Vanderburgh County health board plans to hold services steady despite steep state funding cuts

A recent meeting of the Vanderburgh County Board of Health focused on a proposed 2026 budget that officials say preserves existing services despite a deep cut in state funding.

Board member Maria (last name not specified) and health department staff summarized a plan that would use savings from 2025 and county budget lines to hold service levels steady in 2026 while avoiding layoffs. “In 2025, we received $4,200,000 … for HFI,” Joe (health department staff) told the board, and the county is combining that with other funds to keep the budget level, staff said. Board members repeatedly characterized the reduction in state funding as a roughly 73% cut for 2025–26.

The nut of the proposal is rollovers and reallocation rather than program expansion. Board members said the plan requests less county support than in 2024 for the county line referenced as 1159 and moves some staffing between county lines (1159 to 1161) to preserve core services. “We are maintaining what we are currently offering,” Ashley Hammer, a newly introduced board member, said; “we're not gonna be able to do any expansions.”

Why it matters: board leaders said the combination of one-time carryovers and conservative budgeting should avert layoffs in 2026 but will leave little margin for new initiatives. Members urged outreach to local legislators and community partners to seek any restored state support and to pursue alternative funding, including foundation support and targeted grant applications.

Grants and program impacts

Board members highlighted several grant changes that affect services. Staff reported that the county will not receive an immunization grant that had previously provided “over half a million dollars” per year; the transcript states that fiscal-year-26 funding for that federal grant (passed through the state) is zero. Staff and board discussed reallocating positions funded by grants and noted that some programs — such as immunization outreach and the pre-to-3 (3 to 3) home-visiting program — have relied on a mix of state, federal and foundation funds.

Board members said they continue to apply for grants and plan to hire a grant writer; the board discussed asking a local foundation to pay for grant-writing assistance. The board also referenced applications due in early August for at least one opportunity tied to sustaining positions in the pre-to-3 program.

Staffing and leadership plans

The board discussed a deputy health officer role that was budgeted across county lines; staff said an hourly rate for the position has been set at roughly $70 per hour and that the position is expected to be above 0.5 FTE. Members discussed that the deputy role could transition into the chief health officer role if Dr. Spears retires. Board members noted uncertainty about Dr. Spears’s retirement date; some members said he mentioned March 14 in a subcommittee meeting, but the board had not received a formal written notice.

Because of that uncertainty and reported interest from outside applicants, the board voted to form a subcommittee to formalize and standardize the hiring process for the deputy/anticipated chief health officer and to prepare a national search if needed. The motion to create the subcommittee was moved, seconded and recorded as approved.

Public-health performance highlights and needs

Health staff reported several program successes: the sexually transmitted disease program achieved about 96% completion of case investigations locally, well above the state average listed in the report, and the county’s childhood immunization coverage rose from about 71.7% to 77.7% over six months, according to the materials discussed. Staff said the increase reflects outreach, callbacks and a local measles recall response.

The board also discussed ongoing public-health concerns that could be worsened by funding or coverage changes: higher infant and perinatal mortality among Black residents (Vanderburgh County was described in the meeting as having the second-highest Black infant mortality rate in the state for 2023), rising numbers of people identified with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and 14 active TB cases reported in the meeting materials, and the effects of recent eligibility changes that have reduced Medicaid coverage for some immigrant populations. Board members flagged the potential for increased emergency-room use if coverage gaps persist.

Contracts and program continuity

Board members said some inter-county contracts remain in process and others have ended: one partner (referred to in the meeting as DuBois) terminated a contract to deliver pre-to-3 services and will continue some services independently. The board is awaiting finalized agreements from three counties before proceeding on certain shared contracts.

Advocacy and outreach directions

Board members proposed several next steps: (1) targeted advocacy to state legislators, including a proposed board-hosted lunch to meet local lawmakers; (2) public messaging to tell the department’s story to partners and local businesses to seek alternative support; and (3) use of a newly produced video about the 3-to-3 home-visiting program to bolster outreach. The video — produced pro bono by a local marketing firm, identified in the meeting as Oswald — was shown at the meeting and staff said it will be posted on the department website and shared with county and state partners.

Formal actions taken

- Approval of the minutes for the prior meeting (motion moved, seconded and approved by consensus). - A motion to issue formal board accommodations recognizing the work of the immunization program and the pre-to-3 program was moved and seconded; board members approved the motion. - A motion to create a subcommittee to standardize the hiring process for the deputy health officer/anticipated chief health officer was moved, seconded and approved. - Motion to adjourn was moved, seconded and approved.

What’s next

Staff said the county budget will be submitted next month and is expected to be finalized by October; board members asked for a more detailed grants-at-risk list and for materials that link program outcomes to economic impact to support outreach to businesses and legislators. The board also asked staff to circulate a job summary for the deputy health officer and to post application instructions publicly.

What the article does not assume

The article reports the board’s statements from the meeting. It does not assert that Dr. Spears has formally retired (the board had no written notice), and it does not project the final actions of county council or the state budget process beyond what board members discussed.