Rep. Frankel Applauds Launch of Northeast Public Health Collaborative
Rep. Dan B. Frankel September 18, 2025 | 2:07 PM
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 18 – House Health Committee Chair Dan Frankel today praised Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Department of Health for joining several Northeastern states and New York City in formally launching the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a voluntary coalition aimed at strengthening public health across the region.
“Working together across state lines is essential to protecting the health and well-being of Pennsylvanians,” said Frankel, D-Allegheny. “Public health threats don’t respect state lines. Whether responding to infectious disease outbreaks, improving vaccine access, or coordinating emergency response, this collaborative gives us tools to be better prepared, more resilient, and more equitable.”
The collaborative brings together public health agencies and leaders from Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York state, Rhode Island, and New York City. The group’s shared 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.
“Unfortunately, our federal decision-makers have chosen to undermine trust in vaccines, doctors, and science itself. That makes this multistate effort even more urgent, because lives are at stake,” Frankel said. “It’s increasingly up to the states to fight for the public health using sound science and effective protections.”
Frankel emphasized that while each state in the collaborative retains its independence under its own laws and regulations, unity and shared planning can yield efficiencies and stronger responses to public health threats.
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