ISMA members are invited to join Gov. Eric Holcomb and members of the Governor’s Public Health Commission at the Statehouse on Thursday, Jan. 26, for Public Health Day. To show support for improving public health, attendees are asked to wear blue and gold to the event, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the North Atrium.

Holcomb established the Public Health Commission in August 2021, charging members with examining the strengths and weaknesses of Indiana's public health system and recommending improvements. The stated goal of the panel, which includes Indiana AMA delegation member and county health officer David Welsh, MD, MBA, is “to ensure that every Hoosier has access to the core public health services that allow them to achieve their optimal health and well-being.”

The commission’s report was released in July and makes recommendations in six areas: governance, infrastructure and services; funding; workforce; data and information integration; emergency preparedness; and childhood and adolescent health. The General Assembly must pass a biennial budget during the 2023 session, and many of the commission’s recommendations require legislative funding.