Featured Transcript:

Florida swimming lesson voucher program aims to save more kids lives. The new law took effect July first and expands the eligible age range by three years. Now children from ages one to seven up from four can take eight free lessons over a two week period. 

Safe States Alliance Director Sharon Gilmartin says Florida broke a record last year with one hundred and nineteen child drowning deaths. "That's not a trend - that is a public health crisis begging us to respond."

• Multiple ways to call for help, including cell phones and a marine VHF radio
• Visual signaling devices, including electronic and pyrotechnic flares, as well as signal mirrors (keep a signal mirror in the pocket of your life jacket)
• Throwable devices such as Type IV PFDs and throw bags
• Sound-producing devices such as horns and whistles (attach a whistle to your life jacket)
• Extra dry, warm clothing in case you get wet

• Vermont Sen. Rebecca White (Windsor District)
• Vermont Rep. Golrang “Rey” Garofano (Chittenden-23)
• Vermont Water Safety Action Committee
• Vermont Department of Health
• Greater Burlington YMCA
• U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety
• National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)
• Safe States Alliance
• Jolie Frechette (Morris Strategies)

Read the full article here.

Access the full release here.

Arrival of Summer Brings Attention to Drowning Prevention

A Word in Black : Black America's Daily Digital

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Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of Safe States Alliance, a nonprofit injury prevention organization, said the budget cuts have eliminated a key source of information that could help keep people safe. 

“When you cut the federal investments into drowning prevention at the CDC Injury Center, you don’t just lose programs,” she says. “You lose the ability to know what’s working, where the problem is getting worse and which communities need help most.”

Private funders “can [offer] piecemeal solutions, whether that’s for swim lessons or for specific communities,” she says. “But they can’t replicate a national surveillance system. They can’t replicate national expertise.”

Read the full article here.

McGovern addresses drowning deaths, CDC cuts

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With the CDC listing drowning as the single leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 4, Safe States Alliance Executive Director Sharon Gilmartin explained that deaths from childhood drowning have recently risen.

“After years of decline, drowning for that age group [between 1 and 4 years old] rose 28% between 2019 and 2022 — that’s not a trend, that’s a public health crisis begging us to respond, and it falls hardest on the kids who can least afford it,” Gilmartin said. “We know Black children drown at rates three times higher than white children, [and for] Native children, [it’s] two to three times higher. These aren’t just statistics, these are policy needs.”

Read the full article here.

What we know about the new CDC director amid praise from doctors

Featured Quotes:

"One of the things that I'm most encouraged by is that Dr. Schwartz is an MD [and MPH], which signals to me that she has not only clinical health credentialing, but she also really understands public health and the difference between the two," Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of the non-profit Safe States Alliance, which focuses on injury and violence prevention, told ABC News.

"And for topics like injury and violence prevention, which is what my organization focuses on, somebody who really understands that population health approach is critically important," she continued.

Read the full article here.

Dr. Erica Schwartz served in the Navy and Public Health Service.

Featured Quotes:

"One of the things that I'm most encouraged by is that Dr. Schwartz is an MD [and MPH], which signals to me that she has not only clinical health credentialing, but she also really understands public health and the difference between the two," Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of the non-profit Safe States Alliance, which focuses on injury and violence prevention, told ABC News.

"And for topics like injury and violence prevention, which is what my organization focuses on, somebody who really understands that population health approach is critically important," she continued

Read the full article here.

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Paul Bonta, director of government relations at the Safe States Alliance, told Inside Health Policy the White House’s renewed push to eliminate the injury center “defies all logic,” noting the relatively small size of the program -- about $761 million -- and its longstanding bipartisan backing, including Congress’ decision to fully fund it for fiscal 2026 despite a similar proposal from the Trump administration last year.

Bonta also pointed to a recent health alert issued through CDC’s Health Alert Network warning of a potent, unapproved sedative emerging in the illicit drug supply, saying the detection was made possible by the agency’s Overdose Data to Action program -- one of the initiatives funded through the injury center now slated for elimination -- underscoring what he described as a contradiction in the administration’s approach.

The White House’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal would significantly reduce funding for federal health agencies, including CDC, as part of a broader 12% cut to HHS. The plan calls for about $5 billion in reductions across HHS and would reshape how public health programs are funded and organized.

Read the full article here.

Last May, the White House released a budget request for FY2026 that proposed eliminating the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

Nine months later, President Trump signed into law an appropriations bill that fully funds it for the rest of the fiscal year.

What happened in between is a roadmap for public health as it navigates an administration that continues to target its mission, work, and personnel. 

The Injury Center is the leading agency working to prevent overdose, suicide, and other injuries in all 50 states. For more than 30 years, it has supported injury and violence prevention efforts to keep people and communities safe. About 80% of its funding goes directly to states and localities, including for frontline services that protect families, veterans, and first responders. The organization I lead, the Safe States Alliance, partners with the Injury Center every day.

Injury Center funding keeps children safe in their car seats and protects them from drowning at the pool. It helps coaches identify and respond to concussions and other brain injuries in young athletes. It saves people of all ages from suicide and drug overdoses. It’s a big reason why overdose deaths in the U.S. declined by 27% in 2024.

No other federal agency has this kind of reach and impact with respect to injury prevention.

Yet that didn’t stop the administration from trying to do away with it. So after decades of helping public health save lives, it was time for public health to save the Injury Center.

Here’s how we did it — and how other organizations under threat can, too.

Advocates from across the country launched the Keep America Safe Coalition. More than 50 national organizations — philanthropies, universities, health agencies, and research centers — came together to fight for the Injury Center’s survival.

We knew that fight needed to go well beyond Washington, D.C. The Injury Center’s impact comes from ordinary people across America doing extraordinary things. So we’ve spent the past several months highlighting communities that have benefitted from its work:

• The founding of the Peer Initiative in Lake Charles, La., an innovative suicide prevention program created by high school students. 
• The launch of the Claire Bear Foundation in Tacoma, Wash., which works to reduce infant mortality by advocating for safe sleep practices for babies and toddlers.
• The work of the Brain Injury Center in Lincoln, Neb., which provides brain injury training to health care providers who work with domestic violence survivors and people experiencing homelessness.
• The efforts of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, in Chicago, which helps medical professionals determine where to build and how to staff trauma centers to maximize their effectiveness.

We’ve shared these stories with members of Congress, allowing lawmakers to see how federal funding is impacting their constituents’ lives and health. We’ve distributed them extensively on social media platforms and to local and national press outlets, expanding their reach and explaining why full funding for the Injury Center matters so much.

In many cases, the people at the center of these stories have experienced significant personal trauma. Yet they’ve worked through that pain to make a real difference in their community. That, ultimately, is what public health is all about.

These and many other remarkable organizations in every corner of the country rely on Injury Center funding and/or data collection to inform their work. Reducing Injury Center funding, or eliminating it altogether, would mean taking away vital support for these critically important efforts in local communities.   

Finally, we worked hand-in-hand with Congressional champions. The Injury Center’s work and the organizations it supports are as nonpartisan as you can get, which is why Republicans and Democrats alike in Congress have worked so hard to protect it. Appropriations leaders from both parties in both the House and Senate — particularly Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), and Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) — have been instrumental in blocking any effort to eliminate the Injury Center.

Read the full article here.

"Everyone deserves to live, work, and play in safe communities," says Barbara Barlow, MD, Professor Emerita of Surgery in Epidemiology at Columbia University and Founding Director of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids®. "National Injury Prevention Day shows what's possible when we come together to promote safety and prevent injuries for all."

Turning Awareness into Action - the Promise and Impact of Prevention

In every corner of America, from rural towns to bustling cities, individuals and organizations are implementing proven strategies to prevent injuries and save lives. The Keep America Safe Coalition, a national alliance of 50+ leading health and research organizations, is united in protecting and preserving the importance of federal investments in injury prevention. The coalition is committed to shedding light on these stories.

"Preventing needless injuries and acts of violence extends far beyond one day. It is our collective vision that communities and decision makers see the value in prevention and join our effort to keep America safe," says Sharon Gilmartin, MPH, Executive Director for Safe States.

The CDC Injury Center, the nation's leading resource for preventing injuries and saving lives, plays a vital role in preventing suicide, overdose, motor vehicle crashes, and other leading causes of injury and violence in all 50 states. Its funding supports countless community-based programs that work every day to keep America safe.

But this lifesaving work is at risk. Without sustained federal support, the programs, data systems, and local prevention initiatives that communities rely on will be diminished or lost completely. Funding for the CDC Injury Center must be protected and preserved to ensure its critical work across communities continues.

Take Action November 18

Injuries and acts of violence are not "accidents." They are predictable and preventable.

Support NIPD and safer, healthier communities by:

• Shining a green light on November 18

• Joining the Keep America Safe Coalition to protect critical funding for injury prevention

• Attending a local safety event and taking action to improve safety in your community

• Sharing your story and engaging on social media

Together, we can keep America safe because everyone deserves to #BeInjuryFree.

Contact Information

Sharon Gilmartin
Executive Director
sharon.gilmartin@safestates.org
678-636-9916

DiLenny Roca
Injury Free Coalition for Kids
info@injuryfree.org

Read the full press release here.

Axios Article

Safe States Alliance Executive Director, Sharon Gilmartin, featured in recent Axios article.

"Every fired staffer means one less person available to support people on the ground who need real-time information to do the hard work of prevention. This is a tremendous loss."

Read the full article here.

CDC staffers working to stem violence have been fired while funds for local programs dry up

STAT10

Featured Contents:

Sharon Gilmartin, chief executive of the Safe States Alliance, has been watching the CDC’s injury prevention work closely. Looking at the MAHA report on children, she sees violence prevention programs as vulnerable, despite language to the contrary.

“There were so many elements in there that are directly supportive of the prevention work that is happening, from the CDC injury center and certainly things around youth mental health and substance use,” she said. “It is puzzling that we’re seeing funding removed, yet it’s being explicitly called out as a priority from the administration.”

Roughly 80% of the CDC’s funding flows out to state and local public health departments, where violence prevention meets the street. “People love the work of these programs in their community,” Gilmartin told STAT. “They just have no idea that the funding source is the federal government.”

Read the full article here.

August 8, 2025

Sharon Gilmartin was featured on Scripps News discussing the welcome release of OD2A funds, describing the importance of these funds for communities. She also informs viewers that additional injury center funding lines are currently frozen and addressed the harm this could cause communities.

Watch the news segment here.

Read the news segment transcript here. 

— Call to action comes as Susan Monarez, PhD, takes the lead at the agency

 Published, August 4

Featured Quotes:

"Every delay in this apportionment process, every delay, every spending freeze, these translate to lost time and lives," Sharon Gilmartin, MPH, executive director of the Safe States Alliance, said during the briefing. "So while Washington is tying itself into knots in a power struggle, there are very real people whose lives are affected, and we can't afford to do that."

Adding that "we're very pleased to welcome Dr. Monarez," Gilmartin noted that "this is a really important moment for her to advocate fiercely for her agency's mission in the communities that we serve."

"We really need public health leadership who's willing to push for the timely release of funds and for the ability to use appropriated dollars as Congress intended," she said.

Gilmartin confirmed plans to send a letter to Monarez's office this week, outlining all of the funding preservation requests, including for the substantial OD2A program.

Read the full article here.

Since this press briefing, the Office of Budget and Management released all FY25 OD2A funds thanks to advocacy efforts of public health professionals and partners. 

GRANT RECIPIENT CONFUSION

Politico Pulse

Published, August 5th

Featured Quote:

Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of the Safe States Alliance, a nonprofit association of injury-and-violence-prevention professionals, said that could cause problems for health departments trying to run overdose prevention programs.

Read the full article here

Since this press briefing, the Office of Budget and Management released all FY25 OD2A funds thanks to advocacy efforts of public health professionals and partners. 

NPR reported that delayed funds for the OD2A programs have been fully disbursed across the country, which is a positive development. However, advocates have raised concerns because funding has been frozen for five critical CDC Injury Center programs. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a directive that halts funding for youth violence prevention, adverse childhood experiences, firearm injury initiatives, injury control research centers, and various injury prevention activities.

Read the full article here.

Featured Quotes from Executive Director, Sharon Gilmartin:

The news comes after advocates had been warning for weeks of the harms that delayed or partial funding to the program could have. If full funding is actually coming, "it'll be welcome, but it's not without the toll that it's already taken," says Sharon Gilmartin, director of the Safe States Alliance, a national membership association for the field of injury and violence prevention.

"I don't think anybody will feel confident until they have money in hand," Gilmartin adds. "And I'll be honest, I think the concern is that — if this is what we went through this year, even if funding comes through, are we going to be doing this again next year?"

Gilmartin of the Safe States Alliance says it's hard to understand why these programs were targeted. "I can't come up with an ideological reason why you would want to cut funding that supports positive early childhood," for instance, she says.

Take action here. 

Featuring, Stacey Pecenka, Safe States Member

“Hot car deaths are 100% preventable,” stressed Pecenka. “In only 10 minutes, temperatures inside a vehicle can heat up to dangerous levels. It doesn’t even have to be hot outside to make the car dangerously hot for a child.”

Read the full article here

Astoundingly, from 2013 to 2022, the portion of Washington adults who reported storing their household firearms securely rose from 34.9% to 48.8%, the most of any state in the United States.

Full research article

KIRO7 News Feature

UW Medicine Newsroom Feature

The CDC center that provides a window into how Americans are accidentally killed could see much of its work zeroed out under the Trump administration 2026 budget after it was hit hard by staff cuts this spring.

Why it matters: Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans younger than 45, and the data the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control churns on fatal car accidents, drug overdose deaths, firearm injuries and even dog bites help inform public health strategies.

• The Trump budget targets the CDC with more than $3.5 billion in proposed cuts and lists the injury center under "duplicative, DEI or simply unnecessary programs" that can be conducted more effectively by states.

Where things stand: The center was hit by layoffs under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s reorganization of federal health agencies, losing about 200 staffers in April who primarily worked on violence prevention and unintentional injuries.

• That crippled key data repositories, such as a web-based injury statistics system called WISQAR and the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), with few data scientists and other technicians left to crunch the numbers, current employees and advocates say.
• "Those are existing in name only from here on, because the staff who have the expertise and the know-how and the access to the databases and all of that were RIF'd," Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of the Safe States Alliance, told Axios.
• Trump's 2026 budget request would eliminate funding for both data repositories and the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS).

Read the full article here.

RFK Jr.’s chronic disease agency wouldeliminate or reduce funding for someprevention programs

New budget documents outline priorities of the Administration for a Healthy America

Featured statement: The latest data charted a sharp decline in overdose deaths in 2024, and Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of Safe States Alliance, a national organization that supports state and local health departments in injury prevention, said less funding does not make sense.

“We talk about the 27% reduction in overdose fatalities, so it’s hard to understand why we are reducing funding when we are making progress,” she said. “I’ve been trying different analogies and I keep coming back to we’re pulling the fire trucks while the fire is still burning.” 

Read More

The CDC’s injury center is saving lives — but for how much longer?

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data last month showing that drug overdose deaths declined by nearly 27 percent in the U.S. in 2024 compared to 2023, I felt three competing emotions.

The first emotion was joy. As the executive director of the Safe States Alliance — a partnership of more than 800 professionals and students dedicated to injury and violence prevention — I work with individuals across the country dedicated to saving lives. Here was proof positive of their impact: the equivalent of 81 American lives saved every day over an entire year.

The second emotion was anger. The Trump administration is proposing to eliminate the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the leading federal agency that helps states and communities prevent deaths from drug overdose and other threats.

At a time when the U.S. is experiencing a welcome and long-overdue decline in drug overdose deaths, a decline that public health experts attribute to the very programs the administration seeks to dismantle, this progress is clearly threatened.

The third emotion was hope. And for that, I have Hayley Jelinek to thank.

Read the full piece here: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5326106-cdc-injury-center-opioid-crisis/ 

This article showcases the work of the Keep America Safe Coalition and the importance of the CDC Injury Center including a feature from Shayna Raphael of the Claire Bear Foundation and Chrissie Juliano of the Big Cities Health Coalition in addition to Safe States leadership.

Feature: “In essence, what we're doing right now is taking off our seatbelt before we crash,” said Sharon Gilmartin, the executive director of Safe States Alliance, a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen practices of injury and violence prevention.

Feature: “That was kind of our first indication that there was an effort afoot by some lawmakers, by some policymakers, to target the Injury Center,” said Paul Bonta, the director of Government Relations at the Safe States Alliance.

Read the full article here: https://thefulcrum.us/injury-center-cdc

"The Federal Government Is Gone": Under Trump, the Fight Against Extremist Violence is Left Up to the States

by Hannah Allam

May 29, 2025, 7 a.m. EDT

Reporting Highlights

• Vacuum: As President Donald Trump guts the main federal office dedicated to preventing terrorism, states say they’re left to take the lead in spotlighting threats.
• Gaps: Some state efforts are robust, others are fledgling and yet other states are still formalizing strategies for addressing extremism.
• Vulnerabilities: With the federal government largely retreating from focusing on extremist dangers, prevention advocates say the threat of violent extremism is likely to increase.

Feature: “We are now going to ask every local community to try to stand up its own effort without any type of guidance,” said Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of Safe States Alliance, an anti-violence advocacy group that works with state health departments.

Read the full article here: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-doj-domestic-terrorism-extremism-states-michigan

The loss of the CDC’s drowning-prevention unit is one that water safety advocates fear will have a direct impact on children’s safety.

Water safety officials usually spend Memorial Day weekend warning families that more toddlers die from drowning than any other cause. This year, fewer people will know about the risk.

In April, President Donald Trump laid off the team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention responsible for tracking and publicizing drownings. That team also worked with partners like the YMCA and the American Red Cross to get at-risk children into swimming lessons. That collaboration has halted.

Read More Here: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/26/the-pools-open-trumps-laid-off-the-team-that-helps-protect-swimmers-00363426 

News

Article

Opioid deaths decline, but advocates say crisis progress is at risk from lower federal spending