Woodbury County discusses one-year agreement to provide public health services to Ida County

Suland District Health Director Kevin Green told the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors that Ida County needs a public-health provider after Horn Memorial Hospital ceased providing those services, and he outlined a draft plan under which Woodbury would operate services under a one-year agreement paid for by Ida County.

"We wouldn’t use Ida County resources over here," Green said, emphasizing the draft’s central fiscal rule that no tax dollars cross county lines and that Ida County would remain the designated taxing authority for services it receives. He told supervisors the agreement would fold certain local Ida County contracts (public health immunization services) into Woodbury’s existing Iowa HHS contract and that Ida County would reimburse Woodbury for administrative costs.

Green described the staffing proposal: Ida County currently has one public-health nurse and no support staff; the draft contemplates increasing that to two staff as employees of the Suland District Health Department. The arrangement would include WIC clinics and child-health services currently provided under other contractual relationships.

On facilities, Green said Horn Memorial would provide space under a lease paid by Ida County. The draft budget includes a 10% administrative fee to cover oversight and grant administration; Green and supervisors discussed reserving language in the agreement to itemize and recover additional costs if Woodbury’s actual expenditures exceed that fee.

Green recommended a one-year trial period with an assessment and the option for either partner to renegotiate or discontinue the services at the end of the year. He also said the board should appoint two supervisors to meet with him and local officials as details are finalized.

Board members raised routine implementation questions — where staff would be based (a satellite location in Ida County under lease), how workers’ compensation and employment matters would be handled (Ida County would reimburse Woodbury for employment-related costs), and the need to clarify union or HR implications before any formal personnel changes. Green said any formal agreement and budget would be returned to the full board for approval.

The item was presented as informational; no final agreement or binding vote was taken at the meeting. The board asked staff to continue negotiating terms and to return with formal agreements and budget language for board action.