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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOH minutes 102710MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH October 27, 2010 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 October 27, 2010 at the Government Services Center Hillsborough, North Carolina. BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Anissa Vines; Chair, Chris Harlan; Vice-Chair, Steve Yuhasz, Commissioner Representative; Paul Chelminski; Carol Haggerty; Matthew Kelm; Tony Whitaker. BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: Christopher Cooke; Mike Carstens; Susan Elmore; Michael Wood. STAFF PRESENT: Rosemary Summers, Health Director; Tom Konsler, Environmental Health Services Division Director; Carla Julian, Risk Management/Quality Assurance Division Director; Wayne Sherman, Public Health Nursing Director; Donna King, Health Promotion and Education Services Division Director; Nidhi Sachdeva, Senior Public Health Educator; Lisa Smith, Administrative Assistant. GUESTS PRESENT: none I. Educational Presentation: Nidhi Sachdeva, Senior Public Health Educator Nidhi Sachdeva, spoke on a topic currently of interest to the Board, “Using Data in Public Health through NC Catch. North Carolina Comprehensive Assessment for Tracking Community Health (NC Catch) is a data warehouse that has a collection of datasets that compiles and analyzes county, regional, and state data. NC Catch is a new tool for North Carolina Public Health. Power point slides presented at this session are available on request. II. Welcome and introductions: Anissa Vines, Chair, thanked Nidhi Sachdeva for the educational presentation and called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. III. Approval of October 27, 2010 Agenda Motion to approve the Agenda of October 27, 2010 was made by Steve Yuhasz, seconded by Chris Harlan, and carried without dissent. IV. Public Comment for Items NOT on Printed Agenda V. Action Items (Consent) A. Minutes approval of October 27, 2010 meeting The Board is required to review and approve minutes of all meetings of the Board of Health. These minutes were for the regularly scheduled meeting held on October 27, 2010. Motion to approve the minutes of the October 27, 2010 meeting was made by Paul Chelminski, seconded by Chris Harlan, and carried without dissent. Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Lisa Smith 1 October 27, 2010 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH October 27, 2010 B. Grant Application for Additional Interpreter The purpose of this initiative is to enhance the capacity of local health departments to serve limited English proficiency clients through the strategy of creating new interpreter positions. Grant recipients will be expected to match the funds with sufficient local funds to hire one interpreter into a new full time position. The grant plus local match must be enough to compensate the interpreter for full time salary and fringe benefits. Local Health Departments are expected to demonstrate the progress and effectiveness of the project, and to sustain the Interpreter position using local funds after three (3) years of receiving funding from the North Carolina Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCOMHHD). The maximum funding per local health department under this RFA will be up to $19,000 every year for a three year project period: the funding period will begin June 1, 2011 and end May 31, 2014. Continuation of grantee funding during the project period will be dependent upon performance and continued funding from the General Assembly. Currently the Health Department spends in excess of $120,000 each year on interpreter services for all contract interpreters. The match for this position will come from the current contract services line items for interpreters. This opportunity will allow the health department to stretch the resources it currently allocates for interpreter services to other needs of the department. If awarded, this position and funding will be reflected in our 2011-2012 budget requests. Motion to approve Grant Application for Additional Interpreter was made by Paul Chelminski, seconded by Chris Harlan, and carried without dissent. VI. Reports and Discussion with Possible Action A. Customer Service Survey Report The Department collects feedback from customers at different points through out the year. As the information is analyzed, strategies may be devised that will improve services in response to the data. As required by accreditation, annually, the managers present a summary of the analysis and any changes made to improve services. The overall customer service feedback was positive they very few negatives have been addressed and corrected. B. FY 2009-2010 Financial Report The Summary of the financial report was presented by Rosemary Summers in the absence of Letitia Burns. The health department had several unanticipated expenses due to retirement incentives and payouts. The personnel approved budgets were exceeded due to retirements and because personnel was budgeted at 96% rather than 100%. Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Lisa Smith 2 October 27, 2010 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH October 27, 2010 C. Follow-up from Joint Meeting with Board of Commissioners The Board of Health met in a joint meeting with the Board of Commissioners on October 12. This agenda item allows the Board to discuss their impressions of the meeting and to determine whether there were any follow-up items to consider. Steve Yuhasz feels the BOCC will look to the BOH for advice on the new health care reform and how it will affect the Health Department and its current programs. It was mentioned that Orange County is a high wealth county with resources and will probably be looked at to figure it out with other counties that are similar. D. Changes to Fee and Eligibility Policy 1) Approve the increase in the minimum fee for dental health services from $25 to 30 and forward the increase to the Board of County Commissioners for approval. 2) Approve the revisions to Policy E Fee and Eligibility Policy of the Board of Health Policy Manual as presented. 3) Schedule a courtesy review of the final draft of the newly revised Policy and Procedure for Fee, Eligibility, and Collection Procedures in the Administrative Policy and Procedure Manual for the November Board meeting. A question was regarding other minimum charges and Rosemary Summers responded that this minimum charge of $30 is still below the minimum charged by piedmont that only slides to 50% of the fee for all clients and uses the 200% of the federal poverty level as the 100% pay level. Motion to approve Changes to Fee and Eligibility Policy was made by Paul Chelminski, seconded by Carol Haggerty, and carried without dissent. E. Landfill Area Assistance Fund Procedures At the November 17, 2009 BOCC meeting, the County Manager proposed the creation of a fund to assist residents who live near the Orange County Landfill. The fund would provide financial assistance to residents who experience problems with their wells and potentially septic systems. The Manager compared this fund to the No-Fault Well Repair Fund (NFWRF) which was established to assist residents near the American Stone Quarry who experienced well failures that are not attributable to the quarry operation. The NFWRF program relies on money from Martin Marietta and OWASA to replenish the fund. The Orange County Health Department administers the NFWRF policy by providing the testing, determining the available remedies, and overseeing contractors, repairs, and permitting. Aside from the differences in the funding source and the lack of a “no-fault” determination, it is anticipated that this program will operate similarly to the NFWRF. In January of 2010, the BOH considered and discussed an assistance fund that would include repair assistance for both wells serving homes within 3000 foot of the landfill. Septic system assistance was also discussed, but not included as an element of this proposed policy. The Board of Health did not take action on this item. The Orange County Manager obtained authorization from the BOCC in February 2010 for the establishment of the assistance policy to be funded by the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund (Attachment 1). This same authorization was passed by the towns of Carrboro and Hillsborough and most recently by the Chapel Hill Town Council. Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Lisa Smith 3 October 27, 2010 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH October 27, 2010 The basis for the Manager’s recommendation for the fund is a 1999 multi-governmental agreement to provide for community improvements within the areas neighboring the existing landfill. The policy is not an attempt to address or to imply a cause-and-effect relationship between the landfill operation and well failures in the area. Attachment 2 is a draft copy of procedures that have been adapted from the NFWRF to be considered for approval by the BOH. Staff met with several other county agency representatives and with the county manager in adapting the procedure to fit the intent of the policy. Since the BOH will be responsible for hearing any appeals, staff feels it is appropriate for the Board to approve the procedures under which the Health Department staff will function. The Manager informed staff that he does not feel that further action is required by the BOCC. The Board raised a question about whether the appeal hearing is rightly in the purview of the Board of Health or whether it should be with the Board of Commissioners or with another body such as the Landfill Enterprise Advisory Board as they would be responsible for any fiduciary commitments made as a result of recommended actions. This question has been referred to the county attorneys for an opinion. No action was taken on this item pending attorney comments. F. Informational Items Informational items are provided to the Board to cover topics that Board members should be aware of or for general interest. Items are not discussed during the meeting unless Board membersask for discussion. No informational items presented were selected for discussion or questions at this meeting. A synopsis of the items follows. a. Committee Reports The only Committee that met this month was the Environment Health/Quality Assurance Committee. b. Renovation Update Staff met with Asset Management Staff members and the architect twice to review plans for the Whitted upfit for clinical services in Building A. Patterson Dental Services is updating a tentative plan that will be submitted in early November for the dental portion of the upfit in Building B. Because of the process that must be followed, the earliest that the renovation can start will be in late January. The conceptual plan for the personal health clinics is attached. Please note that there will be a few minor changes to this plan. Plans that are more detailed are in the process of being prepared for the bid process to begin. c. Carrboro Dental Clinic Communication Plan On September 21, 2010, the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 close the Orange County Health Department’s dental clinic at Carr Mill Mall when the lease expires in June 30, 2011. In lieu of operating two clinics, the health department will reconfigure its Hillsborough dental clinic located in Whitted Human Services Center to become an eight-chair clinic. Whitted will then operate five days per week instead of two. This decision will force over 500 clients to have to travel to Hillsborough to continue receiving services dental services from the health department. Over the next nine months (October 1 through June 30), the health department will need to inform clients and other members of the public about the closure and how to access dental care in its Hillsborough location. The decision to close the clinic and concern for low-income clients’ ability to access dental care has already fueled coverage from local news sources. Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Lisa Smith 4 October 27, 2010 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH October 27, 2010 d. Health Directors Report The Health Director included a report of activities of the health director, upcoming events for the department, and news from community agencies. e. Media Clips News articles of interest regarding public health or the health department. f. Pending and Recurring Items News articles of interest regarding public health or the health department. VII. Board Comments/Announcements Anissa Vines, chair reminded board members that they currently do not have a BOH meeting scheduled for December so they need to think about Board Officer Elections for the November 17, 2010 meeting. VIII. Adjournment Motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:35 p.m. was made by Matthew Kelm, seconded by Paul Chelminski, and carried without dissent. The next Board of Health Meeting will be held on November 17, 2010 at Southern Human Services Center, Chapel Hill, NC at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Rosemary L. Summers, MPH, DrPH Health Director Secretary to the Board Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Lisa Smith 5 October 27, 2010