HHS Cuts, CHNA Chaos? How to Lead Through the Storm

When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced significant budget reductions last week, many health departments were caught off guard.

Plans are now in limbo. Staff are stretched. And critical Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) and Improvement Plans (CHIPs) are at risk of delay—or worse, elimination.

At Ascendant Healthcare Partners (AHP), we’ve been here before. We’ve helped counties across the country navigate shifting political climates, realign with new mandates, and secure funding through ROI-backed planning.

We are a Healthy People 2030 Champion, a NACCHO affiliate, and a proud member of the American Public Health Association (APHA)—and we specialize in helping counties get audit-ready, even in the face of chaos.

HHS funding changes don’t just impact line items. They impact your ability to serve.

Here’s what we’re hearing from local health administrators across the country:

• “We’re short-staffed, and now we’re losing more funding.”

• “Our CHNA is expired—we won’t make the fiscal deadline.”

• “We’re at risk for DOGE audits and noncompliance.”

And here’s the hard truth: Counties that wait will fall behind. The ones that act now will not only survive—they’ll secure the resources to lead through this storm.

Ascendant Healthcare Partners helps you:

• Complete your CHNA or CHIP—on time and audit-ready

• Align with MAPP 2.0, Healthy People 2030, and PHAB 

• Use ROI-based analysis to prove your program’s value 

• Prepare strategic justifications to defend budget requests 

• Reposition your team as a high-performance health leader

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The Cost of Doing Nothing

Delaying your CHNA or CHIP could mean:

• Ineligibility for key grants and reimbursements

• Audit exposure under DOGE or state scrutiny

• Falling short of PHAB reaccreditation

• Being unprepared for funding changes in FY25

Let’s not wait until the budget is finalized to act. The smart counties are getting proposals now so they can launch early in and stay ahead of the curve.

What To Do Next

We’ve made it easy for you to take action right now:

Situation	Action	Where to Go
Just exploring	Book a strategy call to talk through options	Schedule Free Strategy Call »
Need something fast	Request an Express CHNA proposal	Get Express CHNA Proposal »
Need help with all services	Request a proposal for CHNA, CHIP, or Strategic Plan	Request Full Services Proposal »

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