DeKalb Public Health gives annual update: staffing shortages, budget mix and program activity

DeKalb Public Health delivered a broad annual update to the PECS committee on county demographics, internal organization, staffing and program outputs through the current fiscal year.

The department reported it serves more than 760,000 residents and outlined four divisions — administration, clinical services, community health and environmental health — plus five offices including epidemiology and public-health preparedness. The department operates five health centers across the county and said it screened more than 3,000 refugees in the current year and issued more than 20,000 birth certificates and nearly 19,000 death certificates to date.

The health director said DeKalb Public Health has 413 authorized positions, 343 filled and 70 vacant. About 161 positions (roughly 39 percent of the workforce) are federally funded; 133 of those are filled and 28 vacant. The FY2026 operating budget enumerated funding sources: approximately 56 percent state grant-in-aid (including federal pass-through), about 14 percent county funding ($6.4 million), and the remainder from fees, Medicaid administrative claiming and prior-year program income.

Program outputs presented included more than 38,000 patient visits this fiscal year (largely immunizations, refugee TB health checks and COVID-19 services), more than 5,000 environmental inspections covering more than 4,000 active permits, and a lead-investigation workload that found average referred blood lead levels of 6.7 micrograms per deciliter; 132 children met investigation criteria in 2024 and 26 have met criteria so far in 2025. The epidemiology office logged more than 5,000 investigations (about 80 percent COVID-19) and investigated more than 800 animal-bite reports, recommending rabies post-exposure prophylaxis for about 110 people.

The department outlined a five-year strategic plan (FY25–29) centered on equity, engagement and efficiency with five organizational goals including service accessibility, workforce retention, multi-sector partnerships, financial sustainability and modernization. The director noted ongoing funding challenges, restricted categorical grants and the possibility of future federal funding reductions; they also described an improving but still present vacancy picture in clinical and community-health functions.

Why it matters: The update provided commissioners with staffing and budget context for county public-health services, identified program workload pressures (refugee health and lead investigations) and framed areas where additional county attention or funding could affect capacity.

Ending: Commissioners thanked the director for the update, noted appreciation for the staff response during the pandemic and discussed next steps for vacancy fills and partnership with county departments on public-health priorities.