WV health task force takes a look at numbers, funding streams

Health officials gathered for a second meeting of the Public Health Impact Task Force May 13.

Chuck Thayer, administrator with the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, said a lot of funds have been dedicated to build the capacity to address threats in communities across West Virginia, but funding streams all over the country are running dry.

“The key point there is, as a bureau for public health, it’s our role to move infrastructure at the state/local level and balance that with the amount of money we have,” he said. “We have to be more focused on performance, less focused on process.”

Thayer said approaching public health is difficult because of population-based outcomes.

“We know traditional approaches are not working,” he said. “The federal government has recognized (that) nationwide, and funding streams are changing to reflect that.”

Danny Scalise, member of the task force with the Fayette County Health Department, said the task force is looking at how to operate local departments with the funding that is available. Which also means pointing out the ones that are not operating efficiently.

According to new numbers, some local health departments are operating at a net loss.

Amy Atkins, director of the Center for Local Health, said the task force is important because there are system challenges to address.

“In terms of funding that comes to the state, we get a state allocation of about $16.6 million,” Atkins said. “There’s a specific formula that guides the way that funding flows.”

About $15.7 million flows to local health departments, Atkins said, and 4.7 percent stays in the bureau for public health.

Ashley Butler, of the Greenbrier County Health Department, pointed out during public comment that a lot of counties receive facilities with county help, and in Greenbrier County that means rent money for the facility that houses the local health department.

Butler said removing county support would mean millions of dollars the health department would have to find elsewhere for a place to operate.

The next task force meeting is scheduled for June 2.

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