Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced on May 22 that every Indiana county will receive part of $150 million in dedicated funds next year for public health services.

The 2025 funds, part of the Health First Indiana Initiative (HFI), will be the second wave of a historic investment in public health made possible by legislation passed in 2023. 

In fiscal 2024, 86 counties, covering 96% of Indiana’s population, opted in to receive the first wave of $75 million in funding. Seventy-eight percent of the money supported preventive and health outcome-related activities. A key component of HFI is that local health departments determine how the funding is spent.

The state reported that Crawford, Fountain, Harrison, Johnson, Wells and Whitley Counties have agreed to opt in for 2025 after sitting out in 2024.

“Local health departments across the state are working to create new partnerships and programs to enhance their public health services,” State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver, MD, FACEP, said in the release.  “I continue to be impressed by the level of engagement from Hoosier communities, including businesses and hospitals that have pledged their support.”

Lawmakers will have to decide when they write a new state budget next year whether to renew HFI funding past 2025. Before HFI, Indiana’s counties shared $6.9 million in public health funding annually from the state.

Visit www.healthfirstindiana.in.gov for more information on HFI, including a description of core public health services, county-level health metrics and funding details.