Greene County Supervisors may have to take on more of the financial responsibility of paying for public health services.

Greene County Medical Center CEO Carl Behne says by Iowa Code, the County Supervisors are responsible for providing public health. However, over the years, the medical center has been paying the majority of the expenses for public health. The County currently pays $150,000 as its share for public health. However, the medical center has been taking the rest as a loss to their budget, which is projected to be about $550,000 at the end of next fiscal year.

Public health in December asked the Supervisors for an additional $125,000. The medical center’s plan was to phase out having to pay the majority of public health in three years.

“But at the end of the day, it’s not our’s to own, we just partner with them and provide a space, and resources and tools. Each year, projecting out over the next three years, it’s anywhere from a $450,000 to $600,000 loss.”

Board Chair John Muir says it was kind of a sticker shock to see what the medical center is asking for the County to do.

“We have to look at it from our side and decide how much can we afford to be paying before we decide, maybe we need to restructure, closer in our hands and manage it, providing the services that we think people need.”

Both sides are working to come to an agreeable long-term solution. The Supervisors are considering paying the additional $125,000 for the next fiscal year, but they want to do some more research going forward about the future of public health.