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The Geauga Board of Health has voted unanimously to enter into a cross-jurisdictional agreement with the Lake County General Health District to serve as a staffing agency for Geauga Public Health.
The agreement will save Geauga County residents as much as $600,000 annually in health services costs, while maintaining all the services they currently receive at Geauga Public Health, according to a news release.
“This is not a takeover and it’s not a merger,” Geauga Public Health Board President Richard Piraino stated in the release. “Lake County General Health District will serve as a staffing agency for Geauga.
“Our agreement with Lake is the best way for Geauga to maintain control of the health services we provide our residents while saving those residents significant money every year.”
The agreement takes effect on April 3. Because Lake County General Health District will be providing staffing going forward, 17 Geauga Public Health employees will be laid off as of March 31. They will be able to apply with Lake County General Health District to supply those staffing services, but no one is guaranteed a position, the release stated.
“We know this is painful for our Geauga Public Health employees, and we’re truly sorry for that. GPH is facing a budget shortfall of over $500,000 in 2024, and we had to make a very difficult decision,” Piraino said in the release. “We have worked diligently to find the best solution, and we are entering this agreement to guarantee we can continue providing the people we serve in Geauga County with the services they need and deserve.”
All Geauga Public Health representatives, whether GPH employees or contracted Lake employees, will continue working on behalf of and at the direction of the Geauga Board of Health, according to the release. The Geauga Board of Health, appointed by elected Geauga officials, will continue to control GPH policies, programs and services and will continue to issue its own permits, maintain its vehicles, office, website and its identity.
“Geauga residents will continue to go to the same places to receive the same services,” Piraino stated. “None of that will change.”
Because of the agreement between the health districts, the combined populations of the two counties will open the possibility to apply for larger grants, which are critical for funding health departments, unavailable to Geauga or Lake on its own, the release stated. And the efficiencies that will be gained offer benefits to the two health departments and residents of both counties.
The advantages, according to the Geauga Board of Health, include:
• Gaining access to additional programs such as outreach services because of increased access to grant funding sources
• Cutting the cost of public health services to residents by funding some current programs through qualifying grants
• Sharing specialty staff, such as in the areas of data analysis, accreditation, community needs assessment, emergency preparedness, finance, and grant writing
• Increased coordination for emergency response and public health emergencies.
“It is clear that we can be stronger together and more fiscally responsible to Geauga County residents,” Piraino stated.
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