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Geary County health director flags delayed state grant and ongoing STI, TB monitoring
Summary
Geary County Health Department director Charles Martinez reported increased TB monitoring after a recent case, rising gastrointestinal illness activity, and warned a delayed $40,000 state grant could create a shortfall if not released quickly; commissioners approved a small internal reclassification for a durable lab item.
Charles Martinez, director of the Geary County Health Department, told commissioners the department has increased tuberculosis monitoring after one local TB patient and said COVID-19 and influenza levels remain low.
"We increased our tuberculosis monitoring since we had 1 patient in Gary County last month with tuberculosis," Martinez said, adding that testing and outreach have helped reduce sexually transmitted infections after a spike in 2023. He described gastrointestinal illnesses as "pulling up" and said staff are monitoring trends.
Martinez also reported a financial concern: the department is expecting $40,000 from the state that has not been released because of a state-system calculation error. "This one, we are going to fall short for the year if our grant doesn't come in in time," Martinez warned. He said the grant manager and state IT had been engaged to fix the problem and the county would coordinate with the finance director on contingency steps if the funds are delayed beyond the next two pay periods.
The board approved a minor budget reclassification requested by the health director to move a $2,105.70 durable lab item into capital outlay, consistent with the finance director's recommendation.
Why it matters A delayed state payment to the local health department could impair routine services if the department must cover salaries or supplies while awaiting the grant. The department’s public-health monitoring updates — TB, GI illnesses and STI outreach — have direct public-safety and community-health implications.
What happens next The health director will follow up with the state grant manager and county finance staff and report back to the commission once the payment issue is resolved.
