ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Health Department is searching for alternate funding after its enhanced operations grant was cut by the federal government.

Department officials revealed Monday that federal officials halted the funding to health departments across Ohio.

The Belmont County Health Department’s enhanced operations grant had $71,000 left to be spent when the federal government cut the funding March 26, just two days after issuing an email to let departments across Ohio know the cuts would be coming. The grant — which totaled $130,000 when it was initially awarded — was supposed to remain active until December. Now, the health department is looking at different ways to generate funds because of the abrupt end to the funding.

“This is an unanticipated shortfall again,” Deputy Health Commissioner Rob Sproul said. “This was supposed to go into December, so now we are reevaluating our financial situation and looking for additional ways that we can generate funds.”

He added that consequences of the decisions officials in Washington, D.C., are making are trickling down.

One idea to generate some funding is to offer clinics at the department, including looking at possibly expanding what services are offered in the office.

The health department also received a $50,000 workforce grant that will help provide additional money.

The primary recipient of the lost funding was the nursing department within the health department, along with billing and fiscal departments. The grant that was cut was a holdover from the COVID-19 pandemic, so it paid for the nursing department to monitor COVID within the county’s schools, nursing homes and more.

Meanwhile, at a health board meeting Monday, board members nominated and approved Dr. Wayne Groux to be board president.

Fiscal Officer Sutherlynd Butler told the board the nursing department fund is down to $18,000 right now and she sought approval from the board for a $25,000 cash advance. She said the cash advance is needed because there has been a gap in billing payroll, and Butler wants to have a cushion to make sure there is enough money to cover nursing department payroll for the next couple of months.

Director of Nursing Gabby Timko talked about billing from the department’s billing company, which caused confusion for the board. Timko told the board she is going to ask the billing company to make billing documents and numbers easier to read and for people to understand.

Board members then went behind closed doors to discuss reinstating the medical assistant position at the office and increasing clinic services within the department.

The next board of health meeting will be at noon May 12 at the Belmont County Emergency Management Agency, located at 68329 Bannock Road.