The areas in which COVID-19 grant funding was spent from Feb. 20, 2021 through Oct. 31, 2021 is illustrated in the graphic created by Union County Health Department Fiscal Officer Amy Hamilton. She said the vast majority of pandemic grant dollars went toward personnel costs. (Graphic submitted)
The Union County Board of Health approved the health department’s 2022 budget Thursday and reviewed COVID-19 spending throughout the pandemic.
Health Commissioner Jason Orcena noted that it is difficult to consider what the 2021 budget would have looked like without COVID-related spending because the pandemic changed many grant structures.
Generally, grants awarded to the Union County Health Department are based on deliverables for a specific program.
Orcena said the federal government allowed health departments to temporarily reassign regular grant programming toward their COVID-19 response.
“A lot of it, they basically turned into COVID dollars,” he explained.
UCHD Fiscal Officer Amy Hamilton said the majority (77%) of 2021 COVID-19 grant funding was spent on personnel costs.
From Feb. 20, 2020 through Oct. 31, 2021, UCHD spent $1,169,428.52 in COVID-19 response grants. Approximately $900,000 went toward personnel costs.
Hamilton noted that, from the same start date through Oct. 29, 2021, UCHD staff spent an estimated 42,735.48 hours on COVID response hours.
She said that figure equates to 22 full-time staff working for 12 months.
Hamilton added that six new intermittent positions were created to help with the pandemic response and one existing intermittent position was reassigned to be fully dedicated to the COVID-19 response.
Along with personnel costs, pandemic grant funding went toward contracts, equipment, supplies, utilities and fees.
Hamilton said contracts were awarded to the Medical Reserve Corp., a group of medical professionals who volunteered with UCHD; companies coordinating COVID-19 testing and the Union County Fair Board and City of Marysville for use of the fairgrounds and associated repairs.
Max air helmets, a form of personal protective equipment used by medical professionals; laptops for new COVID-related employees and a new plotter to make signs were purchased, she said.
Hamilton also listed rapid test kit machines; traffic control and weather supplies for clinics; clinic supplies like needles, bandages and gloves; and GoogleVoice software and phones as expenses related to the COVID response.
She said the health department will continue to receive grant funding for COVID-19 in 2022, though the total amount is not yet clear.
An Enhanced Operations grant to be used for epidemiology and disease investigation will be worth $320,474 and continue through July 31, 2022.
The amount of a Vaccine Operations grant is unknown at the time, Hamilton said, but will cover the period from Jan. 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
Hamilton said grants are one of the health department’s two main funding streams.
She said 34% of UCHD’s programmatic work is supported through grants.
The other main funding source is tax levy revenue, generated through a 0.5 mill and 0.9 mill levy in place, which accounts for 43% of UCHD’s total revenue.
Permits, licenses and fees account for 17% of the health departments revenue, along with 3% from contracts and 4% from reimbursement and other sources.
Overall, Hamilton said revenue is expected to increase by $135,644 – or 2.99% – in 2022 from the original 2021 revenue figure.
The total revenue in 2022, which Hamilton described as a “conservative” projection, is expected to be $5,280,907.
Hamilton described several anticipated expenses in 2022, with a majority revolving around personnel.
She said two additional disease investigator/contact tracer positions were added in 2021 and will continue into 2022.
A full-time health educator position was also created to cover three intermittent programs positions regarding Naloxone distribution, the Safe Communities program and epidemiology.
The time worked by two positions was also bumped: a full-time nurse changed from 30 to 37.5 hours per week and a medical assistant from part-time to full-time.
Hamilton said a vacant nursing position is also expected to be filled in 2022.
“It’s exciting that we only have one full-time position to be hired,” she said, adding that four positions were open at this time last year.
Due to the pandemic and unknowns surrounding some grants, Hamilton said the budget presented Thursday is likely to change.
“I would love to think this is the final, but it’s a good starting point,” she said.
The board unanimously approved the budget presented.