How Connecticut Health Directors Deal With Public Health Budget Cuts at the Local Level

Bibliographic Data

ID11022576
AuthorsMargaret L Prust (0000-0001-6595-9237, At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Kathleen Clark (0000-0002-0017-4604, At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Brigette A Davis (0000-0002-3055-7630, Yale New Haven Health System), Brigette Davis (At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Sarah Wood Palla (0000-0002-9719-6278, Yale New Haven Health System), Sarah W Pallas (At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Jennifer Kertanis (At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Elaine O’Keefe (At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Michael Araas (At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Neel S Iyer (0000-0002-6390-9743, At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Stewart Dandorf (At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Stephanie Platis (At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...), Debbie Humphries (0000-0002-5979-3717, At the time of the study, Margaret L. Prust and Brigette Davis were with the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT. Kathleen Clark, Sarah W. Pallas, and Stephanie Platis were with the Division of Health Policy and Administration, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven. Jennifer Kertanis is with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Hartford. Elaine O’Keefe is with the Office of Community Health and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on...)
Year2015
Volume105
IssueS2
PagesS268-S273
Publication date2015-04-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2014.302499
PMID25689206
OpenAlexW2029076753
LanguageEN
References cited14

Objectives. We investigated the perspectives of local health jurisdiction (LHJ) directors on coping mechanisms used to respond to budget reductions and constraints on their decision-making. Methods. We conducted in-depth interviews with 17 LHJ directors. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Results. LHJ directors use a range of coping mechanisms, including identifying alternative revenue sources, adjusting services, amending staffing arrangements, appealing to local political leaders, and forming strategic partnerships. LHJs also face constraints on their decision-making because of state and local statutory requirements, political priorities, pressures from other LHJs, and LHJ structure. Conclusions. LHJs respond creatively to budget cuts to maintain important public health services. Some LHJ adjustments to administrative resources may obscure the long-term costs of public health budget cuts in such areas as staff morale and turnover. Not all coping strategies are available to each LHJ because of the contextual constraints of its locality, pointing to important policy questions on identifying optimum jurisdiction size and improving efficiency

Business · Coping (psychology) · Jurisdiction · Political science · Politics · Public health · Public relations · Revenue · Staffing · Statutory law · Finance · Healthcare Policy and Management · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Public Administration · Public Health Policies and Education · Public Policy and Administration Research

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