Commissioner Raider briefed the Board of Health on the five‑county consortium that provides behavioral‑health services in areas lacking local providers. He explained the original intent of the community integrated health services (CIHS) program was to fill service gaps but said CIHS has since expanded into many additional areas.

"We're working on bringing the services and the intent of its original inception to get back to just the Medigap services," Raider said, describing efforts to reduce overlap, reclaim focus and reduce administrative costs borne by county partners.

He said the counties own the institution and that the board is now spearheading efforts to narrow CIHS's activities to those core functions for which it was created, with the aim of avoiding unnecessary duplication and containing costs.

Why this matters: CIHS and the Great Rivers consortium affect access to behavioral‑health services in multiple counties and involve county funding decisions; refocusing the program could change how emergency and gap services are delivered locally.

What's next: the board will continue oversight and report back on proposed structural changes for CIHS, including any impacts on service delivery and county funding requirements.