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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOH minutes 082604MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 26, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 1 August 26, 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 August 26, 2004 at the Century Center, Carrboro, North Carolina. BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Alan Rimer, Vice-Chair; Moses Carey, Jr.; Tim Carey; Sharon Freeland; Chris Harlan; Jessica Lee; Sharon Van Horn; Matt Vizithum; Kate Wilder BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: Alice White, Chair, out of town STAFF PRESENT: Wayne Sherman, Personal Health Services Division Director and Acting Health Director; Letitia Burns, Central Administrative Services Division Director; Angela Cooke, Dental Health Services Division Director; Ron Holdway, Environmental Health Services Division Director; John Sauls, Anne Miles Cassell, Administrative Assistant GUESTS PRESENT: Elizabeth Draper, RN, Chatham County Health Department; Fritz Kern, citizen; Nancy Bres Martin, Community Care of North Carolina I. Welcome and Introductions Vice-Chair Alan Rimer called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. II. Approval of August 26, 2004 Agenda The motion to approve the Agenda of August 26, 2004 was made by Moses Carey, seconded by Jessica Lee, and carried without dissent. III. Board Education: Community Care Networks Nancy Bres Martin and Elizabeth Draper Nancy Bres Martin, consultant to the Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) regarding the formation of Access II and III networks, provided a power point presentation of the history, legislative imperative, and future development of community care networks in NC. Orange County, along with Alamance, Chatham, Lee, and Caswell counties, has been in discussion for over a year regarding the formation of such a network. The Chatham Health Department has recently secured funding from DMA to employ a part-time coordinator. Elizabeth Draper, through the Chatham County Health Department, will lead the Community Care Network formation effort locally. Elizabeth is also the coordinator of a multi-county Diabetes initiative, which includes Orange County. She provided a brief introduction to this project and answered questions from board members. IV.. Public Comment for Items NOT on Printed Agenda MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 26, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 2 August 26, 2004 None V. Action Items on CONSENT Agenda A. Minutes approval of June 24, 2004 meeting. B. School Nurse Contract Renewals with CHCCS and Orange County Schools C. Accept Special Project and Grant Funds • 2nd Year Kate B. Reynolds for Healthy Carolinians Support • Blue Cross Blue Shield Donation to Healthy Carolinians • UNCH Funds to Support Healthy Carolinians Coordinator • Gillette Company Grant for Dental Smart Start Project D. Environmental Health Permits Educational Handbook E. Board of Health 2005 Meeting Schedule Alan Rimer requested the Board remove Item V.C. UNCH Funds to Support Healthy Carolinians Coordinator, and defer this item until the September Board of Health meeting. Motion to approve the minutes of June 24, 2004 and the Consent Agenda as amended was made by Moses Carey, seconded by Kate Wilder, and carried without dissent. VI. Reports and Discussion with Possible Action A. Walking Trail Assessment Grant Proposal This project will bring together public health educators, land use planners, and senior services professionals together for the grant from the NC Department of Health and Human Services to work with senior citizens and other local residents to promote physical activity in the neighborhood surrounding a planned new Orange County Senior Center, an existing human services center, and an existing community park. Orange County Health Department, Triangle J Council of Governments, and Orange County Department on Aging are partnering to submit the grant application. The $19,890 grant funds will primarily cover a staff salary for a land use planner at TJCOG. Project outcomes would be: • Formation of community residents’ project teams • Walkability/Bikeability assessments • Walking Trail Map • Toolkit for project replication • Demonstration Project Report with recommendations and findings Alan Rimer suggested an additional resource, Active Living Through Design, which is funded by the Johnson Foundation. B. Resolution of Support for Community Forums on Alcohol and Drug Free Teenagers MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 26, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 3 August 26, 2004 Several news articles and letters to the editor this past spring detailed social events held by teens that involved alcohol use that were turned in to law enforcement. Law enforcement acknowledged that they broke up the party but made no arrests or follow-up to parents. One parent has organized a small community group out of concern for this community wide attitude of tolerance for these behaviors and is seeking to begin community wide discussions of this problem. The 2003 Community Assessment identified drug and alcohol use among teens as a concern and was selected as a top issue to be addressed by community members. A useful place to begin addressing this concern is to raise awareness among all community members and engage in a discussion of community standards for these activities. Healthy Carolinians of Orange County is also considering endorsing this effort. Sending a letter of support from the Board of Health will lend credibility to this effort and may encourage community members to participate in this forum. Sharon Van Horn felt this was long overdue and board members unanimously agreed to have the Board send a letter of endorsement to Ms. Pratt-Wilson for community forums to discuss drug and alcohol use prevention among teens. C. No Fault Well Repair Fund Issues The No Fault Well Repair Fund (NFWRF) is in its third year of application and there is an issue of note that staff requested the Board to consider. Overall, the NFWRF administration has worked smoothly and with little controversy with those in the affected radius of the quarry. The issue deals with water quality problems that are not a primary result of groundwater degradation, but rather, they are a secondary effect accrued after the water comes from the aquifer. Specifically, copper levels are elevated above recommended standards in two wells in the community because of the naturally occurring low pH of the groundwater. Once the water is extracted from the ground, it leaches copper from the plumbing system as it moves from the pipe. Therefore, there is not, in staff’s opinion, a failure of the well per se, but there are problems with the water for the residents. The problem can be remedied with a treatment system but since the problem is not a failure of the well itself, it is unclear to staff whether the problem should be remedied with NFWRF monies or left to the individual to fix. This issue was reviewed by the Animal Control/Environmental Health Committee at their last meeting and recommended that NFWRF monies not be used because the high copper content was not due to well failure. Motion to accept the ACEH Committee recommendation not to use NFWRF monies to remedy this problem was made by Tim Carey, seconded by Kate Wilder, and carried without dissent. D. Information Only on Research Proposal Participation: • A Randomized Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for Labor Induction (UNC-CH OB/GYN) MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 26, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 4 August 26, 2004 • USA SARS-CoV Cases: One Year Follow-up Study (CDC) Tim Carey reported that the Orange County Health Department has been approached to participate in two research studies. Both have been reviewed by the PHEADS Committee and recommended for approval to the Health Director, who has subsequently approved participation in the studies. E. Set Date for Employee Recognition Breakfast This will be the fourth year the Board has sponsored an Employee Recognition Breakfast for health department employees nominated for this recognition. The breakfast is held annually in the fall. The Board agreed to hold this breakfast on October 14 at the Southern Human Services Center. VII. Board Comments/Announcements Alan Rimer suggested a change in procedure to address pending agenda items. This would include as part of the agenda, a separate sheet listing pending matters for future agendas and recurring agenda items. It would give board members a sense of where things are heading in the future and what recurs as well as a reminder of board requests on various issues. Alan Rimer also requested the department study initiating a protocol for disposal of controlled medications and suggested coordination of efforts among the department, pharmaceutical companies, independent pharmacists, and county waste management. At this time there is no program in Orange County to address the issue of proper disposal of pharmaceuticals. Pharmacy retail management, while not willing to accept returned unused prescriptive medicine, has expressed willingness to include educational information about the correct disposal of medications with each prescription they fill and acknowledged a need for this protocol. Board members agreed with the need to establish a protocol and felt this was long overdue. Mr. Rimer volunteered to work on a “white paper” regarding this effort. VIII. Adjournment Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Jessica Lee, seconded by Kate Wilder, and carried without dissent. The next Board of Health meeting will be held on September 23, 2004 at the Government Services Center in Hillsborough, North Carolina at 7:00 PM. Respectfully submitted, Rosemary L. Summers, MPH, DrPH MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 26, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 5 August 26, 2004 Health Director Secretary to the Board