Our agency, the Novel Disease Unit (NDU), will be in the Ohio Department of Health, under the Bureau

of Health Preparedness. The NDU will help meet the Bureau’s mission to “provide direction, support and
coordination in preventing, preparing for and responding to events that threaten the public’s health” by
monitoring and coordinating the response of Ohio’s EMS services, hospitals, police stations and fire
department to novel disease threats, such as COVID-19. The NDU’s four main priorities will be PPE and
supplies, infrastructure, economic recovery, and research. The agencies budget starts on July 1 st of each
year and ends on June 30th.

The unit will work directly under the Chief of the Bureau of Health Preparedness, currently Tamara
McBride, and consist of 25 people. Three experts, a medical professional, an epidemiologist, and a
public health official, plus 2 administrative assistants will be in the office at the headquarters of the
Department of Health in Columbus, Ohio. The other 20 will be field workers, based at their own home
office and will travel to their local area’s healthcare facilities, police and fire stations to monitor and
determine what are the local needs. There are about 2000 hospitals, fire stations and police stations in
88 counties, so each field agent will have about 100 facilities about 2-3 counties and under their
responsibility. Because of the nature of the job involving travelling, each person will be given a car to use
for business purposes only. The field agents will determine what is needed locally and the experts at
headquarters will decide how best to use the money and resources.

The budget is split into two parts, the operating expenses used to run the department and the
distribution expenses that will be used at the NDU’s discretion where it will be most helpful. The NDU
will prioritize the four areas differently per year. The priorities of the money for the distribution is
prioritized for the first five years and will be allocated in the following percentages.

2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25

PPE and supplies 50% 20% 20% 30% 30%
Economic Impact 20% 50% 20% 30% 30%
Infrastructure 20% 20% 50% 30% 30%
Research 10% 10% 10% 10% 10%
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

The first years’ operating expenses will be as followed:

Category Expenses (in thousands of dollars)

Salaries and Benefits 1750
Headquarter rent, supplies and utilities 250
25 cars 500
Insurance 50
Gas and travel expenses 50
Total 2,600

The initial funding will be from the federal spending at 1% of the GRF. The GRF for 2019 was 75.6 Billion,
so the initial start-up fund will be 756 million. After the operating costs of 2.6 million, this leaves 753.4
million for distribution funds. This means the first year’s breakdown of distribution will be:
 Expense in
millions
PPE and supplies 376.7
Economic Impact 150.7
Infrastructure 150.7
Research 75.3
Total 753.4

Taking into account these assumptions: employees benefits raise 7% each year along with 1% yearly
incremental salary increase. The level of funding will increase 1% with inflation, other expenses will
increase 1% with inflation and there will need to be 2 cars purchased every year, the five year budget
will be as followed:

Operating expenses in thousands

2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25

Salaries and benefits 1750 1797.5 1847.5 1900 1955
Supplies, rent and 250 252.5 255 257.6 260.2
utilities
Cars 500 40.4 40.8 41.2 41.6
Insurance 50 50.5 51 51.5 52
Gas and travel 50 50.5 51 51.5 52
expenses
Total operating 2600 2191.4 2245.3 2301.8 2360.8
expenses

Total expenses in millions

2020-2021 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25

Operating expenses 2.60 2.19 2.25 2.30 2.36
PPE and supplies 376.7 152.3 153.8 233.0 235.3
Economic Impact 150.7 380.7 153.8 233.0 235.3
Infrastructure 150.7 152.3 384.5 233.0 235.3
Research 75.3 76.1 76.9 77.7 78.4
Total 756 763.6 771.2 778.9 786.7
Resources:

Ohio Department of health organizations chart: https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/about-

us/resources/table-of-organization

Ohio Hospital Association: https://www.ohiohospitals.org/About-OHA/Ohio-Hospitals/Facts-Figures

Bureau of Justice statistics: https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2216