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Guide to the La Crosse, Wisconsin, City Health Department, City-County Merger Implementation Committee Records, 1976-1983
La Crosse Series 059
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Abstract
- Until 1983, La Crosse County and the City of La Crosse maintained separate health departments. A merger of the City Health Department and the La Crosse County Health Department was proposed in 1982, and the La Crosse County Health Department Implementation Committee was formed to study the proposed merger and make recommendations to ensure that the transition proceeded smoothly. The merger went into effect as of January 1, 1983, and William Schmidt was appointed director of the new La Crosse County Health Department on January 20, 1983. Materials from this collection were created by the implementation committee and pertain to the merger and include correspondence, minutes, reports, materials about the Visiting Nurse Association, and related materials about similar health department mergers in other Wisconsin counties. Acc. No.
- Collection Title
- La Crosse, Wisconsin, City Health Department, City-County Merger Implementation Committee Records
- Date of Materials
- 1976-1983
- Creator
- La Crosse (Wis.). Health Dept.
- Call Number
- La Crosse Series 059
- Amount
- 0.4 cubic feet
- Physical Description
- 1 archives box
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- La Crosse Public Library Archives
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], La Crosse, Wisconsin, City of Health Department, City-County Merger Implementation Committee Records, La Crosse Series 059, La Crosse Public Library Archives, La Crosse, WI
Historical Note
A merger between the city and La Crosse County health departments was discussed during the mid-1970s and into the early 1980s. In May 1976, a City-County Liaison Committee recommended merger of the city health department and the county health nursing service. County supervisors wanted to wait to see how similar merger situations worked out elsewhere in the state, and the merger continued to be debated. County supervisors were also concerned about a rise in taxes for county residents due to a merger.
Finally in 1982, renewed efforts were made to merge the two departments. The La Crosse County Administration Committee approved a plan to merge the city and county health departments in February 1982. The La Crosse County Health Department Implementation Committee was created to make recommendations about the proposed merger, and in May 1982, the Implementation Committee recommended that the merged health department provide home nursing and community health services.
Concern arose over where the city/county health department offices would be located, whether or not the county would reimburse the city for the health department laboratory equipment, and the job status of current La Crosse City Health Department employees. After discussion, plans for the merger went ahead, and the La Crosse County Board decided to house most merged health department offices in the Grandview Building at 1707 Main Street in La Crosse. The laboratory, environmental control, and vector control offices remained at city hall. The county also agreed to pay the city $27,458 per year for laboratory facilities at city hall (of this amount, $19,125 paid for rent and $8333 paid for lab supplies). The merger went into effect as of January 1, 1983, and William Schmidt was appointed director of the county health department on January 20, 1983.
La Crosse city residents saw a slight decrease in the amount they paid for services since they were no longer paying for upkeep of the La Crosse city and county health departments. Those residents outside the city of La Crosse had a slight increase in their taxes due to the merger. County residents experienced additional benefits with the merger including additional inspections of restaurants, food and milk product sampling, and water sampling of municipal wells.
The county health department continued its nursing service after the merger. However, nine of the former city health department’s nurses formed a private nursing service, the La Crosse Visiting Nurses Association (LVNA). About 125 of the 325 patients formerly serviced by thecity health department’s nurses agreed to be seen by the newly formed organization.
Scope and Contents
Materials in this collection include items related to the merger of the La Crosse City Health Department and the La Crosse County Health Department. Background materials and correspondence are included.
Papers from various groups studying or involved in the merger are part of this collection. Those papers include membership lists and other papers from the City/County Liaison Committee; minutes, resolutions, and ordinances from the La Crosse County Board; and minutes and reports from the La Crosse County Health Department Implementation Committee. Other materials from the La Crosse County Health Department include budget materials (1982-1983) and an organization chart (1982).
Other items are a La Crosse County Nursing Service Department summary, miscellaneous papers, and materials from the Visiting Nurse Association.
Related materials include materials pertaining to the mergers of city/county health departments in other Wisconsin counties, a report from the Western Wisconsin Health Systems Agency, Inc., and related Wisconsin Statutes.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
La Crosse Public Library Archives 2005
800 Main St.La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601
(608) 789-7136
archives@lacrosselibrary.org
Access to Materials
Materials in this collection are available for patron use.
Acquisitions Information
(Accession no. 2005.096) Donated by Dr. James W. Terman, M.D., Sept. 2005. Dr. Terman served as the former chair of the La Crosse City Health Department and member of the City-County Merger Implementation Committee.
Processing Information
Processed by Christine Stolz, 2005
Related Materials
Related Materials
- (Annual reports)
- City of La Crosse Health and Vital Statistics Department
- (Annual reports)
- La Crosse County Health Department and Nursing Service
- (La Crosse Series 018)
- La Crosse, Wisconsin, Health Department Records
- (La Crosse Series 022)
- La Crosse, Wisconsin, Common Council Miscellaneous Records
- (La Crosse Series 058)
- La Crosse, Wisconsin, City Health Department Slides
- (Clipping file)
- La Crosse--City--Health Department
- (Clipping file)
- La Crosse--County--Health Department
- (Local publications)
- AIDS/HIV Project Newsletter
- (Local publications)
- La Crosse County Health Department Newsletter
- (Local publications)
- LAHI News (La Crosse Area Health Initiative newsletter)
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- La Crosse (Wis.). Health Dept.
- La Crosse County (Wis.). Health Dept.
Subject(s)
- Public health administration--Wisconsin--Mergers
- Public records--Wisconsin--La Crosse
- Public records--Wisconsin--La Crosse County
Collection Inventory
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Background, 1978-1982 |
1 | 1 | ||
|
Correspondence, 1978-1982 |
1 | 2 | ||
|
City/County Liason Committee, 1977-1978 |
1 | 3 | ||
|
La Crosse County Board |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Minutes, 1982 |
1 | 4 | ||
|
Ordinances, 1980-1982 |
1 | 5 | ||
|
Resolutions, 1976-1982 |
1 | 6 | ||
|
La Crosse County Health Department |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Budget, 1982-1983 |
1 | 7 | ||
|
Implementation Committee |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Minutes, 1982 |
1 | 8 | ||
|
Reports, 1982 |
1 | 9 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Organization chart, 1982 |
1 | 10 | ||
|
La Crosse County Nursing Service Department survey, 1982 |
1 | 11 | ||
|
Miscellaneous, 1976-1982 |
1 | 12 | ||
|
Visiting Nurse Association, circa 1978-1982 |
1 | 13 | ||
|
Related materials |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Other Wisconsin county health department materials, 1978-1982 |
1 | 14 | ||
|
Western Wisconsin Health Systems Agency, Inc., 1978 |
1 | 15 | ||
|
Wisconsin statutes, circa 1978-1982 |
1 | 16 | ||