Branson, Taney County consider merging health departments

Linn Smith, the city of Branson’s health director, and Jim Berry, the county’s health director, in late October presented a 14-page agreement to the Health Services Integration Task Force, which was created in May to explore the idea of a combined department.

Smith and Berry said the local public health system would be stronger with a single department because resources would be combined to better meet growing health demands, and the community would have access to more comprehensive services, according to a city of Branson news release. Currently, the city conducts all environmental inspections for commercial businesses, while the county provides general health programs for adults and children.

Under the proposed agreement, all city health department employees, equipment and resources would move to the Taney County Health Department offices at Bee Creek and Rinehart roads. The county department would add a one-story building behind its main office to house the additional employees, and city employees would maintain their current salaries and benefits.

Also under the merger, the city would pay the new department annually for environmental health services within city limits, though terms of that payment have not been laid out. Currently, the county health department receives 60 percent of its funding from a county tax levy and other funding from fees for services and from contracts through the Missouri Department of Health.

Over the next three months, the task force will conduct meetings with businesses that would be affected by the merger.

Officials hope to complete the integration early next year.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s Oct. 30 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.