Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOH minutes 042204MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 1 April 22, 2004 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 April 22, 2004 at the Century Center, Carrboro, North Carolina. BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Alice White, Chair; Tim Carey; Chris Harlan; Jessica Lee; Sharon Van Horn; Matt Vizithum; Lee Werley; Kate Wilder BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: Moses Carey, Jr. due to a conflict with BOCC meeting; Alan Rimer, due to a work conflict STAFF PRESENT: Rosemary Summers, Health Director; Wayne Sherman, Personal Health Services Division Director; Angela Cooke, Dental Health Services Division Director; Ron Holdway, Environmental Health Services Division Director; John Sauls, Animal Control Services Division Director; Anne Miles Cassell, Administrative Assistant GUESTS PRESENT: T. J. Jennings, Ashley Britt, Jill Formanczyk, nursing students at UNC School of Public Health; Derek Griffith, United Voices of Efland; Stephanie Willis, Chapel Hill-Carrboro School System; I. Welcome and Introductions Alice White called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. Chris Harlan introduced her nursing students that were in attendance. II. Approval of April 22, 2004 Agenda The motion to approve the Agenda of April 22, 2004 was made by Kate Wilder, seconded by Lee Werley, and carried without dissent. III. Public Comment for Items NOT on Printed Agenda None MAN for Health Presentation Wayne Sherman introduced Derek Griffith, PhD, a community scholar who has been working for the last year with the Efland-Cheeks community and was instrumental in writing the MAN (Men as Navigators) for Health plan, a men’s health intervention research project that addresses institutional racism and will take place in Northern Orange County. Derek’s presentation described healthcare disparities and the MAN for Health project. The Health Department has a long-standing tradition of working with the Efland-Cheeks community through an earlier grant on community-based public health. The goal of that grant was to enable MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 2 April 22, 2004 communities to take charge of defining their own health agenda. One area that the community consistently identified a need for was a greater emphasis on men’s health, particularly prostate cancer education, screening, and support groups. Although there have been no grant funds for some time, the department has continued to work collaboratively with the community group, Efland Community Voices who were able to incorporate themselves as a non-profit two years ago. IV. Action Items on CONSENT Agenda A. Minutes approval of March 25, 2004 meeting. B. Oral Health and Obesity Research Proposal Motion to approve the minutes of March 25, 2004 and the Oral Health and Obesity Research Proposal was made by Matt Vizithum, seconded by Kate Wilder, and carried without dissent. V. Reports and Discussion with Possible Action A. School Health Primary Care Grant/CHCSS Both school systems in Orange County function under Health Department approved protocols through a memorandum of agreement developed and signed each fall by each system and the department. Three years ago, the Board of Commissioners agreed to fund the addition of school nurses for each system over a four-year period that would bring the number of nurses in each system to a one nurse per school standard. We are currently in year two of that funding; year three funding has been included in the new budget request for next year. At the end of fiscal year 04-05, Orange County School District will have achieved the one nurse per school standard and at the end of fiscal year 05-06 the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School (CHCCS) district will be at the one nurse per school standard. Stephanie Willis, Health Coordinator for CHCCS reported that CHCCS has been fortunate in that three of their school nurses are also licensed as nurse practitioners. They have not been practicing at this level; however, the district would like to begin offering limited primary care by these nurse practitioners to students in three schools. One nurse practitioner would be serving the Head Start program that is operated by the CHCCS district in Chapel Hill. The Health Department supported the district in applying for a small grant through Kate B. Reynolds to begin this new effort. Staff believes that this effort will be valuable in decreasing student absenteeism and will provide those students who are most vulnerable with early acute care and potentially reduce the spread of common illnesses among the student body. The District has requested that the Orange County Medical Director be the nurse practitioners’ medical supervisor. Dr. Fisher has agreed to provide this service, without reducing services to the health department. The attached contract addendum is in draft form and would be attached to our current medical director contract with UNC Family Practice. CHCCS have agreed to pay for the entire cost of the added service. B. WTMP Evaluation Report (Student Project) MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 3 April 22, 2004 Last Fall, students from the UNC School of Public Health approached Dr. Summers regarding their need to work on local health program evaluation plans. The WTMP program was offered as a possible choice and it was selected. Three students worked on the plan and the report was submitted to Board members. It contains background and details possible further work by other parties. No additional work on the proposal has been done, but the work was reviewed by the ACEH Committee in March. The ACEH Committee recommended that the proposal go before the full Board of Health and be implemented as described in the plan. Alan Rimer has offered to help in the search for an intern for this work. The Board concurred that the ACEH Committee proceed with the plan as described. C. Liaison Proposal with Other Boards of Interest The Board of Health’s responsibility under 130A-39 is to “protect and promote the public health” and the Board’s adopted mission statement is: “To enhance the quality of life, promote the health, and preserve the environment for all people in the Orange County community.” In order to fulfill this responsibility the Board of Health shares many areas of interest with other Boards, Commissions, and citizen advisory groups for the county. Recently, the Board requested that the staff consider a proposal for establishing better liaison and communication with some of the boards that have mutual health or health related interests. The Board felt that this should be a multiyear plan and should be limited in the beginning. Members felt that it would be advisable to designate liaisons for other boards on an “as needed basis” when topics of mutual interest occurred. Alice White suggested we request all of the agendas of other boards to target common interests and Matt Vizithum suggested that other boards be requested to submit a list of what they feel are common interests with the Health Department. Staff will do more background work and propose a specific plan early in the fall. D. Update on Public Health Task Force 2004 The Public Health Task Force 2004 held their final meeting on April 20. A few changes have been made in the original. Board members were given copies of the updated report reflecting the changes. A major change is to make the funding for accreditation ongoing rather than a one-time MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 4 April 22, 2004 basis. Environmental recommendations were not changed with the exception of adding increased funding to come to local public health departments for local environmental health services. At present the Public Health Task Force is calling this report an “interim” recommendation. Senate Bill 672 will include some of the task force recommendations. One of the core principles in the report is no unfunded mandates that may stop implementation of many of the recommendations. E. Update on Animal Services Task Force Rosemary Summers and Kate Wilder informed the Board of the most recent Task Force progress and potential decisions regarding transitioning animal sheltering services to county control. The Commissioners have decided that sheltering services would be either a County department or an Animal Services Bureau. Regardless of how it is structured, it will be county controlled. The current shelter has seven (7) full-time and two (2) part-time animal care technicians. The county ‘s plan has proposed five (5) animal care technicians. Orange Enterprises has submitted a full proposal to run the shelter. The Commissioners authorized the equipment purchase to re-equip the shelter. A remaining issue under consideration is veterinary care funding both for the shelter itself and the spay neuter program. Animal Control will not be transitioned on July 1st to the new department and will remain within the Health Department until possibly January 1, 2005 or at the very latest, July 2005. VI. Board Comments/Announcements A. News Article Rosemary Summers directed the Board’s attention to a recent news article about Board of Health member, Dr. Tim Carey, titled “Volunteer doctor distinguished by compassion.” The article appeared in the April 20, 2004 Herald-Sun. B. Joint Meeting with BOCC Alice White commented on the joint meeting with the BOCC and the discussion of primary care. The Commissioners were unanimous in their opinion that primary care was a good idea. Primary care will help the Health Department be a full partner in the community care network. The Commissioners have requested a separate presentation of the Healthy Carolinians Community Health Assessment. Staff will try to schedule before the end of the fiscal year. C. Nick Waters MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH April 22, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 5 April 22, 2004 Rosemary Summers advised the Board of the recent death of Nick Waters, Director of Emergency Management. Nick was a firm believer in outreach and his department worked closely with the Health Department on many issues. He will be greatly missed. D. Open House Rosemary Summers advised the Board of the Open House plans for the Health Department located at the Whitted Building and invited all to attend. Open House will be held May 5, 2004 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. to celebrate the completion of the renovation project. VII. Adjournment Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Lee Werley, seconded by Kate Wilder, and carried without dissent. The next Board of Health meeting will be held on May 27, 2004 at the Government Services Center in Hillsborough, North Carolina at 7:00 PM. Respectfully submitted, Rosemary L. Summers, MPH, DrPH Health Director Secretary to the Board