ODH works to adsorb federal sequester hit to local health departments

The Ohio Department of Health announced this week plans to mitigate anticipated losses by local health departments of federal funds because of the budget sequester (Source: “State absorbing health cuts,” Newark Advocate, Aug. 7, 2013).

Public health departments in Ohio are expected to lose more than $10 million in federal funding from the budget sequester, but Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Theodore Wymyslo said  that the state is taking actions, such as not filling vacant positions, to absorb most of those costs. In fact, of the money lost to federal cuts, Wymyslo said only $435,925 will be passed to local health departments.

The state health department gets about 70 percent of its funding from federal sources.