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Sherman County public health seeks credit-card solution after vaccine orders delayed by payment processing
Summary
Public health officials told the commission vaccine orders have been placed on hold because previous invoices have not been recorded as paid; staff proposed either adding a dedicated vaccine purchasing account or increasing the county card limit to avoid supply gaps.
Sherman County public health staff told commissioners that recent vaccine orders were placed on hold because the vendor reported the county’s previous invoices as unpaid. The public health director said the delay limited the department’s ability to order vaccines in a timely way and asked the board to consider options to prevent future supply interruptions.
Why it matters: delayed vaccine orders can limit the county health department’s ability to serve residents and to run clinics and immunization programs.
Public health staff described the operational impact: after the commissioners sign checks at the biweekly meeting and staff forward payments to the county billing office, mail and processing delays have sometimes left vendors holding orders until invoices clear. The public health director said the department could place orders on a county credit card but was concerned about the county card’s single shared limit; she asked whether the county could either increase the credit limit or establish a separate card or account dedicated to vaccine purchases so that orders could be paid automatically.
The public health director said, “I could purchase these on the credit card, but since it’s the county card, these sometimes can be large orders, and I don’t wanna take them out” and later asked, “Is it an option for us to get another credit card just purely for vaccine orders? That way, when we place the order, it’s paid automatically.” Commissioners discussed alternatives, including asking the county administration to request an increased credit limit or to set up a separate account that would not be pooled with other county expenses. One commissioner suggested adding $12,000 more credit; staff noted creating a separate account or card would still affect the county’s overall limit unless it is a distinct account.
Commissioners did not take a formal vote. The county indicated staff would follow up with the county finance/administration staff (Ashley) to identify a practical solution and report back at the next meeting. The public health director said she would continue to pursue short-term alternatives as needed to avoid clinic interruptions.
Ending: The board directed staff to explore options with the county administration to prevent vaccine-order delays and to report back; no formal policy change or budget amendment was recorded in the transcript.
