Citizens Healthcare Oversight Committee

The Polk County Board of County Commissioners created the Citizens' Healthcare Oversight Committee to ensure the integrity of the expenditure of the Indigent Health Care Sales Tax funds for the Polk HealthCare Plan, and to provide a forum for resident participation in health care planning.

The Citizens' Healthcare Oversight Committee meets the third Friday of each quarter (March, June, September & December) from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in County Commission Board Room located at 330 W. Church St. in Bartow, unless otherwise specified.

Board Members

• Christina Criser Jackson, Quality of Life Health Care Professional, Sept. 30, 2025
• Cauney Bamberg, Business Community, March 1, 2025
• Steve Bissonnette, Senior Citizens, March 1, 2025
• Dr. Daniel Haight, Primary Care Physician, April 5, 2025
• Linda King, School Board Representative, July 31, 2023
• Pauline Simmonds-Brown, Minority Representative, Sept. 14, 2025
• Vacant, Consumer PHP Enrollee
• Heather Gordon, Health Care Clinics, Aug. 31, 2022
• Ann Barnhart, Hospital Executive, Sept. 30, 2025
• Liz Antaya, Health Insurance Industry, Sept. 30, 2025
• Dr. Peter Verrill, Practicing Specialist Physician, Sept. 18, 2025
• Tracy Gray, Children's Interest, Sept. 30, 2025
• Stacy Campbell-Domineck, Work Force Skilled Labor, Sept. 30, 2025

Qualifications for Board Members / How to Apply

The Citizens' Healthcare Oversight Board shall appoint members of the committee to serve a four-year term. Each Commissioner shall appoint two (2) members representing the respective interest groups. In addition, the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners shall appoint two (2) additional members to the Committee. The Polk County School Board or School Superintendent shall appoint a representative member. Upon appointment, each member may be requested to serve for a second term of four years. No appointees shall serve more than two consecutive terms (Resolution No. 14-070).

Become a Member Application

Members of the Citizens' Healthcare Oversight Board should represent the following areas:

• Health care clinics
• Business community
• Work force skilled labor
• Senior citizens
• Practicing specialist physicians
• Children's interests
• Primary care physicians
• Quality of life health community
• Minority representatives
• School board
• Consumer PHP enrollees
• Hospitals
• Health insurance industry

Funding Requests

The Citizen's HealthCare Oversight Committee has approved a standard procedure for funding requests. The procedures are not applicable to funding designated for mandated programs or the Polk HealthCare Plan. Agency's may submit a request for new funding or request modification to previously awarded funds. Both require completion of the Funding Request form (Appendix A). Funding requests will only be accepted during the period of December through February of each fiscal year.

Meetings and Agendas

Please note, agendas for the meetings are tentative and subject to change prior to the meeting