Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Hays County to cover lost state COVID grants temporarily to retain health department staff
Summary
After the state terminated two COVID-related public-health grants effective March 24, commissioners agreed to use Local Assistance and Tobacco Settlement funds and salary savings to preserve positions including an epidemiologist and outreach specialists while county staff pursue alternative funding.
Hays County commissioners on April 8 agreed to temporarily fund key Hays County Health Department positions after the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) notified the county that two COVID-era grants would be cancelled effective March 24.
Health Department Director Matthew Gonzales told the court the cancellations affect an epidemiologist (Epi/ELC) position and two community outreach specialists funded through health-disparities grants. Gonzales said the grants’ termination leaves a shortfall for staff who perform disease investigations, immunizations, behavioral-health linkages and community outreach.
“Those positions were doing more than COVID work,” Gonzales…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
