SPOKANE, Wash. – Nov. 9, 2012 – At Spokane Regional Health District’s (SRHD) special Board of Health meeting today, the board passed the health district’s 2012 proposed budget. 

Challenged by decreased funding and increased costs, SRHD proposed a reduction in services and staff to make up for a $2 million budgetary shortfall. The total approved budget for 2012 is $21.4 million. This is an 8.7 percent decrease from the 2011 budget of $23.5 million. 

Cuts include components of SRHD’s Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) program and elimination of the SRHD Water Laboratory. Staff from these programs are part of a proposed 8 percent decrease in full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.

Other approved staff reductions come from several SRHD divisions including Administration, Disease Prevention and Response, Environmental Public Health and Health Promotion. 

The board passed an additional motion that directs SRHD staff to continue their work with the community in identifying transition options for one specific component of the CSHCN program, the Cleft Lip and Palate/Maxillofacial program. Children with cleft lip and/or palate receive care coordination through the program. Staff and community partners hope to find an applicable local health care organization to transition cleft lip/palate care coordination to before Dec. 31, 2011. 

For more information, visit the SRHD website at www.srhd.org. Despite funding woes, the site also offers comprehensive, updated information about Spokane Regional Health District and its triumphs in making Spokane a safer and healthier community.