INSTITUTE, W.Va. — Dr. Rahul Gupta, the state health officer and commissioner for the DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health, says they’re working to provide technical assistance to local health departments facing financial problems.
The DHHR identified 19 health departments last month that only have funds to last a few months.
Since then, one of those departments in Grafton-Taylor County has recovered and is back on their feet, financially.
“We applaud their leadership in doing that. We just need to make sure that none of our health problems are operating in a deficit,” said Gupta, following a public health task force meeting that was held at West Virginia State University in Institute Tuesday.
The task force met in separate work groups based on four domains that focused on better health, better quality, affordable public health and community engagement.
Gupta said the groups will be working over the next several months to develop products around the way their system is running, in a way that’s equitable, effective and standardized.
“Whether you live in Lincoln County or you live in Marion County, you can expect a level of services that is fair for everybody, makes more sense and is the best value for the dollar the taxpayers can obtain,” he said.
Gupta said their effort has always been to provide technical assistance for departments in the area, and want to continue that, but he emphasized finances are “only one aspect” of an agency.
“That leads to something more important, which is provision of services for our citizens,” he said, “(The services) suffer whenever there’s not an optimum function, so obviously we’re all responsible to the taxpayers.”
The Charleston Gazette reported 11 of the 19 health departments said last month they did not receive any direct contribution from their county commission and 13 departments said they did not receive funding from county levies. The only consistent funding each department receives comes from the state and federal government.
The 19 health departments include Barbour, Brooke, Cabell-Huntington, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Grafton-Taylor, Jackson, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mineral, Morgan, Putnam, Randolph-Elkin, Summers, Wayne and Wyoming counties.