The Boston Public Health Commission will have to find creative ways to face budget cuts in the coming year without cutting programs, officials said during a meeting yesterday.
BPHC Executive Director John Auerbach warned the board will face challenges to fund programs after several federal grants expire in 2008. Although city funding has gradually increased since 2004, he said it may not be enough to save some programs.
Last year, the BPHC received nearly $65 million from the City of Boston, its largest source of funding. This year, the BPHC may have to look outside the city to make up for lost funding in the future, board members said.
"We are in the process of notifying agencies about a $2 million cut," he said. "We are losing agencies as a result of this decline in federal grant funding and sharp cuts in state funding."
Auerbach said he is analyzing the budget on estimates and said the board will meet again in July to evaluate exact effects of cuts and costs.
Despite a projected tighter budget, the board voted unanimously to continue funding several wellness programs, including one targeted at combating obesity, and focus on decreasing racial inequities in city healthcare.
"It's not easy that each year we can't look forward to getting additional funding, but we are able to be aggressive and look for external ways to increase funding," BPHC Medical Director Nancy Norman said. "We will be able to continue what we do and do it well."
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