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With large Health Department cuts expected as a part of the new budget being voted on Tuesday, a Kane County Board member said officials will try to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Programs likely affected by the cuts will be family case management; women, infants and children; peer breast feeding; teen parent services; health works; dental sealants; and vision and hearing.
Though the seven Health Department programs face elimination from Tuesday’s planned cuts, Kane County District 7 Board member and Public Health Committee Chairman Gerald Jones said there is a silver lining. Jones said case management would be moved to three local federally qualified health clinics — Visiting Nurses Association of Fox Valley, Aunt Martha’s and Greater Elgin Health Clinic — and at the end of the day, people may find the change to be a positive thing.
“The county will make sure that no one slips through the cracks,” Jones said.
The cuts would eliminate 62 full-time equivalent jobs and the county Heath Department’s contract with the state. Despite this, Jones said county officials still will work with the state and other agencies during the transition period to health clinics.
Program cuts were first announced by Health Department Executive Director Paul Kuehnert during an early July meeting of the Kane County Board’s Executive Committee. The cuts, which would reduce the Health Department’s 120-person staff by more than half, were tabled at July 13’s Kane County Board meeting to allow officials to examine other options. If approved at the board’s meeting Tuesday, the cuts could take effect as soon as Sept. 10.
Health Department officials said they rely on the state for 40 to 50 percent of their total budget. The state owes the Health Department $1.7 million for services the department already has performed. Because of this, department officials say they must cut the budget by 40 percent and will not be able to maintain the same staffing levels or resident services. Many services will be cut, but officials said they still are trying to find a way to maintain the critical services the department provides to infants.
Kuehnert has recommended the Kane County Board refuse to accept certain Illinois grants that require the Health Department to perform services for which the state promises reimbursement, because he doubts they will receive that money.
In a news release last week, the workers’ union, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, criticized the Health Department for exaggerating their financial straits and not requesting expedited payments from the state. However, Jones said county officials have been in constant contact with the state and the Health Department is on the priority list to get paid as soon as possible.
“But that still means, as far as we understand, six to eight months out,” Jones said. “That’s not something that we could viably do and still have a healthy Health Department. All in all, there is a lot of misinformation being distributed, and it’s unfortunate.”
Next meeting
The Kane County Board will next discuss the Health Department cuts at Tuesday’s board meeting.
With large Health Department cuts expected as a part of the new budget being voted on Tuesday, a Kane County Board member said officials will try to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Programs likely affected by the cuts will be family case management; women, infants and children; peer breast feeding; teen parent services; health works; dental sealants; and vision and hearing.
Though the seven Health Department programs face elimination from Tuesday’s planned cuts, Kane County District 7 Board member and Public Health Committee Chairman Gerald Jones said there is a silver lining. Jones said case management would be moved to three local federally qualified health clinics — Visiting Nurses Association of Fox Valley, Aunt Martha’s and Greater Elgin Health Clinic — and at the end of the day, people may find the change to be a positive thing.
“The county will make sure that no one slips through the cracks,” Jones said.
The cuts would eliminate 62 full-time equivalent jobs and the county Heath Department’s contract with the state. Despite this, Jones said county officials still will work with the state and other agencies during the transition period to health clinics.
Program cuts were first announced by Health Department Executive Director Paul Kuehnert during an early July meeting of the Kane County Board’s Executive Committee. The cuts, which would reduce the Health Department’s 120-person staff by more than half, were tabled at July 13’s Kane County Board meeting to allow officials to examine other options. If approved at the board’s meeting Tuesday, the cuts could take effect as soon as Sept. 10.
Health Department officials said they rely on the state for 40 to 50 percent of their total budget. The state owes the Health Department $1.7 million for services the department already has performed. Because of this, department officials say they must cut the budget by 40 percent and will not be able to maintain the same staffing levels or resident services. Many services will be cut, but officials said they still are trying to find a way to maintain the critical services the department provides to infants.
Kuehnert has recommended the Kane County Board refuse to accept certain Illinois grants that require the Health Department to perform services for which the state promises reimbursement, because he doubts they will receive that money.
In a news release last week, the workers’ union, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, criticized the Health Department for exaggerating their financial straits and not requesting expedited payments from the state. However, Jones said county officials have been in constant contact with the state and the Health Department is on the priority list to get paid as soon as possible.
“But that still means, as far as we understand, six to eight months out,” Jones said. “That’s not something that we could viably do and still have a healthy Health Department. All in all, there is a lot of misinformation being distributed, and it’s unfortunate.”
Next meeting
The Kane County Board will next discuss the Health Department cuts at Tuesday’s board meeting.
