State budget cuts in health programs unfortunate

By Mason City Globe Gazette

Talk about irony.

At a time when Gov. Terry Branstad is helping initiate a statewide health movement, local officials are dealing with state funding cuts in areas of healthy living.

“All our programs at the state level are taking funding hits,” Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, told the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health recently.

Of course, the Healthiest State Initiative, is designed as a community- and business-led effort intended to start at and grow from the grassroots level, not from funding funneled down from Des Moines.

And if it works - and we hope it does - there'll be less need for some state health programs because Iowans will be healthier.

But still, it's uncomfortable to see some very key areas lack funding because of cuts the Legislature made to rein in spending.

Brian Hanft, environmental services manager for Cerro Gordo County, described cuts in the state environmental programs such as water and air quality.

“A healthy lifestyle means having a healthy environment,” he said.

It's hard to argue that.

Others told of cuts in their areas.

Linda Read of family and community health services said her programming would see a $15,180 cut for fiscal 2012, meaning less for county home care. Factor that in with Iowa's aging population and it's not a good equation.

“It just means there'll be less services for the elderly,” said Ron Osterholm, county health director.

Services targeted at youth are taking a hit, too.

Teresa Symens, health promotion and education service manager, said funding is on hold for activities related to the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Community Partnership grant. That grant funds programs such as Just Eliminate Lies in high schools as well as tobacco education and outreach. That may mean the message won't get out to the people it's intended for. If teen smoking were to increase, for example, it couldn't be blamed entirely on state cuts but it's reasonable to believe there could be some impact.

Cuts in another area also concern us. The number of women who can be helped with screenings for breast and cervical cancer through the county health department will be cut from 166 to 125. That's 41 women who won't get help. That may not seem like a lot but given the unemployment numbers and the lack of insurance that goes with not having a job take on added significance.

This all is an evil web for sure. The state, struggling for money, has been forced to make cuts and people may be struggling with health issues because of them.

What's a state to do? Well, hoping for a better economy won't accomplish anything because there's not much the state can do about that. If it happens, great; restoration of funding should be considered quickly.

In the meantime, we hope the Legislature and various state agencies take longer, closer, harder looks at available state money and see if some of it can't be shifted to meet these health priorities.

Branstad is giving his health initiative five years to work; some Iowans can't wait five weeks or five months for assistance.

Agencies such as the county health department will have to make do with what they have. Hopefully, they have enough that serious consequences can be avoided.