Dallas County officials have serious concerns about a county health department program that cares for HIV/AIDS patients who don't have health insurance.
A report, due out soon from federal health officials, is expected say patients may have suffered delays in treatment due to incompetence at the Dallas County Health Department’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins tells NBC 5 that he's seen preliminary information on the report and he's very concerned.
A county email obtained by our partners at The Dallas Morning News says federal officials found Dallas County employees working on the program had a, "general disconnect with regard to their job duties.”
The email says the feds believe immediate changes are needed.
County Commissioner John Wiley Price told The Morning News some patients had to wait weeks for medications they should have had within three days.
“This is life or death,” Price said speaking to The Morning News. “There are people in this community whose lives depend on us. This is unacceptable.”
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
In 2014, NBC 5 investigates reported some members of a planning council overseeing that HIV program had concerns about the adminsitration of funds and felt department management was not listening to their complaints.
Around the same time, a state health department report found some Dallas County Health workers had falsified sexually transmitted disease program records.
Jenkins said new leadership at the Health Department is already making changes and he wants input from medical groups as the county looks for a new permanent health director.
The former director was forced out in January amidst sexual harassment allegations.. which he has denied.
CLICK HERE to read more from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News.
