Letters

Closer look

This letter is in response to an article in the Whitman Gazette, regarding the proposed budget cuts in the Whitman County Health Department. Having worked in Public Health for 23 years and been an administrator for 15 of those years, I am concerned with the budget cuts and direction the Health Department is being forced to take regarding staff and services.

The County Commissioners (Board of Health) have asked for budget cuts annually for 10 or more years. I have faced those budget reductions and I was able to save services for the citizens of the county by reorganization of programs and maximizing staff and revenue sources. We never terminated employees, let alone an experienced staff with 25 years of service, or programs to meet the needed cuts. Most organizations follow the policy of last hired first fired. Seniority is a well-established guiding principle used by organizations to keep the experienced staffing to maximizing services and efficiencies.

The Board of County Commissioners and Mr. Henderson, Health Department Administrator, need to be reminded that you need experienced public health staff to face the current and emerging threats to the public health such as diseases outbreaks, safety of the food, water, and the environment. In addition the high level of poverty in Whitman County demands a high level of preventive programs and public health services. Public Health services impact the health and well-being of every citizen in the county from the unborn to the aging population.

When I started at the Health Department in 1987 the general fund portion for the department was $500,000.

The Health Department with fiscal management was able to decrease the county portion to $250,000 or less.

The department’s budget is made up of grants from federal, state and private foundations, fee for service, and contracts.

This represents 80 percent of the total of the Health Department budget of approximately one million dollars.

This leaves the county’s general fund support portion to be 20 percent or around $250,000.

Also to be noted is the Commissioners can only make budget cuts on their general fund portion otherwise they are supplanting grant funds.

Reducing the county portion will result in threats to current and future grant funding.

Reducing essential services or staff is not a way to balance the budget. I hope that reconsideration will be given as how the Health Department may make a reduction in the general fund portion. History has demonstrated that the Health Department has always stepped up to do its part in many ways to be fiscally responsible and support the county budget. I encourage a closer look of the Public Health budget, programs, and staffing to prevent severe impact to the public health department and all the citizens of Whitman County.

Fran Martin, R.N.,

Tekoa