For more information, please contact SRHD Public Information Officer, Kim Papich, 509-324-1539

SPOKANE, Wash. – Oct 26, 2012 – At Spokane Regional Health District’s (SRHD) Board of Health meeting yesterday, the board passed the health district’s 2013 proposed budget.
 
Challenged by decreased revenues and declining reimbursement, SRHD proposed a reduction in services and staff to avoid having to divert local dollars to keep services intact. The total approved budget for 2013 is $21.1 million, which is approximately $275,000 less than SRHD’s 2012 budget.

Approved cuts in the 2013 budget will eliminate, or in some cases, reduce, the hours for positions in Client Services, the Laboratory, the Public Health Clinic and Vital Records. Staff from these programs will be part of a 5 percent decrease in full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.
 
Said SRHD Health Officer, Dr. Joel McCullough, “Although we understand the unfortunate implications of these decisions to employees, we are confident there are a number of qualified agencies in town that will be able to provide these services without disruption of care.”
 
Although the first phase in discontinuing services will not occur until April 2013, the health district is already working on its transition plan. All partnering agencies will receive the appropriate notifications to ensure care goes uninterrupted.
 

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.