The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners is seeking Escambia County residents interested in volunteering to be considered for appointments to the Northwest Florida Health Council, also known as the Northwest Florida Big Bend Health Council.
Escambia County residents interested in serving on the Northwest Florida Health Council are asked to submit a resume and letter indicating their desire to serve by the close of business on Friday, Aug. 3. Resumes should be submitted to Judy Witterstaeter, Program Coordinator; Board of County Commissioners, P.O. Box 1591, Pensacola, FL 32502, or emailed to [email protected].
Please be aware that resumes submitted to a BCC agenda for consideration will become part of the official minutes and are subject to public records requests.
NORTHWEST FLORIDA HEALTH COUNCIL, ALSO KNOWN AS THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA BIG BEND HEALTH COUNCIL
Pursuant to Florida Statute 408.033, this local health council was established in accordance with the Health Facilities and Services Development Act as a private nonprofit organization serving Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties. The council serves to assist the state of Florida with planning for health facilities and services, providing a health data repository and helping counties and local communities to obtain better health care. Based on a rotating formula, the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners appoints six members to the council.
Local health councils develop district health plans containing data, develop hospital and nursing home utilization reports for the Agency for Health Care Administration, and provide analysis and recommendations that relate to health care status and needs in the community. The recommendations are designed to improve access to health care, reduce disparities in health status, assist state and local governments in the development of sound and rational health care policies and advocate on behalf of the underserved.
The council meets once per quarter or at the call of the president and chief operating officer. Meetings typically begin at 12:15 p.m. and last one to 1 1/2 hours.
Qualifications: The appointees shall be representatives of health care providers, health care purchasers and nongovernmental health care consumers, but not excluding elected government officials. The members of the consumer group shall include a representative number of persons over 60 years of age. A majority of council members shall consist of health care purchasers and health care consumers. Each member shall serve a two-year term effective Oct. 1 of the appointment year and ending Sept. 30 of the year the term expires.
