Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Department of Health reorganizes

The Mississippi State Department of Health issued the following statement.

Today the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) announces an agency reorganization that will greatly reduce administrative costs without affecting services delivered to the public.


Currently organized into nine public health districts, the agency will shift to a three-region model effective July 1, 2017. Regional offices will be located in Tupelo, Jackson, and Biloxi.

“By closing two-thirds of our district offices, we’re immediately saving $1.5 million in administrative overhead,” said MSDH State Health Officer Dr. Mary Currier. “We have reduced district level leadership and our overall agency workforce through retirements, resignations and reassignments. We have also realigned federal funds to support our clinic and district operations; therefore no layoffs within county clinics and district offices are anticipated at this time.”

At the same time, the supervision of many county-level programs – immunizations, tuberculosis control, epidemiology, disease intervention, and emergency preparedness – will be centralized to relieve some of the burden in the field.

Dr. Currier said the goal of this reorganization has always been to reduce overhead and streamline operations while maintaining core public health services in the state and minimizing the impact on service delivery.

“Adapting to changes in budget and revenue has been a fluid process. We are continually working hard to determine where more cuts can be made, if needed, and we will continue to monitor and evaluate our programs and services throughout the state,” she said. “We are now and always will be committed to protecting and promoting the health of all Mississippians.”

Follow MSDH by e-mail and social media at HealthyMS.com/connect.
 

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Republican leadership and legislators. And to hell with all the bitchers.

Isn't this what we wanted? They cut the budget, so the MDH did what needed to be done. According to the opening of their press release: they reorganized, which cut administrative costs, but does not affect services.

Anonymous said...

Restaurant inspection frequencies have been slashed to the point that they are meaningless. Most are on a once a year or longer between inspector visits. Eat out at your own risk.

Anonymous said...

Less public health services = declining public health = more doctor visits = more money in pockets of MSMA membership.

Anonymous said...

11:40:
'Does not affect services' isn't exactly true though. Think how 'centralizing' drivers licenses would affect you if there were only 3 places in the state to get them.

Health is simply doing what they can with the money provided to them. Fewer locations means services are further away from more people than before. That's the ultimate outcome.

Anonymous said...

1:05, And if the Dept of Health has determined that the delivery mechanism of three, four decades,ago isn't needed today, then bless their souls for making the change -even if took being forced to do so.

It was DOH's statement that it doesn't affect services, not mine. I trust them to be a better judge of that than you and me put together.

Many delivery mechanisms are available today besides an office in every cpunty.

Again, thanks to some legislators that are willing to make these decisions and bear the slings and arrows from the entrenched bureaucracy that doesn't like people stirring their pot.

PittPanther said...

11:40am, if you believe the DoH reduced without affecting services, then you should be upset that they went to three locations. Why not just one? You believe being reasonably close to service delivery is not important, therefore Health should have closed all but one facility (in your view).

Anonymous said...

@1:15: Did you think that the Dept of Health would put out a press release stating that it's going to screw up services? They know better than that. Them folks want to keep their jobs until they can get some resumes out.

Testing for STIs will now cost $25. Hell, people didn't want to get tested for free, they sure as heck are going to go and drop that kind of change.

Anonymous said...

Restaurant inspection frequencies have been slashed to the point that they are meaningless.

Since you surely must know, what is the minimum per facility inspection frequency necessary to make the process meaningful? Share some specifics instead of the BS generalities you routinely litter here.

Anonymous said...

11:58, that was reported to have been done over a year ago so if in fact it is true it wasn't a result of this year's budget. But.....thanks for playing, you can pick up your consolation prize at the door on your way out.

Anonymous said...

12:26 - read the press release. This was a reduction in ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, which is not what delivers any services. Just like the earlier poster missed the point, or intentionally skipped over this point, the cuts are not to the delivery of services. That is, if you take the DOH at its word which of course I do until proven that I shouldn't

Anonymous said...

PP - I don't run the Dept of Health. If I did, I am not sure if I would have gone to one, three or a different number. I trust Dr. Currie and her staff to be a better judge of that. Unlike many commenters on this site, including you, I don't pretend to know everything about everything.

What's the best way to run this department or others is better left to those that are hired to do so as long as they are doing a reasonable job. It is the legislature's job to decide what an appropriate proportion of the limited dollars available should go to each department.

If Dr. Currie decided that one office could do the job, then I would support that as well. What I read is that the cuts were made without affecting the delivery of services. SUCCESS.

Anonymous said...

3:17

I'm not the person you were addressing, but here is your specifics:

Food establishments in Mississippi are inspected a minimum of one to four times yearly. The number of times a food facility is inspected is determined by the risk level of the facility. The more likely that a food-borne illness could occur, the higher the risk level of a food facility.
Source: http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/30,3432,77,311.html

Year-to-date restaurant/food service inspections from Jan. 1 through May 16 for each year listed:

2017: 7,699

2016: 9,092

2015: 12,426

2014: 13,147

2013: 12,606

Total year-over-year restaurant/food service safety inspections:

2016: 22,051

2015: 33,431

2014: 33,561

2013: 33,191

2012: 34,368

Source: Clarion Ledger, May 20, 2017 http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/21/health-department-cuts/328476001/

Everyone will have to decide if they are comfortable with the number of restaurant inspections being reduced by 35% to 39% (so far).

Anonymous said...

MSMA now controls the Board of Medical Licensure and the Board of Health. The next target is obviously University Medical Center because it has become competitive with the private sector abandoning its position as the state's charity hospital where all the docs could send their patients that can't afford to pay.

Anonymous said...

The raw total of inspections means nothing and doesn't allow the public to determine if the minimums per establishment are being maintained.


Anonymous said...

I'm just proud of the leadership of the Board of Health. They are hiding out of sight like cockroaches in a lighted room. They've not done shit to help the agency. But, why should they since they are owned.

Anonymous said...

Who among us knows where the county health department is? Sure, we knew where it was fifty years ago. Who among us has ever darkened the door? They used to come to the school to give us shots. But that was in 1960.

Shot Needle Squawlin' Youngan said...

We don't need County Health Department Buildings and the overhead of staff in those buildings in order to conduct restaurant inspections. Put a hundred of those people in little white Prius vehicles with a logo on the door and tell them to charge six bucks for their lunch and come home every afternoon.

And put five nurses at the medicaid service points. It's called the Kentucky Fried - Subway -filling station model of business location.

Anonymous said...

They reorganized but what did they pay an outside contractor to do the plan Did they not have competent staff to do it? Had enough money to pay for outside services

Anonymous said...

I don't know, 10:10. Do you? Are are you just like half the bitchers on this site that wants to assume waste, incompetence, fraud, whatever accusation you want to make. Next time, how about getting the answer to your hypothetical and present facts if you find them



Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.