Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - construction - public health systems are critical for keeping americans safe and healthy through prevention, preparedness, and…

Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - construction - public health systems are critical for keeping americans safe and healthy through prevention, preparedness, and surveillance programs, and for serving as the first line of defense against disease epidemics. The public health response to the covid-19 pandemic was weakened by chronic underfunding of these systems at the state and national levels. Public health program spending represents around I 0% of all healthcare spending in most countries, yet its impact can be substantial. An investment of $10 per person per year in evidence-based community health programs could save the country more than $16 billion annually. That is a potential savings of $5.60 for EVE1Y $1 invested. A longitudinal analysis of U.S. Communities was conducted in 2017 by glenn mays, PH.D., MPH and cezar mamaril, PH.D.; M.S. This analysis was published in health service research volume 52 in december 2017. The analysis concluded that a 10% increase in local public health spending per capita was associated with 0.8% reduction in adjusted medicare expenditures per person after just L year and a 1.1 % reduction in expenditures after 5 years. IT was concluded that expanding financing for public health activities may provide an effective way of reducing medicare spending, particularly in low-resource communities. The health department is CUN-ently funded by an operating tax levy, inside millage, fee for services, and federal, state, and local grant dollars. The majority of funds restrict the use of income and do not allow for capital expenditures. By funding this project, the board of health will not have to request the taxing authority to support a building or capital improvement levy in the future. In TUM, this saves residents of tuscarawas county tax dollars that can be reinvested in the local economy. The health department currently employs 1.2 FTE primary care providers. Renovations to the clinic would allow for the hiring of additional medical providers in an area with a known provider shortage. In fact, health resource and service administration (HRSA) estimates that tuscarawas county experiences a current shortage of 9.69 FTE primary care providers to achieve the population to practitioner target ratio. Further, primary care physicians see 2,491 patients per year, on average. Additional programs provided by the health department make IT a "one-stop'' location for connecting patients to resources such as the WIC program, access to child safety equipment and car seats, enrollment in medicare, medicaid or marketplace insurance, and various other social services. The tchd currently tracks a variety of community impacts on both an annual and monthly basis. In 2023, tchd obtained $1.58 million in grant funds to provide programs and services to the community, $53,303 in sliding fee discounts were provided to UN and underinsured individuals, 230 clients were served through the children with medical handicaps program, and 1,205 new WIC clients were served. IT can be reasonably expected that with an updated, expanded, and more accessible facility these impacts would continue to expand. The current health department facility, which was erected in 1977, poses many challenges and service barriers, including but not limited to, building safety, lack of security for protected health information and medical supplies, poor ventilation systems, restricted parking, especially for those needing handicapped accessible locations, poor handicap accessibility throughout the building, office, and meeting space limitations, and an outdated heating and cooling system. The challenges listed above make IT difficult for the implementation and growth of programs and services. Additionally, the health department has growing expenses during winter months when the building's electric bill reaches over $5,000 per month due to an inefficient heating system. These are funds that are being taken away from programs and services that could be of great benefit to our underserved county