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Winneshiek supervisors authorize talks with hospitals on public health services
Summary
The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors approved a motion directing two supervisors and two Board of Health members to pursue potential public-health service contracts with local medical providers, including Gundersen and WinMed; supervisors noted wide variation in per-capita county public-health spending.
Winneshiek County supervisors on Monday approved a motion directing two members of the Board of Supervisors and two members of the Board of Health to pursue discussions with local medical providers, including Gundersen and WinMed, about contracting to provide county public-health services.
The motion, read aloud by Ben during the meeting, asked that “two members of the board of supervisors and two members of the board of health pursue with WinMed and Gundersen public health services contract,” then was broadened in discussion to allow outreach to any affiliated medical services providers. The board voted in favor; the motion carried.
The move follows regional conversations about hospital-contracted public-health services. At the meeting staff circulated per-capita comparisons for six counties showing a range from about $6.35 to $40.29 per resident depending on the county’s approach and whether they currently contract with a hospital. Meeting participants noted that Chickasaw and Winneshiek were the two counties in the group not partnering with a hospital for public-health delivery.
Supervisors discussed scope and next steps. The board assigned Supervisors Dan and Shirley as the two county representatives to pursue the outreach; the two Board of Health members will be named by the health board. County staff clarified that the two-on-two exploratory discussions would not be a public meeting, but any negotiations or agreements would be presented and discussed in a public Board of Supervisors meeting before the board took formal action.
Board members said they sought additional information about differences in services offered under hospital contracts versus counties that operate their own public-health departments. One supervisor observed that counties contracting with hospitals “are quite satisfied with their relationship,” while another warned the services seen under hospital contracts might not exactly match services a county-run department provides.
Clarifying details provided at the meeting included the per-capita figures for the six-county comparison (range $6.35 to $40.29) and staff-supplied summaries of services offered by the various county models. The motion did not specify a timeline or a required reporting date; supervisors said Dan and Shirley would report back to the board on findings.
No formal contract was approved at the meeting; the action authorized exploratory discussions and identified representatives to carry them out.
