A LOCAL TAKE
HEALTHCARE :
A Year in Transition
A conversation with Dr . Eric Yazel , Clark County Health Officer & State EMS Director
This year will be one of change for health policy at the federal and state levels , change that will impact local health policy as well .
A new governor and a new health director are in place in Indianapolis as the Indiana General Assembly grapples with a deficit while it meets to approve the next state budget .
There is a new president who campaigned on promises of great change in policies and people in Washington .
For the 2025 Medical Directory , the News and Tribune turned to Dr . Eric Yazel , a face well-known , not just in Clark County where he is medical director , but throughout the Southern Indiana region and the state where his skills and expertise contribute daily .
Here is his response to the “ Big Picture ’ question a month into 2025 .
What concerns you most about the year ahead ?
I think it is a time of transition in health care . In Indiana , healthcare costs and transparency are under the microscope . We have to look at the ways we deliver care and move away from the “ we have always done it that way ” mindset , and instead look at the value we provide our patients , in terms of quality of care , access to care , and other parameters .
We are starting to understand the importance of prevention in health care , instead of being reactionary . But showing the outcomes of prioritized prevention can be challenging and take years to demonstrate . In a new “ instant gratification society ,” I am concerned that we will move away from this mindset if we don ’ t get immediate results . This could not only limit our potential to positively impact our community , but also harm the safety net providers that care for our most vulnerable citizens .
Gov . Mike Braun and State Health Commissioner , Gloria Sachdev , who led the Employer ’ s Forum of Indiana . Sachdev is a doctor of pharmacy graduate from the University of Oklahoma and was previously a clinical associate professor at Purdue ’ s College of Pharmacy and the Indiana University School of Medicine . Sachdev will oversee the Family and Social Services Administration , the Department of Health , the Department of Child Services and the Department of Veteran Affairs .
What do you hope most to accomplish ?
Personally , as both Health Officer and State EMS Director , I would like to see Clark and Floyd County reach their potential in EMS service provision . It ’ s been a revolving door in our communities for a year . Lost in the drama surrounding previous providers is the fact that there are countless bright EMS minds in our area , so there is no excuse to not have outstanding service in both counties .
We currently have moved into what I would call the stability phase . The next is to help elevate the level of care to ensure our citizens are receiving the highest level of care in the region . I would also like to see Clark County move to the top of the state in some of the public health metrics that we monitor – maternal / infant mortality , obesity , smoking , etc .
6 HEALTHCARE GUIDE 2025 NEWS AND TRIBUNE