MIAMI COUNTY, IN- The Miami County Health Department has received enhanced state funding of $405,959.71 for 2024 to focus on improving the health of the community through the Health First Indiana (HFI) initiative.
The Miami County Commissioners signaled their commitment to making Miami County a healthier place to live and work by opting into HFI last year. Created by the Indiana General Assembly in the 2023 session, HFI provides funding to help counties meet needs of their communities by implementing evidence-based preventive programs and delivering core public health services.
“Health First Indiana is a program which addresses the health and safety of Indiana communities. Through partnerships between local community leaders and local Health Departments, issues such as tobacco cessation, vaping, obesity, chronic disease prevention and accident prevention can be addressed to make a community where people want to live and work.” -Dr. James Rudolph, Miami County Public Health Officer
This funding will expand core services focusing on a variety of public health challenges, such as maternal and childcare, trauma and injury prevention, and chronic conditions, such as obesity. For example, 30.1% of Miami County residents smoke and 40% are considered obese. Miami County has an average life expectancy of 76.4 years. Based on this data, a portion of Health First Miami County funding will be spent on chronic disease prevention, tobacco and vaping prevention and cessation, and trauma and injury prevention.
Visit www.healthfirstindiana.in.gov to learn more about the Miami County’s health metrics, funding, and HFI across the state. For more information on the Miami County Health Department and the services it offers, go to https://www.in.gov/localhealth/miamicounty/ and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MiamiCountyINHD.
