Health First Indiana Grant Program
In August 2021, Governor Eric J. Holcomb established the Governor's Public Health Commission (GPHC) through an Executive Order. The commission was charged with assessing the strengths and weaknesses of Indiana's public health system and make recommendations for enhancements. The final report was released in July of 2022 with six areas of growth and improvement needed to strengthen Indiana's public health system.
- Governance, Infrastructure and Services
- Dedicated Public Health Funding
- Public Health Workforce
- Data & Information Systems
- Emergency Preparedness
- Child & Adolescents
During the 2023 legislative session several bills were presented on improving the public health system of Indiana. With overwhelming bipartisan support in the State House and Senate a bill that focuses on creating a consistent set of Core Public Health Services (CPHS), accessible, recurring and dedicated funding for local health departments, as well as clearly defined measurements for immediate and future growth was passed. The bill, Senate Enrolled Act 4 (SEA 4), passed on April 17, 2023. The State's initiative that stems from SEA 4 is Health First Indiana (HFI).
Johnson County Commissioners opted in to the 2025-2026 funding on May 20, 2024, which guaranteed Johnson County Health Department (JCHD) more than $3 million over the next year. JCHD has historically been funded through a combination of local property taxes, grants, service fees, reimbursements, and other miscellaneous revenue sources. This mix of funding mechanisms, particularly those that are not guaranteed or secure year to year, causes worry over developing new programs and services. Therefore, we are excited about the prospect of developing programming due to these funds, which will enable us to better serve our citizens.