A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville, like all major Florida cities, faces health challenges. And the Health Department budget, via City Hall, is a great starting point to seeing priorities.
One such priority has to do with Jacksonville’s youngest residents: the aftermath of a lapsed co-location with Agape Health Services, which has now secured other space on the Westside. They previously had shared a building on Wesconnett.
The department of health wants to expand its services in that location to make up for the move, including immunization, pregnancy services, and STD testing and care; cost: $150,000.
“We’ve got to fill the void that they left,” said Health Director Kelli Wells. “We anticipate there to be a gap … because it was by virtue of our MOU with them that we were certain they weren’t turning these clients away.”
“Specifically, walk-in immunizations … there are some barriers that are created,” Wells added.
Wells is especially concerned about STD testing and treatment for those between the ages of 15 to 24. Without promotion of these services, the “capture rate” of those who are positive for these diseases could decline.
Also a worry: infant health, in that pivotal first year.
“We could see an uptick in infant mortality in that area,” Wells said, noting that infant mortality jumped five years ago during a rollback in services that required these “at-risk” populations to travel across town to 6th Street.
“If you’re talking about a pregnant mom, what that translates to is no pre-natal care,” Wells said, and “significant risk for infant morbidity.”
Wells sees that $150,000 as start-up costs, with the practice building up toward financial self-sufficiency. That ask is on the fabled “short list’ of potential enhancements after Monday’s budget review.
Another interesting takeaway: the Department of Environmental Protection ceded the city $549,000 for septic tank removal studies and analysis; Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa notes that the money would be better used for removal, as the city has done the study already.
