Kane County prepares for swine flu re-emergence.

Kane County will use special federal funding earmarked for responding to an expected re-emergence of the swine flu to add three new employees to assist with the pandemic.

The Kane County Health Department will hire a new communicable disease nursing supervisor, a new assistant emergency response coordinator and a new finance manager. Their salaries will total about $232,000 at the most,.

"When we recruit for these positions, we will make it clear that they are grant funded," health department Executive Director Paul Kuehnert said in an e-mail to county board members. "When the money goes away, the jobs do also."

The clarification was necessary as the county currently is in a hiring freeze while it works to solve a budget deficit for the second consecutive year.

The new hires will help the county prepare to provide up to 45,000 flu shot for the at-risk population. Those most at risk for contracting swine flu are people 24 years of age or younger, pregnant women, health care workers and first responders such as paramedics. The swine flu vaccine is expected to become available in about mid-October.

The positions are different from the new epidemiologist post Kuehnert is also pitching to the county board.

The health department currently has an outside contractor provide epidemiology services for about $75,000 a year.

Kuehnert's 2010 budget proposal requests adding an epidemiologist with both a medical and business background, at a cost of about $150,000. Epidemiologists study the factors contributing to the wellness of the local population.

While the health department does not believe swine flu will be as big a health problem next year, Kuehnert still wants to add the position to further the county's goals of becoming the healthiest county in the state and improve coordination of services and outreach with local health care providers.