Commissioner of Health Lindsay Weaver, MD, was unable to address the House of Delegates on Saturday, Sept. 26. However, she wanted to share with the ISMA membership that this will be a big session for Health First Indiana. 

“There is an opportunity to increase the funding for local public health,” Dr. Weaver said. “We need physicians to reach out to their local legislators.”

Since the start of Health First Indiana, the Indiana Department of Health has had two consecutive years of the lowest infant mortality rate in history. For the first time since life expectancy started to decline over a decade ago, Indiana has stabilized the life expectancy rate, seen a decline in overdoses, and reached a low of 5% vaping rate in high schoolers after a peak of 18%.  

According to a study by Regenstrief, for the first two years of Health First Indiana, it showed a return on investment of $750 million. They evaluated only five (out of dozens) preventive service areas that have been provided by local health departments and partners through the Health First Indiana funds.