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McHenry County Board of Health approves $600,000 IDPH grant for respiratory surveillance
Summary
The board approved accepting a two‑year Illinois Department of Public Health grant totaling $600,000 for respiratory surveillance, point‑of‑care testing and long‑term‑care training, and authorized an emergency appropriation to add the funds to the 2024 health department budget.
The McHenry County Board of Health voted Aug. 19 to accept a two‑year Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) grant of $600,000 to support respiratory surveillance and outbreak response.
Staff from the nursing division told the board the grant will fund point‑of‑care testing for influenza and COVID‑19, evaluation of RSV testing kits, personal protective equipment and supplies, and training and conference support for infection‑control staff in long‑term‑care facilities. “It gives us the opportunity also some dollars to educate long term care facilities for outbreak response,” a nursing division staff member said during the meeting.
Board members noted that the grant expressly prohibits use of funds to purchase vaccine; the staff presentation emphasized the award is intended for surveillance, testing and outbreak management rather than immunizations. Following discussion, the board approved both the acceptance of the grant and a resolution recommending an emergency appropriation of $600,000 into the Department of Health’s 2024 budget so the funds can be spent.
The motions passed on roll call. The board’s action authorizes staff to proceed with the contract and to work with county fiscal staff on appropriation and reimbursement procedures; county approval of appropriated funds at later stages is separate from the board’s motion to recommend appropriation.
Next steps: staff will finalize contract paperwork with IDPH and coordinate appropriation logistics with the county finance office.
