|
“As the leader of this organization, I am
committed to restoring public confidence in our agency and I am confident that
everyone currently in a position of leadership at OSDH shares that commitment.
Steps to address many of the items outlined in the reports are already underway
and we will continue working to follow these recommendations.
I want to express my appreciation to the
Attorney General, State Auditor and Inspector as well as members of the
Multi-County Grand Jury for their hard work and thoroughness of the reports
issued this week. These reports are an important step in giving this agency the
clarity necessary to move forward.
I also want to
express appreciation for the help and guidance offered by the Office of
Management and Enterprise Services (OMES). They have supported us in a variety of
areas critical to our fiscal affairs, including a discussion of IT projects and
providing additional training to our financial staff. We have completed the
establishment of a restricted fund at OMES for Ryan White rebate funds, which
was included in these recommendations. OMES has also been conducting a payroll
test environment to ensure a successful transition to the statewide accounting
system. This transition will be key in returning Program Funds Recovered to
their appropriate location and improving the validation of employee’s time and
effort funded by different revenue sources.
Since arriving
almost eight weeks ago, we have actively searched for a permanent CFO and
controller. Each position has been posted publicly, but it has proven difficult
to attract candidates with the skills and experience needed to lead our
financial team. With these recommendations in hand, we will continue to
aggressively recruit qualified candidates to fill both critical positions.
During my initial
days at the agency, I became concerned that people unnecessarily lost their jobs
through the Reduction-In-Force (RIF) that was executed prior to my arrival.
Those concerns were confirmed yesterday, and to the people and families
impacted by the RIF, I am truly sorry. We have instituted a process to recall
to employment numerous employees separated by the Reduction in Force (RIF) to
meet critical staffing needs in county health departments.
In addition to the
employees that were included in the RIF we have had 231 additional resignations
since October last year, which has placed additional strain on our workforce.
We are now working diligently to fill those positions. For example, we are
holding a hiring event Monday, May 21st to fill much needed Nurse Surveyors
for long term care and non-long term care medical facilities.
I have also
recognized that we must improve our relationships with stakeholders across the
state, including county health departments and local boards of health. We must make
sure that local health department staffing patterns are structured to provide
each county maximum flexibility with local resources. Partnerships in public
health are critical to any success and we will be committed to improving our
communication, rebuilding trust and creating better opportunities for staff and
citizens.
In addition to
these efforts, the agency has also been engaged in a zero-based budgeting
process for the past month that has included in-depth analysis of all programs.
This process is nearing its completion and when completed, it will allow us to
demonstrate to the legislature and Governor the minimum number of state dollars
needed to carry out the core functions that our agency is mandated to provide.
While I understand
the frustration of recent events at this agency, the worst thing we could do
now is to spend money without a strategic budget plan that identifies critical
priorities and maximizes our resources to serve the best interests of public
health in Oklahoma. Moving forward, we are not going to simply rebuild the old
health department. Instead, we will use this situation to find additional efficiencies,
improve financial controls and be better stewards of taxpayer dollars.
Internally, we are
addressing concerns expressed about the atmosphere at OSDH. There must be an
open and honest line of communication between agency leadership and all
employees. We will continue to solicit ideas from every employee to help push
us forward. I also have a strong commitment to legal review and adherence to
the law. We are committed to engaging our General Counsel Office on all
appropriate matters, and working to strengthen our Office of Accountability
Systems and Internal Audit operations.
OSDH employees are
dedicated and passionate public servants and during this turbulent time they
have worked continuously to provide the important public health services that
our clients have come to depend upon. I am honored to work with them as we
carry out the mission of this agency.”
### |
