The Geauga Board of Well being has voted unanimously to enter right into a cross-jurisdictional settlement with the Lake County Basic Well being District to function a staffing company for Geauga Public Well being.

The settlement will save Geauga County residents as a lot as $600,000 yearly in well being companies prices, whereas sustaining all of the companies they at the moment obtain at Geauga Public Well being, in accordance with a information launch.

“This isn’t a takeover and it’s not a merger,” Geauga Public Well being Board President Richard Piraino acknowledged within the launch. “Lake County Basic Well being District will function a staffing company for Geauga.

“Our settlement with Lake is the easiest way for Geauga to keep up management of the well being companies we offer our residents whereas saving these residents vital cash yearly.”

The settlement takes impact on April 3. As a result of Lake County Basic Well being District will probably be offering staffing going ahead, 17 Geauga Public Well being workers will probably be laid off as of March 31. They may be capable of apply with Lake County Basic Well being District to provide these staffing companies, however nobody is assured a place, the discharge acknowledged.

“We all know that is painful for our Geauga Public Well being workers, and we’re really sorry for that. GPH is going through a funds shortfall of over $500,000 in 2024, and we needed to make a really tough resolution,” Piraino mentioned within the launch. “We have now labored diligently to seek out the most effective resolution, and we’re coming into this settlement to ensure we will proceed offering the folks we serve in Geauga County with the companies they want and deserve.”

All Geauga Public Well being representatives, whether or not GPH workers or contracted Lake workers, will proceed engaged on behalf of and on the route of the Geauga Board of Well being, in accordance with the discharge. The Geauga Board of Well being, appointed by elected Geauga officers, will proceed to regulate GPH insurance policies, packages and companies and can proceed to problem its personal permits, preserve its autos, workplace, web site and its identification.

“Geauga residents will proceed to go to the identical locations to obtain the identical companies,” Piraino acknowledged. “None of that can change.”

Due to the settlement between the well being districts, the mixed populations of the 2 counties will open the chance to use for bigger grants, that are important for funding well being departments, unavailable to Geauga or Lake by itself, the discharge acknowledged. And the efficiencies that will probably be gained supply advantages to the 2 well being departments and residents of each counties.

The benefits, in accordance with the Geauga Board of Well being, embrace:

• Getting access to further packages reminiscent of outreach companies due to elevated entry to grant funding sources

• Chopping the price of public well being companies to residents by funding some present packages by means of qualifying grants

• Sharing specialty workers, reminiscent of within the areas of information evaluation, accreditation, group wants evaluation, emergency preparedness, finance, and grant writing

• Elevated coordination for emergency response and public well being emergencies.

“It’s clear that we will be stronger collectively and extra fiscally accountable to Geauga County residents,” Piraino acknowledged.