Indiana Hospital Association pledges to partner with local health departments
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Members of the Indiana Hospital Association this week cemented their commitment to helping local health departments around the state as they administer new health funding.
That commitment takes the form of the Health First Indiana pledge.
The impetus to partner with local health departments stems from the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 4, which was passed in the 2023 legislative session. The bill provides $225 million in state funding for health initiatives, but that money goes directly to county health departments who chose to opt-in to receive the funding.
In a release, the IHA said it will team with local departments to focus on infant and maternal mortality, obesity and smoking cessation. The pledge itself contains four main points saying that IHA members will:
- Establish “an ongoing dialogue” with local health departments and leaders
- Appoint a lead contact person to communicate updates to local health departments
- Incorporate local health leaders’ feedback when establishing hospital strategic plans
“Health First Indiana is all about partnerships, and having the support of IHA and its members is essential to prioritizing health in Indiana,” said Indiana Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver in the release. “To fully realize our goal of improved health outcomes for Hoosiers, it will take the collaboration of multiple sectors including the hospitals. I am thrilled that 100% of our general hospitals have committed to this shared goal.”
The IHA is a trade association comprised of more than 170 members.
