Fishers creates city health department
UPDATE: Fishers City Council on Friday afternoon approved startup of its own city health department. The council also approved $2 million from its general fund to start the department.
FISHERS, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business/WISH) — Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has unveiled his plan to integrate public health with economic recovery as the city seeks to get back to business as usual.
The city says it has created five initiatives to support the business and entrepreneurial community when the statewide stay at home order and other restrictions are lifted.
Among the initiatives in the Fishers Recovery Plan, the city says it will provide free testing to all residents. To put that effort into practice, Fadness is proposing the creation of the Fishers Health Department, a move that requires approval by the Fishers City Council.
Fadness says the Fishers City Council will hold an emergency meeting Friday morning to discuss the initiatives.
“It’s my intention, with the establishment of the public health department and the fact that we have been a good steward of our tax dollars, that we will use roughly $2 million out of our cash reserve policy to be able to provide testing for any Fishers resident that feels they need to get a test,” said Fadness. “By establishing and having medical direction under the health department, we will be able to do that in a safe, efficient, and effective manner. So by the end of next week, it is my hope that any Fishers resident that needs a test of COVID-19 will be able to do that.”
In addition to the free testing for residents, the Fishers Health Department will provide accessible testing to the business community for employees. Businesses will also have access to a private data portal and analytics to “better inform staffing, safety, and communication decisions.”
The city will provide startup funds for small businesses through the Start-Up and Recovery Loan program to help businesses restart their normal operations. The city expects applications to be open from April 27 to May 2.
The Fishers Health Department will also work to partner with businesses to provide education, engagement, training and resources to open safely. The city says details on the Business Recovery Team will be provided in the coming days.
The city is also partnering with Launch Fishers for a joint initiative to stimulate new business creation. The Launch Fishers Entrepreneurship Recovery Program will provide a free, six-month membership to Launch Fishers for residents who are not currently members.
The fifth initiative is the Business Recovery Center, which the city says will connect Fishers businesses with federal, state and local resources to guide them toward reopening and recovery. Business leaders seeking guidance will be able to meet with a member of the Fishers Economic development team, who can provide appropriate contacts and resources.