photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.

The only item on the Douglas County Commission’s regular agenda for its meeting this week is an update on the strategic planning process and the future of clinic operations from Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Director Dan Partridge, and a health department representative confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the update will cover potentially shifting family-planning services away from their clinic.

The health department has been considering passing family-planning services off to another local health care provider — Heartland Community Health Center — rather than continuing to provide those services through the health department clinic, a move that has left a number of clinic nurses upset enough that they’ve quit.

Partridge spoke with the Journal-World about the possible shift last month, and confirmed that the health department had been engaged in ongoing dialogue with Heartland about handing over that care, also referred to as Title X services. Heartland CEO Julie Branstrom also confirmed those conversations were taking place last month. Partridge said at that time that the question of where Title X services should be housed is based on the health department’s strategic planning process.

It’s a potential change that has been deeply unpopular with the health department’s clinic staff as it’s unfolded, according to a number of former nurses who have spoken with the Journal-World since leaving their positions. Former clinic staff nurse Cori Green said the possibility has left her concerned for the community, specifically folks who are undocumented or otherwise wouldn’t have the ability to pay to receive the kind of care provided under Title X — preventive health services like access to birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings and testing for sexually transmitted infections.

At least five other former health department nurses have told the Journal-World that they agreed with Green, with some saying they felt so strongly about the issue that it was the specific reason they resigned. Green told the Journal-World the clinic, since her departure last year, has been steadily losing staff because of the issue.

Partridge did tell the Journal-World last month that any provider that holds a Title X grant is required to provide those services on a sliding scale based on income and at no cost if the patient qualifies.

The health department hasn’t given any public updates on those talks since last month’s Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Board meeting, but at the time it seemed conversations had progressed to the brink of a transition taking place.

Wednesday’s business meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. The meeting will also be available by Zoom. For meeting information, visit the county’s website: dgcoks.org/commissionmeetings.