Letter: Local doctors ask for health dept funding to be restored
Dear Ottawa County Board of Commissioners:
As local healthcare providers, we fully support the Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) and its actions throughout the pandemic and beyond. The quality of the care that we offer to each and every resident of Ottawa County simply cannot continue without a fully functional and robust department of public health.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a chronic underfunding of the infrastructure of public health as part of our local healthcare system. Our goal should not be to return to this low level of investment into our collective health. Furthermore, due to the ongoing growth of Ottawa County’s population, unprecedented inflation, and the increased costs of staffing, reduction of the OCDPH budget back to pre-pandemic levels will decrease the services that they currently provide and thus will negatively impact the health of our community.
We remind you that Ottawa County’s exceptional healthcare is often cited by potential residents and businesses as a significant reason to move to this area. We are concerned that dramatic reductions to the OCDPH budget will not only decrease the health of our community, but will also result in an unintended reduction in Ottawa County’s current level of prosperity and growth.
We, the undersigned healthcare providers, request that you reconsider your decision to significantly reduce the budget of the Department of Public Health. Instead, we ask that you maintain your investment into its ability to provide for the needs of the patients we serve.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Anderson, PA
Mikaela Andrea, LMSW
Chris Bazan, LMSW
Farah Berent, PA-C
Martin Berent, MD
David Blystra, MD
Amy Boren, DO
Michael Borenitsch, DO, MPH
Alexander D. Bouwhuis, MD
Brandy Bruhn, FNP
Matthew Carr, MD, FCAP
Peter Christensen, DO
Tim Conlon, DO
Lynn Cronin, MD, FACC
Kate Davis, MD
Cecilia DeCook, MD, FAAFP
Daniel J DeCook MD
Barbara DePree, MD, MCP, MMM
Ryan Dodde II, MD
Allison Dozeman, DPM
James Dumerauf, MD
Corie Eklov, MD
C.Erickson-Adams, MD, CAQSM, DipABLM
Susan Ervine, MD
Karen Foulds, MD
Jim Gerard, MD
Mary Gootjes, MD
Carissa Greenlund, FNP-BC
Eric Green, MD
Eric Gustafson, MD
Jessica Hafner, DO
William Harris, MD
Matthew Hilton, DO
Douglas Hoey, MD, FACEP
Chris Howell, MD
Richard Howell, MD
Julie Hutson, MD
Jennifer Jarrell, FNP-C
Tiffany Jarois, DO
Charlotte Johnson, MD
Lindsey Jonker, WHNP-BC
Emily Kehrwecker, FNP
Elisabeth Klaasen, LMSW
Courtney Kraker, FNP-BC
Kiersten A. Krause, DO, FACOG
Jon Kroeze, MD
Jillian Lankford, MD, MPH
Kurt Lindberg, MD
Scott Loos, MD
David W. Lowry, MD, FAANS
Kelli R. Lund M.D.
Jaclynn Lubbers, CPNP
John K Ludlow, MD
Kelli Lund, MD
Lee Majeski, MSN, NP-C, ONP-C
Alicia K Mannes, MA, LPC, LMFT
Sarah Maybury, NP
Anne M. McKay, DNP, MSN, ANP-BC
Jill Miedema, MD
Amanda Mishler, MS, PA-C
Jennifer Morrical, MD
Lauren Mortensen, MD
Tyler L. Murphy, MD, MS
Karl Nadolsky, DO, FACE, FEAA
Sandra M. Nelson, MSN, RN, CHPN
John D. Nicely, MD
Lisa A Ondersma, BS, MS, BSN, MSN, AGNP
Sean O'Neil, MD
Theresa Osborne, MD
Brian Paff, DO
Kami Palmer, MD
Katherine Panning, MD
Scott Parrott, PA-C
Beth A Peter, MD, FAAFP
Jeanne Poel, MD
Lindsey Ray, NP
Carrie Roberson, PA-C
Aaron Rund, MD
Tara Salas, PA-C
Sue Schryber, BSN, RN
Angela Smith, CPNP
Tim Smith, MD
Jennifer Solis, FNP-C
Tyler J. Spiering, MD
Bruce A Stewart, MD, MBA
Mark Stid, MD
Sarah Strong, DO, FACOOG
Kristen Sumners, DO
John Swartz, DO
Deb Taylor, MA LLP
Michael A. Traver, MD, FACS
Dan Tuinstra, MD
Tracy Vanden Bosch, FNP-C
Joseph VanderMeer, MD
Becky Vandervelde, LMSW
Rachel VanDyke, AG-ACNP
Brenna Vernocke, LMSW
Thomas Visser, MD, FACS
Erin Vochaska, FNP-C, MSN, BSN
Shanon D. Walko-VanMeter, DO
Michael Werkema, MD
Nancy Westendorp, MSN, NNP-BC
Beth Wilmot, LMSW
Jennie Woehl, FNP-BC
Lisa Woolsey, PhD PA-C
Sarah Wilkins, MD
Erin Wisniewski, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CNL, CWS
Lana Zarlenga, MD
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Letter: Local doctors ask for health dept funding to be restored
