GOSHEN, INDIANA — Health officials are frustrated after a northern Indiana county council rejected a $3 million federal grant following vocal opposition from residents tying it to a litany of COVID-19 complaints.

The Elkhart County health department had sought the grant to hire staff members to provide education on chronic diseases to Black, Hispanic and Amish residents over a three-year period. The county council’s 6-0 vote on Sept. 11 against accepting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant, however, had some health leaders saying the council was swayed by what they view as false information and conspiracy theories.

Dr. Dan Nafziger, Goshen Health’s chief medical officer, said the county doesn’t have enough healthcare workers to meet the community needs.

“It is incredibly disappointing to see this effort prevented because people distrust the federal government or connect what they don’t like about the pandemic with this grant,” Nafzinger said. “On a daily basis we have patients filling beds in our hospitals because they didn’t understand how to keep themselves healthy.”

County Health Officer Dr. Bethany Wait said the department sought […]