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Health director says department adapting after large cut to Health First Indiana funding
Summary
Health Department director Melissa Osler told the council the department is reorganizing programs and using carryovers and dormant funds to sustain services after a steep reduction in Health First Indiana funding; council previously approved a $7,000 appropriation for immunizations.
Melissa Osler, director of the Clinton County Health Department, told the county council on Aug. 19 that the department is restructuring programs and using carryover and dormant funds to maintain services after a substantial reduction in Health First Indiana funding.
Osler said what the department had anticipated as $193,575.40 for the year represented a roughly 75% reduction from prior funding levels and that the department has been precise in aligning specific line items with restricted state buckets. “When I submit to the state, they keep every year's funding for Health First in little individual buckets of that big pot,” she said, explaining why certain line items were budgeted at small amounts so they can be tracked and drawn appropriately.
Why it matters: Osler said the department is focusing on prevention, promotion and protection and working to make services and programs more visible to the public. She cited ongoing grant work, a plan to move a food-and-vector position to full time (subject to grant alignment and HR processes), collaboration with EMA on emergency preparedness, and continuing to distribute small local grants for community partners such as Open Door Clinic.
Council action and funding: The council had earlier approved an appropriation from the travel immunization fund of $7,000 to purchase vaccine doses; Osler said the department would submit the requested state disbursement to close that fund. She also described cleaning up dormant funds and using targeted carryovers to avoid shifting new costs onto the county general fund.
Next steps: Osler said the department will continue to present detailed program-by-program budgets and to coordinate with the council and HR on staffing changes and grant administration. She also noted recent regional meetings and training with Purdue-affiliated rural health services and thanked staff for their progress on program realignment.
