The health department in Hart County is a not a core function according to the Hart County Board of Commissioners.
The Board of Commissioners made more cuts to the county budget. According to an article in the local newspaper, an additional $120,000 was removed from the budget.
The commissioners made cuts to what they called non-core county functions. The Hart County Health Department, Behavioral Health Department, and the Division of Family and Children Services all suffered budget cuts as a result.
The reduction in funds has caused the availability of services in the county to be reduced
With an unemployment rate of 11.9%, more residents rely on the free government services.
The nurse manager for the health department, Rhonda Dyer, said there has been in increase in STD rates and teen pregnancies due to cuts in the budget.
Services for STD screening operate out of the health department half a day, once a week. The family planning services are available only twice a week.
Both of these services are consistently booked.
“We don’t have any [available] appointments till the end of March,” said Dyer.
An increase in teen pregnancies is likely due to the inability of teens to access birth control measures, she said.
STD rates for the county are already on the rise.
The department expects to see more cuts to their budget in the new fiscal year that begins in July.
The health department cannot put out fires our prevent crime, but it can prevent trips to the emergency room.
Dyer believes that the county will see an increase in ER visits because preventative measures cannot be taken.
Health is a vital part of any community. Sick residents cannot work.
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It's unfortunate that programs tend to lose their funding at the worst possible time. Murphy's law, I suppose. But I think your point is well made. During this time of economic downturn, more people will require help to meet their medical needs. Where do you turn if you can't go to the health department? Are there any free clinics in the area?
ReplyDeleteThis certainly seems like a bad time for the county to reduce health department funding, but I wonder what percentage of the health department's budget that $120K represents. That would be good to know.
ReplyDeleteAnd how does Hart's 11.9 percent unemployment rate compare with surrounding counties? It sounds awfully high and makes me wonder if you could document a corresponding increase in demand for services. A great example would be lengthening wait lists for STD or family planning appointments.
It's not just health department funding that is getting cut. Hospitals across the state are having revenue shortages, and Governor Purdue is considering a tax on hospital revenues in order to cover Medicaid's shortfall as the stat tries to find a statewide trauma care network. More on that here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/02/05/hospital0205.html?cxntlid=inform_sr
What about when people use the emergency rooms more often, even though they can't afford to? Any info on how the funding shortfall drives more people to the emergency room, people who in turn don't pay those bills and place the hospitals under greater financial strain?