Fresno Supervisors Vote On Health Department Cuts - Closing the only AIDS clinic in the county

[Kadie]

Cost-cutting loss of Fresno Co. AIDS clinic OK'd
Posted at 12:34 PM on Tuesday, May. 11, 2010
By Brad Branan / The Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors today narrowly approved a cost-cutting plan that includes closure of the county's only AIDS clinic.

The county will eliminate 47 public health positions, 15 of which are currently filled, by June 28. The cuts were requested by Public Health Director Edward Moreno, who said they were necessary to offset a projected $5 million budget shortfall in the fiscal year starting July 1.

Supervisors approved his plan by a 3-2 vote, with Susan Anderson and Henry Perea in opposition. Perea said the move will further reduce the county's safety net for people in need of social services.

snip...
The county will continue to provide testing for HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- but will stop providing testing and other services for other sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. The end of those services worries some public-health advocates, who note that Fresno County has high rates for such diseases.

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/11/1929253/cost-cutting-loss-of-fresno-co.html#ixzz0neVudZDd



Fresno Supervisors Vote On Health Department Cuts
Posted: May 11, 2010 12:13 PM PDT

snip...
Supervisors also voted to close the county's only AIDS clinic. The clinic, which is located at 1221 Fulton Mall, assist people in managing their HIV Disease and helps them maintain their independence. Its closure will force patients to find another health-care provider.

http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=12464161

[Wapsie B]

1. Where is it chiseled in stone that social services have to suffer in times of budget-cutting?

Seems to me that another area needs to take one for the team as it were. Ever since Reagan social services have been an easy target.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. Poison pill ?

Would not be the first time a gov agency tried to offer up a popular or untouchable program to be cut as a shield.