Health and Human Services is Overloaded
- 13 minutes ago
- 1 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
The Todd County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 7, followed by a work session.
County may add staff to reduce wait times for care services
Todd County Health and Human Services leaders told commissioners the county’s care coordination program is struggling to keep up with demand.
Health and Human Services Director Jackie Och, Public Health Supervisor Kim DeCock and Social Services Supervisor Hilary Tumberg explained that care coordinators help seniors and people with disabilities receive services so they can continue living safely in their homes instead of moving into nursing homes or making unnecessary trips to the hospital.
The county also provides care coordination for health plans, including Medica and Blue Plus.
A recent state review found Todd County care coordinators have some of the highest caseloads in Minnesota. While the state recommends each worker handle about 40 to 45 clients, Todd County workers each manage about 20 more than that.
Because of the heavy workload, the county is falling behind on required assessments. State law requires new MnChoices assessments to be completed within 20 business days, but people are currently waiting 45 to 60 days. More than 30 residents are on the waiting list...
