2 to 18.
Northeast state leaders did not specifically mention federal leaders or health policy when announcing the coalition.
Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health, Dr. Robbie Goldstein, noted public health must “stand high above ideology” and the region is moving forward “guided by science.”
“When our states speak in concert, our voice carries farther, and our impact deepens. Those who work in public health are entrusted with a profound responsibility – a promise – to protect the health and safety of those in our states, to advance equity, and to ground every decision in data and evidence,” Goldstein said in a statement.
New York City’s acting health commissioner, Dr. Michelle Morse, also said it’s important to “reject misinformation, and maintain trust in science.”
“The collaborative is working together to rebuild public trust, and provide factual information, so people can make informed decisions about their health, and continue our critical work to address health inequities,” Morse said in a statement.
When asked by Providence Business News’ questions whether the group was formed in and what the coalition can do that individual states would not be able to accomplish on their own, Joseph Wendelken, a RIDOH spokesperson said the group was “formed to explore opportunities for regional public health collaboration.”
“This group expands on what we have always done in public health – cooperate with and support each other across jurisdictions. Public health knows no borders,” Wendelken said.
The group has already formed working groups to find opportunities for collaboration and coordinated planning among states on topics including: public health emergency preparedness and response, vaccine recommendations and purchasing, data collection and analysis, infectious disease, epidemiology as well as laboratory capacity and services.
Member states say they have also collaborated on ways health care workers can protect themselves and patients during respiratory virus season. Also, group members have worked together on sharing information about public health emergency preparedness related to three cities planning to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup along with boosting the workforce and coordinating state lab activities.
While the coalition members share public health goals, they noted each state and city has their own set of laws. So, members can choose to participate in or adjust initiatives to meet their own specific needs.
(UPDATE: Adds comment from RIDOH in 16th and 17th paragraphs.)
Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.
