Panhandle Health District reports permit growth, flags clinical services funding

Eric Kettner, director of the Panhandle Health District, told the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 26 that the health district closed out fiscal 2025 with increases in permitting and environmental oversight and is reviewing the future of its clinical-services program.

Kettner said the district issued “nearly a thousand food establishment licenses,” processed more than 1,500 building‑permit reviews in collaboration with county Community Development and reviewed “over 1,200 facilities” as part of aquifer‑protection work. He reported “over 200 inspections in the past year” and said the district is working with business owners and a proposed regional committee to develop best management practices for containment of commercial on-site products.

Kettner also described growth in public‑health programs: the district’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program serves “about over 1,500 individuals here in Kootenai County,” and a home‑visiting program sends nurses or qualified staff into higher‑risk homes to provide support and referrals. He said the district is expanding school‑based opioid prevention curriculum, supported by opioid‑settlement funds, and that the epidemiology team is tracking recent measles cases and coordinating guidance with school districts ahead of the school year.

The most consequential budget item Kettner raised was the district’s assessment of its clinical services. Kettner told commissioners that demand for Panhandle Health District–operated clinical care has declined over the past decade, with federally qualified health centers and other providers “picking up those clients” previously served by the district. He told the board that on its current trajectory it will be difficult to justify continuing district‑run clinical services and that the board has discussed using the county’s proposed fiscal‑year‑2026 support of $363,000 for other programs or reducing the county appropriation going forward.

Commissioner Eberlein pressed staff on how the health district balances protecting the aquifer with local housing needs, saying, “How can we how can we slow it down so we can manage to a slow and steady type approach as opposed to this these huge fast growth spurts that far outpace … infrastructure, capabilities.” Kettner replied that the district is trying to work within existing septic rules while coordinating with the county and by developing regional best practices to ensure containment meets “the best available technology.”

Kettner and commissioners discussed potential downstream effects of shifting clinical services to other providers. Kettner noted concerns among federally qualified health centers about funding and Medicaid eligibility changes and warned that reductions in preventive services could increase pressure on rural hospitals. He said the health district will continue to monitor the clinical‑services question and bring updates to the board.

The presentation was delivered as an informational item; commissioners did not take a formal vote on the clinical‑services proposal at the meeting.