Hillsborough County: Department of Health and Social Services

ISSUE AREA: LEADERSHIP

City: Hillsborough County, FL
Wellness - Social Development - Regional Cooperation

Contact:
Kristen Gopman
Hillsborough County
County Center-25th Floor
601 East Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 301-7335
gopmank@hillsboroughcounty.org

Date Published: October 2006

The mission of the Hillsborough County Department of Health and Social Services is to assure, within available resources, the provision of quality health care to the County's eligible medically poor residents who lack other coverage by promoting access to health care providers within the County; giving special emphasis to prevention, early intervention and health education; promoting coordination among appropriate social service and health agencies; and by encouraging the efficient use of available resources. The Department of Health and Social Services operates three notable programs - the HealthCare Program, EMS emergency stroke care, and the Prosperity Campaign - which are directly focused on providing access to healthcare and educational support for the residents of Hillsborough County.

The Hillsborough County HealthCare Program (HCHCP) is a county funded and operated managed- care program that provides comprehensive health care for 30,000 residents per year who live below the poverty level and do not have private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare. This program is funded by a ½ cent sales tax bringing in a total of $97.9 M in FY05. The program has dramatically reduced use of ER as a "primary physician" for uninsured people. Quantifiable annual benefits of the program include an excess of $80 M per year, a healthier population, and an increased influx of State/Federal dollars into the county. The program reduces ER visits, gives efficient and effective access to health care services and also provides health education, prevention, early intervention, and disease & case management.

EMS emergency stroke care is recognized as a system "doing it right". The stroke care form developed in 1999 in Hillsborough County is now the adopted Florida Stroke Alert form. It was signed into law last year as part of the Florida Stroke Act, the first state to pass such a law. Early EMS response, diagnosis, pre-hospital treatment, hospital pre-notification and rapid treatment at the hospital has enhanced the ability to save stroke victims.

The Prosperity Campaign of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties was established in 2004 through a collaboration of public, business and nonprofit organizations. Its mission is to maximize Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit for those eligible; provide financial education to make wise decisions and help the poor get checking and savings started. In addition to improving individual quality of life, Prosperity Campaign of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties improves the economy by bringing in more money to the local community.

The Prosperity Campaign boasts more than 150 public, private, and nonprofit entities working together, 400 volunteers and staff in 63 locations throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas counties who prepared 16,434 tax returns in 2004, and refunds totaling $14.8 M with an approximate savings of $2.46 M in commercial tax preparation fees. The private sector saved $4.8 M in 2 years. Both counties were honored with many service awards for outreach and production.

The Hillsborough County Department of Health and Social Services receives not only public support through tax dollars of its programs, it has also succeeded in creating public/private support partnerships. For example, the Prosperity Campaign receives major funding from Bank of America, the Ford Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation, to name a few. The Department of Health and Social Services remains a unique public organization because of the success it has had in forming partnerships with other Florida County offices and with private support organizations to bring access and serve the needs of individuals living in the county.

Resources:

www.prosperitycampaign.com/index.html
www.hillsboroughcounty.org/hss/prosperity/