Council Hears Report About Health Department Financial Woes
Casper City Council will hear a report from the director of the Casper-Natrona County Health Department's director about the agency's responsibilities and financial issues at its work session in city hall at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
"The health department has faced significant budget shortfalls since July 2011 when a contract with the Wyoming Department of Health for public health nursing services was terminated," Kelly Weidenbach wrote in a memo to City Manager John Patterson on Feb. 2.
In the current fiscal year, the department will receive a total of about $2.8 million in revenues from the city, county, grants, program revenues and state nursing funds, according to her memo.However, its expenditures will be about $3.3 million for a deficit of about $500,000.
The state funding covers a number of mandatory services that the local health
department must provide, but does not cover for non-mandatory services that our local health department provides that may be important to the local community.
Mandated services include investigating disease outbreaks, disaster preparedness, STD and HIV testing and treatment, immunizations, and food service inspection and licensure.
Nonmandatory services important to the community include family planning, prenatal classes, CPR and first aid instruction, and skilled nursing care.
Weidenbach is trying to bring in more money through a supplemental budget request before the Legislature for public health nursing services through a new performance-based contract that went into effect on July 1, 2014.
She does not have a specific request she will put before the council. However, she hopes the city will consider an increased contribution for the 2015-2016 fiscal year, especially if the proposal before the Legislature falls through.
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