Health department getting more help

The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment will get the equivalent of 4.7 jobs with the extra money county commissioners put in the department budget for 2004.

Following the budget hearing late last year, at which several citizens complained about inadequate funding for the departments of health and human services, the commissioners put another $250,000 in the health budget and $100,000 in the human services budget.

The board of health approved a staffing plan on Feb. 19 that will put more employee hours into core public health services. The funds will allow the department to fund jobs for six people, some part time and some full time. Those jobs are 1.5 nurses, a half-time health educator, a half-time bilingual translator for staff support and 2.2 environmental health specialists. As a result, the county will be able to provide more immunizations, more prenatal services and more inspections for food safety, daycare centers and camps, to name some of the benefits.

Dr. Adrienne LeBailly, department director, noted that the extra funding will bring six more people into the department who will be trained and ready to respond to health emergencies.