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Little
Rock --
The Arkansas Department of Health has experienced
five state general revenue cuts in the past two years.
As a result, the agency can no longer afford to staff
95 full-time local health units for 75 counties.
The department must use staff more efficiently and
cannot provide full-time staff for local health units with
part-time workloads.
Therefore,
effective August 1, 2003, the agency is reducing the clinic
operation hours for eight local health units.
All of these are either among the lowest in total
patient volume in the state and/or are in counties with more
than one local health unit.
As
a result of these clinic operation hour reductions, the
department is eliminating nine vacant positions totaling
$291,899 in annual savings.
In addition, a total of 28 staff will be relocated to
higher volume local health units.
No one will lose their jobs.
The
local health units that will reduce their clinical operating
hours to one or two days a week are Chicot County-Dermott and
Eudora, Clay County-Corning, Desha County-McGehee, Lonoke
County-England, Pulaski County-College Station, Poinsett
County-Trumann, and Woodruff County.
Dr.
Fay Boozman, ADH director, said, “Five budget cuts are
forcing us to evaluate every aspect of the Health Department.
The affected local health units are staffed to carry
full-time patient loads, however, the number of patients
seeking services only requires part-time staffing. We believe
with these changes we will still be able to serve our clients
in the affected counties.”
The
department will continue to provide clinic services like WIC,
immunizations, and other services at each of these clinics on
the days the clinics are open.
Citizens in the affected communities are encouraged to
call their local health units for more information.
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