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Experts say Dauphin County needs a local health department |
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Meeting turns out new possibilities and positive visions for health care in Dauphin County and Harrisburg City
By KATHRYN HERR Reporting Spring 2004 |
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HARRISBURG Pa. – Dauphin County and Harrisburg City has no local health department to meet the public health needs of the high health risk population. Dauphin County has a high number of cases of HIV, AIDS, STDs, Tuberculosis, Diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, among others. “Many people don’t even realize that there isn’t a health department,” said Jeannine Peterson, CEO of Hamilton Health Center. Peterson said education of the public about this problem will aid in the development of a local health department. Some areas already have local health departments. Those that do not are managed by one of six districts, which oversee large areas of Pennsylvania. Dauphin County is currently represented by the South Central District. Six county health departments and four city health departments cover less than 50 percent of the population in Pennsylvania. Some surrounding states have more than three times this number of local health departments said David Hawk, York City Health Bureau director. Advantages of having a local health department are widespread and can have a domino effect. A local health department has better control and direction over public health programs, said Hawk. These programs develop health education for the public, which in turn increases interest and involvement in the programs by the public and by officials. A local health department also has more readily available resources and expanded services, which can result in a more rapid response in an event involving public health and safety, said Hawk. Pinnacle Health Systems, Hamilton Health Center, the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) program, and other health care officials have come together to create a local health department for Dauphin County and Harrisburg City. The group meets monthly to work on each step that needs to be taken in order to achieve this goal. All are in agreement that there is a need for a county or city health department, but they have different ideas about the specifics. SHIP is guiding the actions taken. One question is who the health department will serve and how. Because rural Dauphin County and Harrisburg City have very different health needs, one group will be neglected with a definite county or city only health department. The local health department will be created by using a model of an existing local health department. Both city and county departments are being looked at as possibilities. The group has not yet decided on which type of health department will best serve the populace, but are considering a pilot program to combine the two possibilities. The South Central District currently runs a variety of health programs for the public which are catered to the needs of the specific targeted areas. Dauphin County has a large rural population living on and operating farms in the upper area of the county. The South Central District offers farm safety programs for these citizens. Also offered are programs such as STD prevention for inner city citizens. Dauphin County has the third highest number of HIV cases in Pennsylvania, said Nate Atoland, South Central District health educator. Some issues relevant to all residents, such as child safety seat fitting, gun safety education and trigger lock distribution, are also included. Because of the diverse population in Dauphin County, the group must find a way to adequately serve everyone. One of the biggest problems faced is the lack of funding for a local health department. Under Act 315, the state is required to match the funds dollar for dollar to an extent. This means the group must come up with about half the money needed to create the local health department and the state will pay the other half. The state health department currently gives money to York City for the city health department in accordance with the Act 315 match. Finding the local money for the county or city match is the problem. Pinnacle Health Systems and Hamilton Health Center are willing to provide the health care directly to the public with a contract with the local health department. In addition, many groups have already committed to the project in terms of financial and political support. Among those willing to contribute are Mayor Reed, Penn State University, and Messiah College. Rodger Longenderfer of Pinnacle Health Systems is willing to participate, but is pushing for progress statistics. “Where is the proof that local health departments actually improve the public’s health?” asked Longenderfer. “Money is being spent,” said Craig Sherrick, health officer for Harrisburg City. Sherrick quoted statistics that report Pennsylvania to be number 6 in health care spending, but number 32 in per capita spending. This means that while Pennsylvania is spending a lot on health care, they are not spending enough for the amount of people they serve. The money being spent is high, but it is not being spent directly on the population. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has not offered any aid thus far, but is being considered as a source for funding and support. The state health department can assist with initial funding, and once operating the department will generate more funds than are expected, said Hawk. The group’s next step will be to make a decision on exactly what the end result should be and to pitch that idea to the state health department in hopes of gaining their support. All stories in this magazine are the intellectual property of the individual authors. You may email comments about this story to: kah928@psu.edu |
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