SB 387 establishes the Office of Minority Health within the State Department of Health. It requires the State Health Commissioner to appoint a director of the Office of Minority Health. That office is tasked with performing the duties previously assigned to the Health Department generally in conjunction with the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Inc., including implementation of the Minority Health Initiatives already set forth in IC 16-46-11.
I don’t know. I know I’m a white guy. And, I know minority groups have their own health issues; cultural, economic, and otherwise. But, creating a new Office seems like a small increase in bureaucracy that likely won’t accomplish very much. According to the fiscal impact statement (pdf), it will be funded with appropriations from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
There already is an Office of Minority Health within ISDH. So, I’m not sure what this bill is doing that’s any different than what already exists.
Sounds as if they may be trying to get rid of IMHC. Which is just fine with me, for reasons I don’t wish to go into.
This statue was not created to create another office. The office of minority health has existed over 20 years. This allowed the office to be statued. With so many states loosing their office of minority health or making it a smaller office and not really addressing the needs and issues faced within minority health and eliminating health disparities, this helps establish the office officially.