- April 15, 2024
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Flagler County Health Department Administrator Patrick Johnson said the department saw more than 19,000 county residents in 2010.
Administrator Patrick Johnson said the Flagler County Health Department will not be shutdown despite looming budget cuts at the state level.
Johnson said the main goal of the health department is to act as a safety net for residents, adding that he hopes the state will negotiate with the county health departments to give them the same type of funding that is given to other departments.
The health department is funded in a variety ways, with 44% coming from Medicaid patients and 40% coming from state and federal dollars. The County Commission funded the health department with $250,000 for this fiscal year — accounting for about 6%.
However, under Gov. Rick Scott’s budget proposal, which will be reviewed by the Legislature next month, 879 jobs and $170 million would be cut from “Health” (see www.letsget towork.net).
“If they diminish funding with health, it’s a whole big arena,” Johnson said. “There are so many unknowns, and my focus is that we are the safety net in this community ... We see quite a few underinsured people, and we’re hoping that our ability to do that doesn’t change.”
County Commissioner Barbara Revels asked Monday, Feb. 21, at the board meeting, whether the County Commission could do anything to ensure funding levels are maintained.
Johnson suggested the state allow the health department to serve as a Federally Qualified Health Center, which would provide the department with a supplemental rate when it sees a patient.
“We are hoping that the Legislature gives us that same supplemental rate, which would be a decrease to health departments and … allows us to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Johnson said Monday night that the health department saw an average of 136 people per day for clinical services. Those services include primary care visits; 16,439 health and dental care to the underinsured (the health department is the only Medicaid dental provider in the county and has nearly 5,000 patients); 12,405 immunizations in 2010 to children and adults; and also 2,554 persons enrolled in the Women Infants Children program.
The WIC program is federally funded and isn’t threatened by budget cuts, but Johnson said it brought in about $1.5 million to the local economy.
“For years, we were kind of the provider for flu shots,” Johnson said. “And right now, you can get one every half-mile.
“We’re reducing because the private sector is taking over. But I’m not sure the private sector will take over the rest of this business.”
