Shift means death of PACS program

State wants health departments to teach people on food stamps how to eat healthy
By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

The biggest program of Pennyrile Allied Community Services, a nutrition education service that runs on $5.6 million of federal funding each year, will go to the oversight of the state on Oct. 1.

County health departments all over Kentucky will administer it. The state says this will help it reach more people and use the money more effectively.

However, it will also put 75 PACS employees across the state out of jobs, including 25 in the Pennyrile region.

Each health department will decide whether to hire more employees to handle the new responsibilities.

The program aims to help people who receive food stamps live healthier lifestyles by eating more nutritious food and exercising. Fran Hawkins, manager of the nutrition branch of Kentucky’s Department for Public Health, said it will be a natural extension of services county health departments already provide.

Todd has state’s third-highest uninsured rate

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

In 2010, Todd County had Kentucky’s third-highest rate of people without health insurance, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Of roughly 10,458 people below age 65, the county had about 2,455 who didn’t have health insurance. That’s 23.5 percent.

The only counties topping it were Casey and Monroe.

Judge-Executive Daryl Greenfield noted that Todd has a fairly high number of people who are self-employed. Many don’t get health insurance from their companies and can’t afford to buy it independently, he said.