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Little
Rock --
The
Arkansas Department of Health has been advised by
England
Mayor Jimmy Wallace that “after reviewing the expenditures
to the City to permit the Health Department to continue one
day a week, we cannot continue to operate the building under
these conditions. With
much regret I ask that the citizens be notified that the last
day for the Lonoke County Health Unit, England Branch will be
September 29, 2003
.”
Statewide,
the counties or cities provide the building and maintenance
funding for local health units.
The Arkansas Department of Health provides staff,
supplies and equipment. The
Health Department 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.
Effective
August 1, 2003
, the agency reduced
the clinic operation hours for eight local health units
including the
England
branch of the Lonoke
County Health Unit. 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.
Dr.
Fay Boozman, Health Department director, said, “We are sorry
that the city government of
England
is unable to provide
funding for the building to operate with reduced hours.
We can certainly understand budget restrictions as we
are facing them at the state level, as well.
In the meantime, anyone needing Health Department
services is urged to contact the Lonoke Health Unit at
501-676-2268.”
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