HERMANN – Working while being short-staffed and with reduced hours at one of the offices has been challenging for the personnel of the Gasconade County Health Department. Finding a way to ease that challenge and chart a course for future agency operations figures to be the aim of a daylong strategic planning session later this summer.

On Sept. 11, the Health Department’s Hermann offices will be closed to allow the Board of Trustees and the staff to have a comprehensive planning session. The session was proposed Monday morning by agency Administrator Kenna Fricke and agreed to by the board during its regular monthly session.

With the agency roster down by two nurses, Fricke, a registered nurse, has found herself shuttling between the Hermann and Owensville offices to fill the void in providing services to residents. The Owensville office has been operating with reduced hours for some time, the result of staff shortages.

Meanwhile, the county health agency is on the sidelines watching the effort by Hermann Area District Hospital to be named the anchor of the public health “hub” that has is part of the statewide Rural Health Transformation Project. Osage County and Gasconade County comprise one of several health “hubs” throughout the state. Each hub will have an anchor to coordinate public health services.

Part of that task will be the work of a coordinator and a navigator. It also involves the allocation of a big chunk of money from the $200 million in federal money designated for Missouri.

HADH Administrator and Chief Executive Officer Bill Hellebusch recently spent several days poring over a 100-page application under a short timeline, receiving input from a number of health care providers — including Fricke — in making the hospital’s bid for the designation.

Part of the investment to be made in rural healthcare will involve substantial funding for information technology, Fricke told her board, adding that this project could make a significant impact on providing healthcare to rural residents. “I’m staying optimistic that we can make this meaningful,” she said.

In other matters, two staffers from Peoples Savings Bank — branch manager Kim LeRoy and Sean Bonnell — presented the Board of Trustees with a proposal that aims to offer protection for the agency’s investments beyond the $250,000 guarantee by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). The program that PSB is offering would “sweep” the agency’s accounts for anything over $250,000 and then send those dollars to participating banks both local and across the country. The money that’s placed with those banks earns interest for the health agency.

There are two options as part of the program. First, there is the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS) that is better suited for funds not subject to daily access and which can be placed in a certificate of deposit for a set period of time. Second, there is the insured cash sweep, which is aimed at funds that might be needed on a daily basis.

PSB recently presented the program to the Hermann Board of Aldermen and the Gasconade County Commission. County government is taking part in the program.

Board President Stan Hall said he would like to take a month to study the proposal and possibly take action at next month’s The other four trustees agreed.

The board’s next session is scheduled for Monday, July 27 at 9 a.m. On the lower level of the department’s offices at 1714 Wein Street adjacent to Hermann Area District Hospital.