Marshall County Council backs second public-health nurse and interim support for new generator

The Marshall County Council voted to support the health department's request for a second full-time public health nurse and offered interim financial backing to cover a shortfall on a new generator to serve the department's new building.

Lisa Letzinger, interim administrator for the Marshall County Health Department, told the council the department previously had two full-time public-health nurses and wants to restore that staffing level to run a small prenatal maternal-health program and provide a patient navigator role. "A couple of reasons is we've lost a lot of our OB care here in the county, and we'd like to take that second, full time nurse to act as a vital part of getting some services that the health department would provide here back in our county," Letzinger said.

Letzinger said the department planned to fund the position from Health First Indiana (HFI) / 11.61 funds but that state approval is required before the county can appropriate the money locally. She said she had included salary, PERF and Social Security estimates in her 2026 projection and estimated roughly $60,610 for salary in 2026, or approximately $40,000 pro-rated for the remainder of 2025. The council made a motion to support her request for the additional nurse and to pursue the formal appropriation if the state approves; the motion, moved by Jim Masterson and seconded by Nicole Cox, carried with the council voting aye.

Separately, the health department is seeking a new standby generator to power refrigerators that store vaccines and other clinical equipment in the department's new facility. Stan Plattsworth, speaking on behalf of Doc Hollum (associated with clinic operations), described quotes and site-work needs and said the generator quote for a 40 kW unit was about $49,000. Letzinger said she expected to cover roughly $16,000 from vehicle sales and maintenance support but was short about $33,000 to complete the purchase and required electrical upgrades. "She's just short the appropriation of the 33,000," a council member summarized during discussion.

Council members discussed procurement and lead times and heard that the selected vendor quotes are documented by the maintenance department. The council made a motion — moved by Greg Compton and seconded by Jim Masterson — to support an additional appropriation of approximately $33,000 from the HFI (11.61) fund so the department can proceed while state reimbursements and formal appropriations are finalized; the motion carried. Letzinger said she would provide written quotes to the council and follow the appropriation process.

Council members repeatedly framed the generator purchase as continuity-of-operations for vaccine storage and as an investment to avoid repeated, costlier work later. The transcript shows the council approved both the motion of support for the nurse request (subject to state approval and formal appropriation) and the motion to cover the interim generator shortfall; both were recorded as carried.