Show County responses lukewarm to new health standard The utah Department of Health's pro pro- proposals proposals for minimum health standards drew lukewarm response from Uintah County health officials Monday at a sparsely attended public hearing in the county courthouse district courtroom Rand Webb the director of the Uintah Basin Health Department said the proposals pro pro- proposals fall fail to specify who will provide the care and who will pay for it Webb said health department directors statewide will support minimum health standards If the Utah Legislature decides on a way to pay for the program Uintah County Commissioner Wardell Wardell- the commissions commission's on the Uintah Basin District I ernI Health Board also expressed sed con concern ern about payment and the possibility that the state Department of Health will hang a millstone ar around und the necks of local officials unable to pay costs The Vernal session is the third In a series of statewide hearings Well Weil be able to take takeout out those things that dont don't make sense and get them right down to what is basic health service said hearing officer Bill Kaufman state Department of Health We have to Iden- Iden Identify identify services first What were we're going through the hearings weve we've Identified as the negotiation process The 1980 leg leg- legislature changed the health code to re- re require re- re require quire minimum standards A final draft of standards will go before the 1984 legislature according to Webb The page 29 booklet about the pro pro- proposals proposals covers everything from disease control and the study of disease and injury among the general population to hazardous a d toxic waste management Including radiation control Webb said radiation control In par par- particular particular would create an enormous burden on local government that might better be handled by the federal government Ac- Ac Activity Activity Involving radioactive materials oc- oc occurs occurs curs m In Uintah and Duchesne counties mainly exploration because of oil and gas tion he added Although the Uintah Basin Health Department follows most of the propos propos- proposed proposed ed minimum standards standard to some degree Webb has Indicated an addition three or four time full people eo le would have to be hired to enforce the minimum standards as is Mary Ellen Conner a public health nurse said at the hearing that an in- in individual's individual's free agency becomes an 10 Issue with such requirements as Inter Inter- Interviews interviews views and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases within three days of reporting the disease She questioned the proposal that 90 percent of all pregnant women receive prenatal pre care starting In the first three months of pregnancy Will private continued on page 2 Health on nn clans dans be willing to help fulfill that re- re requirement requirement she asked Other multi county county regions of the state have health departments Six counties have their own departments The states state's contribution to costs runs between 55 to 60 percent But local contributions vary according to mill levies set by each coun- coun county county ty said Webb According to state Department Depar ment of Health figures from 1980 the Uintah Basin district had the second lowest level of mill levy the support 23 of a mill of states state's local departments The lowest was the southeastern Utah district bas ed In Price with 17 of a mill The Uintah Basin counties have had high property valuations We Webb b noted continued from page 1 The amount of local contributions from Uintah and Duchesne c counties probably decreased since 1980 in real terms because property valuation has doubled since then he added |