Agenda - 06-01-1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ops :)p ! (. , . Personal Health Services Assuming that the County grants a sufficient amount of the increase equested , it is planned to refill the Public Health Nurse I.T. - School ,iealth position on August 1 for the 11 remaining months of this fiscal year (cost $16 , 108) : Also , assuming the one-person-short clerical staff is successfully reorganized , trained and increased in efficiency: Lastly, assuming the County allows departmental use of the computer center then, the clinical and other personal health programs will not suffer any program terminations . However, the general economic situation has resulted in a dramatic increase in public demand for service. The department attempted to - accomodate the public so far this fiscal year despite the fact that we have one less nurse than at this time last year. All clinics will shortly have an appointment system which will limit the clinics to their present size or less . It is a safe prediction that this will result in longer waiting lists to become a new patient and less immediate appointments to existing patients , Secondly, the new patients registered will become increasingly restricted to priority population subgroups such as teens , high risks , etc. . The human service medical care cutbacks of the present Administration will result in many persons not being able to access care through other sources , The preventive services of this department are focused on women and children who will bear the brunt of the general Federal cutbacks. Most of those not already a department patient will also not be able to get help from the Health department. Lastly, the epartment will not be able to focus on others who will also nee4essistance, A priority- of most health plans is in-home-services to reduce the ' _taggering cost of institutionalization. The health department will reduce its in-home-service by about 50%-70% in order to handle other duties with its smaller nursing staff. Provision of in-home-service is considerably more expensive than congregate sites (i,e. , clinics , schools , etc. ) . Secondly , recent County decisions indicate that we will be budgeted inadequately for the necessary travel to provide in-home-service. Unfortunately, the Administration's plans will result in many other agencies also decreasing in-home-care . The long range result of this is predictable to be greatly increased institutional care and cost. The level of care that we will be able to continue to provide with this budget is grossly inadequate by any objective measure . Our school health crogram will only provide six hours per week per school of nursing time ; y or Lass of low income/high risk pregnancies will be clinically aided by the department ; 1/3 of the children we should provide well child clinic service tc will be so served ; 1/10 of the sexually transmitted disease oases we should attend to will be helped ; and , outreach activities to reach new persons have practically stopped , since we can not provide service to them anyway. In illustration Of the foregoing points , with decrease of one nursing noeition in FY 80-81 , the following increase of activities have occurred : 1 , Setwee,r, FY 79-80 and FY 80-to date , an increase of approximately 75!., in Tenereal Disease treatment within Health Department Clinical Se' v_c From FY 79-80 to FY 80-to date, an increase of 17% in Child Health Clinical Services in Hillsborough; an increase of 12% in number of children served. 3 . From FY 79-80 to FY 80-to date , en increase of 14 .8% in pregnant women served in Hillsborough Maternity Clinic . 4 , From FY 79-80 to FY 80-to date , an increase of 26% in persons receivin; comprehensive health screenings , • • • • • - • -