Administrative Health Officer, Adeline Hambley responded saying that would impact 100 employees and over 16 programs including the elimination of Children's Special Health Care Services, the Maternal and Infant Health Program, Family Planning and Women's Health Services and the Suicide Prevention Coalition. Bottom line, the health department would close its doors shortly after October 1st when the new budget goes into effect.
During a Monday evening news conference, Hambley clarified the 2024 budget would leave the county short of Michigan Department of Health & Human Services qualifications.
“If the minimum funding requirement for the county, or the district health department, isn’t met that they won’t release the funds for the state allocation of those mandated services. So, that was where the scenario of the doors would close came from as we weren’t meeting that minimum requirement in order to receive our state funding.”
Ottawa County officials have stated this is patently false and that the department’s current balance will bring the 2024 department budget to $3.8 million. Hambley has pushed back stating the 2023 fund balance is roughly $3 million with $1 million earmarked for a Medicaid cost-based reimbursement. There’s also money from an endowment that cannot be touched.