Montgomery County creates public health district

Change comes after UTMB shifted its focus
By RENÉE C. LEE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Montgomery County has created a public health district to ensure that residents continue to have access to vaccines, immunizations and screenings for communicable diseases that once were provided by the University of Texas Medical Branch.
County commissioners formally approved the new district during a special meeting Friday. The Montgomery County Hospital District, which provides health care assistance to indigent residents, is now in charge of those public health services. The hospital district began serving patients July 1.

The change is in response to UTMB's decision to focus primarily on maternity care and the Women, Infants and Children program, said Montgomery County Judge Alan B. Sadler. UTMB had served the county's public health services needs on a contract basis since 1991, when the county got out of the public health business, he said.

County and hospital district officials began discussions of forming a public health district about six months ago. Allen Johnson, the hospital district's chief executive officer, said the agency has been coordinating and planning regional responses to public health outbreaks, such as bioterrorism and smallpox. Overseeing public health services will enable the hospital district to streamline and conserve resources, Johnson said.

Sadler said the transition should be seamless, and residents can expect the same level of services under the hospital district.

State law allows a county, municipalities and political subdivisions, such as a hospital district, to enter an agreement to form a public health district. In this case, the cities of Conroe and Panorama Village have joined with the county and the Montgomery County Hospital District.

The county will give the hospital district $90,000 a year to provide health services, the same amount it paid UTMB. The county will continue to provide other health services, such as environmental health services, restaurant inspections and animal control services.
Public health districts can receive state and federal grants. The Montgomery County Public Health District will get about $350,000 in grant money that UTMB used to receive to cover staff salaries, equipment and supplies, Johnson said.

The eight employees who used to work for UTMB in Conroe now work for the public health district. The hospital district also has leased added space at its headquarters in Conroe to set up a public health clinic.

Johnson said a side benefit of having the clinic has been that some low-income residents coming in for public health services have had the opportunity to be screened for eligibility for the hospital district's health care assistance program, which helps people who do not have medical insurance.