By Carolina Puga Mendoza

 for TheStatehouseFile.com 

INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana county health department officials this week described the uncertainty the past year has brought to their work as they prepare for the possible override of the governor’s veto of Senate Enrolled Act 5.

The bill, authored by Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, would prohibit county health departments from issuing emergency mandates more rigorous than the ones declared in executive orders at the state level.

Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed the bill Tuesday; however, the Senate and House will come back Monday for a “technical corrections day.” Lawmakers use this day to make minor corrections such as fixing typos in new laws—and possibly to override vetoed bills like SEA 5.

Health department organizations stand against the bill, along with state health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box.

“Public health leaders across the state have been stretched to the limit throughout this pandemic but have continued to show up seven days a week to protect their friends, their neighbors and their communities by balancing both lives and livelihoods,” Box said in the statement.

“SEA 5 limits the ability of local health officials to act quickly and effectively to address significant local public health concerns during an emergency, which could result in delays that could adversely impact the health and safety of a community. We will continue to need these dedicated public servants as we work to protect Hoosiers from COVID-19 and other public health emergencies, and they deserve our support.”

Dr. David Welsh, health officer of the Ripley County Health Department and a member of the Indiana Public Health Association, has spoken against the bill as it would limit the ability of health officers to make timely decisions during a public health emergency like the coronavirus pandemic.

“I have to be honest, I’m tired,” he said.

Welsh talked about the frequent meetings with other health officials throughout the state, the Indiana Department of Health, school officials, big and small local businesses, and others. In his experience, it has been a “tough” time to make decisions that sometimes would not satisfy all of the county’s residents.

“I wish I’d kept track of all the hours spent each week dealing with COVID-related questions and trying to figure out what’s the best way to handle this issue or that issue,” Welsh said.

“I don’t think people have an idea of just the time, energy and work that was done to get us through this last year.”

Welsh described colleagues quitting due to the strenuous job, threats to their lives, and cases of verbal and physical assault towards the workers in their departments.

One in five health care workers in the U.S. has considered quitting their jobs due to the challenges of their job during COVID-19, according to an article by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Health workers in Washington have feared for their life due to threats by anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers, while others have left because of the demands of the job.

At the moment, Ripley County has earned an advisory level of blue, meaning it has decreasing positive cases in the area.

Local health departments are the operating bodies for counties throughout Indiana. The team of health officers is in charge of making decisions based on the needs of the county and, to this point, has had the authority to implement health mandates as they see fit.

Dr. Chandana Vavilala, health officer of the Lake County Health Department, feels empathy for the workers of health departments who have faced aggravations for the past year or more.

“There have been times that I’m sure everybody feels like this is overwhelming and this is beyond what they can do. But then, for the most part, a lot of them have been able to stay strong,” Vavilala said.

In regards to SEA 5, Vavilala said it’s important for health departments to have the jurisdiction to make decisions during an emergency. The bill would require officials to seek permission from elected county officials before implementing health mandates.

Garten said in a statement that health departments are making decisions that don’t fully consider small businesses. He said that SEA 5 is a way of involving county officials in the process of implementing mandates “while leaving the responsibility of enforcement in the hands of the men and women our communities elect.”

But Vavilala said that such decisions need to be made in a matter of hours, not days.

“There is no particular blueprint to something like this, so a lot of the decisions have been very challenging,” Vavilala said. “And also a lot of decisions had to be done very quickly and in a very timely manner to help the community. It’s been difficult.”

As a health officer, Vavilala said sometimes the team might not have all the information they want but they need to make a choice and take responsibility for the decisions that will affect the residents of Lake County, whether people agree or not.

“Our staff has done just like every other health department as well as a fabulous and a fantastic job in spite of the challenges of working overtime and working for something which they have not signed up for,” Vavilala said.

But to date, she views the job as rewarding as conditions have begun to improve in Lake County.

According to the American Association of Retired Persons, in the U.S., 25 states continue to enforce the mask mandate. Indiana lifted its mask mandate on April 6, and to date, face coverings are required in state buildings, schools and private businesses that choose to ask for masks.

However, the hardships of the job have extended beyond health officials. Penny Caudill, the health administrator of the Monroe County Health Department, spoke about the constant changes they face in the county.

“The past year and a half has consumed us,” Caudill said.

She said that their day is filled with meetings among people throughout the county, such as county, hospital and school officials, as well as business partners and owners.

But the realities of the job are hard to step away from.

“If you talk to any health department, administrators and lots of our staff, getting time off is very difficult,” Caudill said.

However, all officers agreed that the reward of making a choice that ultimately improves the status of their county and Hoosiers makes the job worth it.

“There were gaps in delivery of care, and I think that should be our motivating thing for everyone to say, “OK, we’ve gotten through the worst of this, let’s improve the system. Let’s get things better for that next crisis. And let’s make our public health system more effective and useful to the public in general,” Welsh said.

FOOTNOTE: Carolina Puga Mendoza is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.