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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOH minutes 062415MINUTES-Final ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH June 24, 2015 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2015 Agenda & Abstracts/ June Page 1 ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT: To enhance the quality of life, promote the health, and preserve the environment for all people in the Orange County community. THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MET ON June 24, 2015, at the Orange County Health Department, 300 West Tryon Street, Hillsborough, NC. BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Liska Lackey, Vice Chair; Commissioner Mia Burroughs, Mike Carstens, Paul Chelminski, Corey Davis, Dan Dewitya, Nick Galvez, Sam Lasris and Tony Whitaker BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: Susan Elmore. STAFF PRESENT: Dr. Colleen Bridger, Health Director, Judy Butler, Community Health Services Supervisor, Alan Clapp, Environmental Health Director; Rebecca Crawford, Finance and Administrative Services Division Director; Samantha Croffut, Dietetic Intern; Madelyn Davis, Southern Human Services Center Clinic Manager; Emily Earnest, Senior Public Health Educator – Medical Reserve Corp Coordinator; Carla Julian, Dental Clinic Manager, Donna King, Health Promotion & Education Services Director; Pam McCall, Public Health Nursing Director; Terri Pope, Dental Office Assistant; Jessica Salerno, Public Health Nurse II; LaTosha Scott, Social Worker II; Stacy Shelp, Communications Manager; Meredith Stewart, Public Health Program Manager; La Toya Strange, Administrative Assistant II; Melissa Walter, Dietetic Intern; David Ward, Soil Scientist; and Patrice Whitted, Public Health Nurse I. GUESTS PRESENT: None I. Welcome Dr. Bridger introduced new staff members: Samantha Croffut, Dietetic Intern; Madelyn Davis, Southern Human Services Center Clinic Manager; Emily Earnest, Senior Public Health Educator – Medical Reserve Corp Coordinator; Terri Pope, Dental Office Assistant; LaTosha Scott, Social Worker II; Melissa Walter, Dietetic Intern; David Ward, Soil Scientist; and Patrice Whitted, Public Health Nurse I. II. Public Comment for Items NOT on Printed Agenda: None III. Approval of the June 24, 2015 Agenda Motion was made by Mia Burroughs to approve the agenda, seconded by Dan Dewitya and carried without dissent. IV. Action Items (Consent) A. Minutes Approval of May 27, 2015 Meeting Motion to approve Consent Agenda without corrections to the May 27, 2015 minutes was made by Sam Lasris, seconded by Dan Dewitya and carried without dissent. MINUTES-Final ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH June 24, 2015 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2015 Agenda & Abstracts/ June Page 2 V. Educational Sessions A. Syringe Exchange Programs Tessie Castillo, Advocacy and Communication Coordinator, North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, spoke on the statewide perspective on the need for syringe exchange programs which allow injection drug users to exchange their used syringes for new ones. She began by providing some statistics on drug use. In NC, heroin use has increased 400% in the last five years which has caused injection drug use to increase as well. Ms. Castillo reported that Medicaid spent $70 million for Hepatitis C and $50 million for HIV on prescription drug costs alone. This is due in part that there’s more infection and more expensive new drugs in the market. A conservative count states that there are 160,000 injection drug users in NC and the number is increasing. When asked, users stated that they used their syringe an average of 50 times. As it is illegal to have a syringe exchange program in NC, some programs operate underground. In NC, there are 6 currently operating underground by citizens in Asheville, Fayetteville, Hendersonville, the Triangle (2), and the Triad. The only southern state with a legal syringe program is in Kentucky which is run by the public health department. W hile it is not illegal for pharmacists to sell them, possession of a clean syringe could be considered a crime – possession of drug paraphernalia. In NC, if someone knowingly dispenses a syringe for the purpose of using drugs, they’ve violated the Controlled Substances Act. Ms. Castillo mentioned that there are two bills regarding syringe exchange. HB850 (Needle-stick Prevention law passed in 2013) partially decriminalizes the act of having a syringe as long as that person alerts an officer to the fact that he/she has a syringe prior to being searched. HB 712 (Pilot Project/Used Needle Disposal) will authorize the State Bureau of Investigations, in collaboration with the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, to establish pilot programs to collect and properly dispose of used syringes. HB 712 also amends the existing HB850 to state that a person who declares a syringe to a law enforcement officer prior to being searched will not be charged for possession of the syringe or for trace residue inside the syringe. Ms. Castillo reiterated that there have been over a 100 studies that have concluded that syringe exchange programs do not increase or encourage drug use but have actually assisted in its decrease. She stated that the most effective way to combat the spread of bloodborne disease among injection drug users is through syringe exchange programs. Syringe exchange programs have been proven to reduce HIV and Hepatitis C rates among injection drug users and can connect them with drug treatment programs and other social services programs as this population tends to avoid those places. Drug overdoses have decreased and studies have shown that 20% or more injection drug users go into treatment programs. Another benefit is that there is a dramatic reduction in discarded syringes found in public areas. The BOH members had several questions that were addressed by Ms. Castillo and Corey Davis. B. New Immunizations Requirements Judy Butler presented the new immunization requirements effective July 1, 2015. They will apply to all individuals except those that provide documentation of a valid medical or religious exemption. Orange County is number 2 in the state with exceptions to vaccinations, Buncombe County is number 1. Some highlights of the new requirements include: MINUTES-Final ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH June 24, 2015 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2015 Agenda & Abstracts/ June Page 3 • Incoming kindergarteners must have the Chickenpox (Varicella) vaccination. • Rising 7th graders are required to have Meningococcal vaccination. Ms. Butler expressed that getting the word out regarding these new requirements is priority in hopes that children will get the correct immunizations when they get their physicals (e.g. sports and school). Stacy Shelp, Communications manager, stated that $9,000 of State money has been spent for this purpose. There have been print ads and media (e.g. banners, posters, brochures, public service announcements) produced. Ms. Shelp showed the commercial developed for online usage by schools and the OCHD as well as communication via social media. Prior to showing the showing the commercial, Ms. Shelp thanked the Chapel Hill- Carrboro schools that assisted as well as the OCHD staff and their children that participated in the commercial. The BOH members had several questions that were addressed by Ms. Butler and Ms. Shelp. C. Communicable Disease Annual Report Judy Butler gave an overview of the communicable disease data for the year 2014. She also referred to the NC Communicable Disease Branch website for those who wanted more in depth information such as county rates on various diseases. Ms. Butler noted other communicable disease-related activities performed by her staff including documenting health law violators, quarantine orders, control measure orders, pregnant Hepatitis B positive women and treating their newborns and bloodborne pathogens exposure. Some of the highlights from the information she gave during her presentation include: • Pertussis aka whooping cough/100 day cough is a disease that affects the respiratory system. DT aP is now used for children as it’s safer with fewer side effects but doesn’t last as long. Tdap is recommended for the adolescent and adult population. • There hasn’t been a human rabies case in NC since 1940-50s. However, there were 523 referrals involving human contact to potentially rabid animals in 2014 in Orange County. Standard recommendation from the CDC is that anyone sleeping in the room with a bat should be treated with post-exposure prophylaxis which costs range from $1,500-$2,500. Treatment should be given within 48 hours of exposure to a bat or wild animal and within 72 hours of exposure to a domestic animal. • Outbreaks involving diarrheal disease were discussed. Norovirus in long-term care facilities was the most prevalent outbreak as it spreads quickly. • Sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and HIV have different stages; therefore, when reporting, more research has to be completed to determine if it is a new case. Syphilis cases are on the rise. In 2015, the OCHD already has 11 syphilis cases; although, they’re still preliminary. • Ebola was also briefly mentioned. Any person travelling into Orange County from an infected country has to be monitored for 21 days after their last contact. Nurses perform home visits and phone calls. There were 6 people monitored in 2014 and 20 people monitored in 2015. The BOH members had questions and comments that were addressed by Ms. Butler. VII. Reports and Discussion with Possible Action MINUTES-Final ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH June 24, 2015 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2015 Agenda & Abstracts/ June Page 4 A. Orange County Advisory Board Summary Meredith Stewart provided an update on the 3rd quarter of our advisory board summary and discussed what other county boards are doing in related to the BOH 2014-2016 Strategic Plan. Some updates include: • The proposal to have Alcopops reclassified so that they’re not sold as a lower alcohol beverage has been presented to the Board of County Commissioners to be included in their agenda packet. • Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier, who also serves on the Substance Abuse/Mental Health Subcommittee, requested that Cardinal Innovations provide a detailed report on their usage of the $1.3 million they were awarded by the county in order to provide mental health services. • Family Success Alliance Advisory Council requested and received $90,000 out of the Social Justice funds from the County Commissioners which allowed the Kindergarten Readiness Program to be funded. The program will allow up to 30 children in 3 schools (2 in zone 5 and 1 in zone 4) to participate in a 3-4 week readiness program for children that have not had a formal pre-school experience or have been deemed at high risk for being behind at the start of the kindergarten. This program will help ease the transition into kindergarten. Currently, there are 70 children enrolled. • The Family Success Alliance will also be working with Orange Literacy which will work with the parents of the children in the Kindergarten Readiness Program which will offer two-generational support. • The Tobacco Preemption Resolution was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners. The BOH members had several questions were answered by Meredith Stewart. B. Consideration of Expanding BOH Terms from 2 to 3 Colleen Bridger began by conveying that every August the Board reviews the BOH bylaws. In preparation for that review, she posed the idea of considering expanding the BOH terms from 2 to 3 as it is allowed under the NC General Statute. Under the NC General Statute, the BOH terms are defined as up to 3 terms. While 99% of the counties in NC have them set at 3 terms, Orange County has them set at 2. Each term is 3 years. In Orange County, BOH members can serve 2 full terms totaling 6 years; meanwhile, other counties allow their members to serve 3 full terms totaling 9 years. Given the turnover, the struggle to fill some positions and the fact that members reach their peak during their 2nd term as they’re just getting accustomed to what transpired during their 1st term, the consideration of a revision in the bylaws was suggested. The BOH members collectively agreed in doing so and will discuss it further in August. The BOH members had several questions that were addressed by Colleen Bridger. C. Health Director’s Report There were no questions from the Board regarding the Health Director’s Report included in the packet. Dr. Bridger stressed the need for volunteers for the Community Health Assessment. She stated that the County Manager will assist by encouraging all Orange County employees to volunteer. Dr. Bridger also expressed that it would be a great opportunity for BOH members. It was also mentioned that there’s a small group working MINUTES-Final ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH June 24, 2015 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2015 Agenda & Abstracts/ June Page 5 on filling the vacant BOH positions. They will present their recommendations at the BOH meeting in August. D. Media Items Media items were in the packet which focused on Orange County’s events and our involvement in various efforts. VIII. Board Comments Liska Lackey, co-chair, presented plaques of appreciation to BOH members Michael Carstens and Corey Davis for their service. VIIII. Adjournment A motion was made by Michael Carstens to adjourn the meeting at 8:35 p.m., was seconded by Sam Lasris and carried without dissent. The next Board of Health Meeting will be held August 26, 2015 at the Orange County Health Department, 300 West Tryon Street, Hillsborough, NC at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Colleen Bridger, MPH, PhD Orange County Health Director Secretary to the Board