The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

January, 1955 The Health Bulletin 9glad to do what I can in continuingthe health needs of the people of ourState.In order to complete the picturelocally, I wish to commend the variousmembers of the Health Departmentswho not only wrote letters to theserepresentatives, but encouraged manyfriends to write also. My only disappointmentin this program is thatonly a small, but effective minority,assumed this responsibility. I hope inthe future that we will have a largemajority taking an active part.You will be interested to know thatDr. Norton and I appeared before theannual convention of the County Commissionersof North Carolina atWrightsville Beach on the 17th ofAugust. This Association was told ofthe efforts that the North CarolinaPublic Health Association had madein bringing to the attention of ourFederal and State representatives theproblem that local appropriating bodiesare facing as a result of these Federalcuts.The County Commissioners Associationwas informed that the North CarolinaPublic Health Association has aright to be proud of the response itreceived, but this was by no meansthe end of its endeavor. It plans tocall to the attention of our state legislators,before the next General Assembly,the need for more state funds toreplace the Federal funds lost in 1954.We are also proud of the response manyof our county commissioners have madein appropriating additional funds tomeet local needs. Yet we realize thefull burden cannot be assumed locally.Unfortunately, these cuts came justafter the General Assembly had adjournedfor the biennium when statefunds were already set. Now is thetime for your county to re-evaluateits public health needs and for youto let your state legislators know exactlywhat you want. We want yourhelp and suggestions to enable the 1955General Assembly to understand thevarious communities' needs and to planwisely for meeting these needs throughan increase in State funds for publichealth.On behalf of the North CarolinaPublic Health Association, we appealedto the County Commissioners Associationto help each county board ofhealth to review the needs and problemsin its own county. We suggestedthat, if they were not thoroughly familiarwith the situation in their owncommunities, they visit their healthdepartments and find out what canbe done to strengthen their programs.In view of the many problems whichare arising as the result of increasingpopulation and mounting costs of service,I am sure you will agree with usthat these are mutual problems withwhich all of us are directly concerned.You will be interested to know that asa result of this meeting with the NorthCarolina County Commissioners Association,their Executive Committeeagreed to appoint a special committeeto meet with Dr. Norton and his budgetcommittee. This committee can becomea potent factor in arriving at a moreequitable distribution of funds for thesupport of local public health departments,as well as for the State Boardof Health.I would like to recommend to our Associationthat the EACH ONE TEACHONE movement be continued. In orderto do this effectively, each memberof the Association should become familiarwith the needs as well as thetotal budgetary request made to theGeneral Assembly by Dr. NortonTherefore, let me stress the four mostimportant items in his request. First,the $250,000 for each year of the nextbiennium is to be distributed in its entiretyto the local health departmentsin accordance with established policies.This amount will not fully replace theFederal funds lost during the last twoyears, but it will help the many countieswhich have about reached theirlimit in providing public health funds.Second, I strongly urge that $100,000of State funds be appropriated fortraining of public health personnel.Securing trained personnel is one ofthe major problems each local healthdepartment has to face. At the present