Pictured (left to right): Terry Miller, County Council; Commissioner Tom Wall; Commissioner Rob Miller; Dr. Matt Pflieger, Public Health Officer; Tyler Warman, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs; Commissioner Terry Stoffel.
Huntington County’s Board of Commissioners has opted into a state program that will provide the Huntington County Health Department with approximately $1 million in grant funding over the next two years to bolster the core services it provides on a daily basis.
The Health First Indiana Fund created by Indiana Senate Bill 4 and signed into law on May 4 by Gov. Eric Holcomb provides funding for county health departments that opt-in to provide “core public health services” recommended by the Governor’s Public Health Commission. Examples of these services include (but aren’t limited to) screening for childhood lead exposure, inspecting public buildings for sanitation, partnering with schools to support student health, preventing tobacco use, and reviewing suicide, child and overdose fatality reports.
Funding to counties under SB 4 is determined by population size and the health vulnerability of residents. Statewide, the program makes $225 million available to county health departments over the next two years. Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Pflieger expects the Huntington County Health Department to receive $350,000 through the Health First Indiana Fund in 2024 and about $700,000 in 2025.
In a 2019 ranking, Indiana ranked 40th in the nation for life expectancy, 11th worst for obesity, and 10th worst for smoking, according to a press release on the Indiana Senate website.
"The Health First Indiana funding from the state is a real investment into the health of Huntington County. Our health outcomes are behind national averages which has real implications on quality of life, health care costs, and the economic health of our county. The Health Department looks to be a leader in promoting health and partnering with the community to make that vision real for everyone in Huntington County,” Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Pflieger said.
Huntington County Commissioners Rob Miller, Tom Wall, and Terry Stoffell voted in favor of County Resolution 2023-07 accepting state public health funding during the board’s June 26th meeting.