Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Lindsay Weaver was in Starke County Friday afternoon to discuss the Health First Indiana plan.
The state’s goal is to ensure that every resident has access to core public health services that allow them to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.
The legislature approved a historic amount of funding in its biennial budget to target health and mental health over the course of two years and that funding is benefiting local health departments. Dr. Weaver stated that there is no indication that funding will not be available to continue start-up initiatives by health departments to assist Indiana’s residents.
Each county had an option to opt-in to this funding and the Starke County Commissioners approved that option. Dr. Weaver and her regional team are visiting each county that opted-in earlier this year.
In 2023, the health department has about $50,000. In 2024, that funding will grow to about $263,000 and in 2025 it will grow even more to just over $508,000. Funding is based on a per capita basis.
Starke County Health Department officials and certain partners were in attendance to advise Dr. Weaver of initial plans going into this new structure of funding. They have found that partnerships with schools needs to increase as well as the availability of screenings, vaccinations, training, narcan, and immunizations. Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch said the employment of a full-tine food inspector is one of the priorities, as well as a part-time immunization nurse. With this funding, the county can do more lead assessments, address immunization rates, increase school partnerships, promot healthy eating, community health programs, and food availability. Funding for training EMS and a community health survey to assess needs in the county’s communities was also discussed.
It is the regional team’s plan to speak to all community health departments about what others are doing and how to adapt programs and initiatives to each seeking that help and work together to utilize the funding to the best to the ability to help improve health across the state.
