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Public Health division flags falling immunization rates, autopsy workload and calls for maternal and domestic‑violence funding
Summary
Public Health Division leaders told the Senate Human Resources Appropriations subcommittee that kindergarten vaccine exemptions and declining MMR coverage pose outbreak risk, the forensic pathology workload has increased and relies on a UND contract, and the division seeks funds for maternal health and expanded domestic‑violence services
Kirby Krueger, director of disease control and forensic pathology at the Department of Health and Human Services, and other public‑health leaders briefed the Senate Appropriations Human Resources subcommittee on March 1 about program priorities and budget requests for the Public Health Division.
Krueger described the forensic pathology workload and contracting arrangement with the University of North Dakota (UND). The department’s Bismarck forensic office performed 188 autopsies in 2023 and 122 in 2024; UND handled the remainder under contract. Krueger said the state’s coverage is divided geographically by contract: certain western and south‑central counties routinely send cases to Bismarck, other counties send to UND. He told the committee the Bismarck forensic examiner position is currently part time (Doctor William Mazzello works two days a week) and that a single full‑time pathologist would not be sufficient to meet the state’s current autopsy volume.
On immunizations, Krueger and Molly Howell, immunization director, presented statewide trends and county‑level variation. They said MMR coverage among kindergarteners has declined…
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