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DeKalb Public Health asks to repurpose five county‑funded nurses as refugee resettlement drops off
Summary
With refugee resettlement suspended, DeKalb Public Health asked the FAB Committee to reassign five county‑funded nursing positions to Ryan White clinic work, TB clinic follow‑up and mobile STD outreach; officials cited a 9.7% increase in chlamydia and a 42.7% increase in gonorrhea (2018–2023) as reasons to reallocate resources.
DeKalb Public Health Director Paxton and Dr. Annie Roussa told the Finance, Audit and Budget Committee the county should reallocate five county‑funded nursing positions originally intended for refugee screening because refugee resettlement has largely stopped.
‘‘When the positions were funded, we expected about 9,818 refugees with 92% settling in DeKalb County,’’ Dr. Roussa said, explaining that federal resettlement pauses and FY2026 caps have reduced refugee screening from roughly 200–280 per month last year to near zero. She asked that the five positions be allowed to work across multiple programs rather than remain limited to the refugee program.
Roussa said two nurses have been assigned to the TB clinic to review latent TB infection cases and that other positions could support Ryan White services and mobile outreach. She cited surveillance data showing a 9.7% net increase in chlamydia and a 42.7% net increase in gonorrhea in DeKalb County between 2018 and 2023, and said reallocation would help recapture people lost to care and support mobile testing efforts.
Commissioners expressed support for the pivot and asked what formal action would be required; administration staff said the funds had already been allocated and that using them for county nursing services consistent with public health objectives should be allowable. Commissioners asked Public Health and administration to outline planned services and outcomes for the 2026 budget documents.
The committee agreed the health department had the committee’s support to reassign the positions and requested the department provide a written plan for inclusion in the FY2026 budget submission.
