Nevada public health division seeks to retain staff and shift administration to new Nevada Health Authority

The Joint Subcommittee on Human Services heard a budget presentation on the Division of Public and Behavioral Health(DPBH) administrative account, budget 3223, during a public hearing in Carson City and Las Vegas.

DPBH Administrator Cody Finney, administrator of the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, told the panel the account provides services across the division and includes a modest overall increase in the division—s funding. She said the department is asking to continue eight intermittent positions established during the ARPA rollout because the workload persists. "We did show a need to continue these positions," Finney said, describing the positions as focused on ongoing fiscal support and funded largely through cost allocation and reserves.

The request also includes a one-time general fund infusion described as a plug to offset lost indirect funding connected to three budget accounts that will transfer to the newly established Nevada Health Authority. Finney said, "This is a 1 time plug of general fund to hold 32 23 harmless while we make this transition," and that the indirect rate calculation should align by the next biennium.

Deputy Administrator Andrea Rivers provided workload detail in response to committee questions. Rivers said the division processed more than 500 contracts and nearly 500 subawards in a prior fiscal year and that as of Jan. 31 the division had already processed about 400 subawards and was monitoring roughly 300 contracts. She also told the committee that, of the 13 ARPA positions originally funded, 10 were vacant as of January 2025 because some long‑term intermittent staff left rather than risk layoff when ARPA funding ended. "We are definitely... pinch hitting at this time," Rivers said, describing current staff working overtime to cover vacancies.

Finney and Rivers said three administrative positionsa deputy administrator, an administrative services officer and an accounting assistantare proposed to transfer into the Nevada Health Authority along with the functions they support. The department characterized the general fund plug and the transfers as transitional steps that should not be needed in the subsequent biennium once indirect calculations catch up to the new award and grant mix.

The committee closed the hearing on account 3223 after members asked clarifying questions about workload, vacancies and the one‑time general fund request. The presentation and follow‑up questions focused on maintaining contract and subaward management capacity while DPBH transitions administrative functions to the Nevada Health Authority.

Looking ahead, the division said it will continue to monitor workload and report back to the committee as transitions proceed.