Board holds hearing as health officials defend proposed Department of Public Health cuts; providers urge restorations

A public hearing of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on June 14 examined proposed Department of Public Health (DPH) reductions that the department says are needed to close a budget gap for fiscal year 2011–12.

The hearing drew scores of providers, clients and advocates who urged the board to restore funding to programs serving homeless people, people with serious mental illness, veterans and other vulnerable groups. Barbara Garcia, director of the Department of Public Health, told the board that DPH focused its review this year on “non‑matched” general‑fund dollars and identified about $70,000,000 in such funds; she said the mayor’s office restored roughly half of the originally proposed reductions and that roughly $3,200,000 in cuts affecting about 23 organizations remained under discussion.

Why it matters: City‑funded community providers deliver services that advocates say prevent higher‑cost use of hospitals, jails and emergency services. In several cases…