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Miami County Health Department seeks funding to replace shrinking grant support; highlights lab revenue growth
Summary
Health Department Director Christina Beere told commissioners the department faces a post‑pandemic grant funding decline and requested county dollars to sustain positions and core services while noting growing revenue from a LabCorp lab partnership.
At a Miami County budget hearing Health Department Director Christina Beere outlined a budget that reflects a shift from pandemic-era grant funding toward more traditional, typically smaller grants and fee revenue, and she asked commissioners to consider county funding to maintain service capacity.
Beere described the drop in grant support and the department’s proposed response: staffing built out during the pandemic has increased capacity but some of those positions remain partially grant‑funded. “We went from 6.4 FTEs to 11.6 FTEs, which is an 81% increase in workforce capacity,” Beere said, noting the percentage of staff time funded by grants has fallen from about 80.6% in 2022 to an estimated 30.9% for the department in 2026. She conveyed that the department’s proposed budget is roughly $368 higher (adjusted) than last year after internal cuts, but warned that the department is facing a net reduction in grant revenue compared with the recent past.
Beere highlighted one departmental investment that is becoming self‑sustaining: the public health laboratory partnership with LabCorp. “In 2023, we partnered with LabCorp, and our net revenue was $5,500. In 2024, our net revenue was about $18,000. And in 2025, our net revenue is projected to be about $23,000,” she said, citing year‑over‑year growth as evidence that some public‑health investments can generate recurring revenue. The department also provides other reimbursable services—biometrics and screenings for employers and partners—though reimbursement timing can complicate monthly accounting.
Beere said staff costs remain the largest single budget item and that department staff percentages funded by grants are shifting downward; she presented comparative data showing Miami County spends less, with more services, than many similarly sized Kansas local health departments that published budgets. She also summarized capital requests (an electronic health record system already under contract) and non‑capital maintenance needs (stormwater drainage and parking issues at the health department building) and said the department will continue to pursue grant and stipend opportunities as they arise.
Beere asked that commissioners consider county support to cover gaps created by decreased grant funding; commissioners discussed outside partners—local hospitals and regional university health systems—and broader implications for local health services if funding continues to decline.
Ending
No formal vote was taken. The department will continue to refine budget details and pursue grants; the commissioners will consider the department’s request as part of the county budget process.
