Over the last 14 months, the incredibly important role of local public health departments in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and responding to our state’s catastrophic wildfires has been illuminated. While recently, historic investments have been made in public health, relief funds have been specific to support response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Public health modernization, a key initiative to ensure every resident of the state can access basic public health services that are necessary to preserve life and health plays a critical role in response efforts in times of crisis, like the pandemic. This initiative has been a long-standing priority for the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC). 

While recent investments in our health system have been crucial in providing necessary health services, these federal relief resources have been tied to specific guidance that does not allow the state, or counties to flexibly spend these dollars on public health modernization. As a result, the continued state investment in public health modernization is critical in providing public health authorities the resources needed to ensure appropriate implementation of this program. AOC has been working with partners to elevate and advocate for funding for this initiative. 

Since its passage in 2015, public health modernization was designed as a phased-in approach to modernizing the public health system to be implemented over the course of 10 years. 

The phases, set for each biennium pending appropriate funding, aim to improve local public health departments’ foundational programs across the state. These phases include:

  • Phase one: communicable diseases and environmental health;
  • Phase two: prevention and health promotion; 
  • Phase three: access to clinical preventive services; and 
  • Phase four: ongoing evaluation and quality improvement.

A 2016 assessment found that to fully implement the initiative under Oregon’s current public health system (including state and local public health) an investment of $210 million per biennia was required. 

In 2017, the Legislature invested $5 million in that model, and in 2019, the Legislature invested $10 million, totaling $15 million for the biennial budget for the Oregon Health Authority’s public health division, local public health authorities, and tribes. This leaves a $195 million gap per biennia to fully implement the modernization model. 

Contributed by: Lizzy Atwood Wills | Legislative Affairs Manager