SALEM — The merger will have to wait ¬¬¬— at least for now.
The Board of Health kept open the possibility of regionalizing the health department with Peabody's last night, but also took a step in a different direction by hiring a new full-time health agent.
Several health board members doubted whether Mayor Kim Driscoll's proposal for a one-year regionalization pilot program would truly save the city money and were hesitant to keep the department operating without a long-term leader through the end of the fiscal year.
Instead, the board voted to hire Dr. Paul Etkind of Milton as the city's new health agent but still keep alive the possibility of regionalization down the road. Driscoll had urged board members to move forward with a pilot program last night, rather than later.
Etkind's salary information was unavailable last night.
The mayor claims a pilot program combining the Salem and Peabody health departments would save money and make more public health resources available. The program would save approximately $63,000 a year between the two cities and nearly double the staff available to serve public health needs in Peabody and Salem, according to Driscoll.
But health board member Carol Rainville disagreed with the mayor's math, claiming that Peabody officials were pushing for a $100,000 to $120,000 salary for a health agent overseeing both communities, effectively wiping out any of Salem's savings.
"To regionalize costs more than for us to stand alone," Rainville said, in her last meeting as a board member.
Acting Health Agent Janet Mancini said Peabody wasn't interested in sharing staff with Salem.
"The director would be shared, and everything else would stay the same," Mancini said. "Peabody would do Peabody, and Salem would do Salem."
There is, of course, a financial aspect to all of this.
Salem must absorb an $836,000 cut to state aid by July 1 and an estimated $2.4 million reduction next year. Driscoll has already cut some $500,000 from this year's budget, including health department money set aside to hire a new health agent.
Even more cuts may be on the way, Driscoll warned in a letter to the board.
"If the board chooses not to pursue a regional pilot program and instead hire your own separate health agent, existing staff would have to be even further reduced," Driscoll wrote.
Indeed, because of budget constraints, funding Etkind's position through the end of June likely means the department will have to eliminate a part-time employee. When the new fiscal year begins, even more cuts may be needed.
Peabody health officials haven't voted on the proposal yet, but are receptive to it and were waiting on Salem to act first, said Sharon Cameron, Peabody's director of health and human services.
"I think the Peabody board has indicated they're supportive, but they feel it requires a full commitment from the Salem board ..." Cameron said in an interview before last night's meeting.
That commitment from the Salem board never came last night.
Meanwhile, Driscoll yesterday released written correspondence from residents, health care workers and community leaders demonstrating support for regionalization.
In a letter, Salem Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rinus Oosthoek endorsed the plan, saying he hoped it would be the "start of a regionalization dialogue that goes beyond the public-health sector."
North Shore Medical Center also threw its support behind the plan, saying it's come to appreciate the "wealth of benefits" that come from regionalization and has implemented aspects of regionalization in its own operations.
The state Department of Public Health also praised several aspects of Driscoll's plan, saying Peabody and Salem have the opportunity to "demonstrate statewide leadership."
But the health board isn't ready to move forward on those plans ¬— at least not yet.
"We haven't closed the door on this," said health board member Barbara Poremba.
Staff writer Chris Cassidy can be reached at ccassidy@salem news.com.
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