California: $46 Million Cut From San Francisco Department of Public Health

On April 15, the seven-member San Francisco Health Commission voted unanimously to approve a $46.1 million cut to the Department of Public Health (DPH) budget for fiscal year 2008-09. The cuts include about $2.2 million in services related to HIV/AIDS and at least $12 million in substance abuse, mental health, and other services. The budget heads next to Mayor Gavin Newsom's office before going to the Board of Supervisors.

The cuts follow Newsom's call for all agencies to reduce their use of the city's general fund, as the city faces a $350 million deficit.

The commission had decided earlier that HIV prevention and housing were priorities. However, the commission did approve reductions to HIV/AIDS-related food, mental health, substance abuse treatment, and legal services.

The chronic care public nursing program would receive a cut of about $2.2 million. In the program, nurses make house calls to patients, including several who have AIDS. The St. James Infirmary, which helps mostly poor sex workers access health and social services, is expecting at least a $95,000 hit.

More than 200 DPH vacancies were eliminated in what commission President Jim Illig said is a "very bad budget year ... the worst anyone's seen." In previous budgets, the Board of Supervisors was able to backfill some cuts, but it probably will not have financial leeway to restore these. The state is also facing a constrained budget, noted Illig.

The health department is now assisting affected agencies to see where reductions can be made.

Back to other news for April 2008