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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOH minutes 032698MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MARCH 26, 1998 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Patsy L. Bateman 1 MARCH 26, 1998 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 THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1998 AT GOVERNMENT SERVICES CENTER MEETING ROOM, HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA. BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Timothy J. Ives, Brenda Crowder-Gaines, Melvin Hurston, Beverly Foster, Barry Adler, Jonathan Klein, Ronald Cammarata, Richard Marinshaw, Janet Southerland BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: Barbara Chavious, Margaret Brown STAFF PRESENT: Rosemary Summers, Interim Health Director; Elaine Holmes, Personnel Director; Eileen Kugler, Personal Health Services Division Director; Ron Holdway, Environmental Health Division Director, Cornelia Ramsey, Health Education Supervisor; Patsy Bateman, Administrative Assistant. GUESTS PRESENT: 1. CALL TO ORDER AND INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Dr. Ives called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Rosemary Summers introduced the staff and guests present. 2. APPROVE MARCH 26, 1998 AGENDA The March 26, 1998 agenda was amended, adding #6.6 under Interim Health Director’s Report, Terms of Office for Board of Health members. The motion to amend / approve the agenda of March 26, 1998 was made by Brenda Crowder-Gaines, seconded by Jonathan Klein and carried without dissent. AMEND / APPROVE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 26, 1998 Corrections of the February 26, 1998 Board of Health minutes were (1) THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MET ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1998 AT OWASA COMMUNITY MEETING ROOM, HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA CARRBORO, NORTH CAROLINA. (2) Item #4, Prostate Cancer Prevention Project, line #8, Community members would first be provided education on both the disease as well as the risk factors risks of screening and then be able to make their own choices. The motion to amend / approve the minutes of February 26, 1998 was made by Janet Southerland, seconded by Ron Cammarata and carried without dissent. 3. SEARCH COMMITTEE CLOSED SESSION: Personnel Matter (Authority G.S. Section 143-318.11 (a) (6)), by Brenda Crowder-Gaines The Board of Health Meeting adjourned to a closed session to discuss personnel matters. The motion to adjourn to a closed session to discuss personnel matters (Authority G.S. Section 143-318.11 (a) (6)) was made by Beverly Foster, seconded by Janet Southerland and carried without dissent. 4. HEALTHY CAROLINIANS, PRESENTED BY CORNELIA RAMSEY The Healthy Carolinians Steering Committee met on March 25, 1998 and discussed the draft (which is included in Board packet). This draft was an attempt to discuss the next phase of the process. Tom Milroy discussed the certification process for the task force. He also mentioned the current initiative that the State has to seek funding for certified task forces. The Healthy Carolinians initiative is moving into the implementation phase. A restructuring of the Task Force and reconfiguration of the working groups into implementation groups is necessary to efficiently manage the resources and effectively manage the community-wide effort. The three working groups are at different phases. The Preventive Services group and Needs Of Children are a little further along than Preventing Teen Pregnancy. It was decided the Teen Pregnancy group would continue to come up with strategies and perhaps merge with the Needs of Children group if warranted. Preventive Services is targeting the areas of fitness and nutrition. Substance abuse continues to come up as an issue for more than one group. The three initial partners (the Health Department, School of Public Health and UNC Hospitals) will meet and discuss functions, roles, and responsibilities to develop into the implementation phase. The concept of the implementation working groups is that each of those groups would be co-chaired by a community person. This actualizes the concept of sharing the leadership and accountability for the projects. PUBLIC HEALTH MONTH ACTIVITIES, PRESENTED BY ROSEMARY SUMMERS The Office of Community Education is coordinating a series of articles that will appear in local newspapers beginning Sunday, March 29, 1998. Each Sunday in April, divisions within the Health Department will print an article focusing on their roles/responsibilities. In addition, each division is sponsoring a community event during the week their article is printed. A staff MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MARCH 26, 1998 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Patsy L. Bateman 2 MARCH 26, 1998 appreciation reception will “kick-off” the month and staff games will occur throughout the month. The Health Department will be co- hosting an open house in conjunction with the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Southern Human Services Building on April 21, 1998. The motion to endorse the proclamation of Public Health Month was made by Brenda Crowder-Gaines, seconded by Beverly Foster and carried without dissent SMOKING CONTROL, PRESENTED BY ROSEMARY SUMMERS, BEVERLY FOSTER, CORNELIA RAMSEY Complaints have been received regarding smoking in public places. Brenda Crowder-Gaines raised the issue of where the Orange County Health Department is regarding the Smoking Control Committee. There needs to be a better understanding of the rules and an overall understanding of the rules procedure. One issue is the comprehensive educational program Cornelia outlined last fall. The Board needs to revisit the legal issues and rules with Geoff Gledhill; options were laid out last fall, and the Board never made decision. The major question is should we amend the rules to exclude exemptions; at this point we have only voluntary compliance. Put on Board agenda for April. Rosemary will report in April on specific actions needed. BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER PROGRAM (BCCCP) SERVICE PLAN, PRESENTED BY EILEEN KUGLER The BCCCP is funded by CDC and the funding comes to Orange County Health Department through the State. This program is for low income women over the age of 40 to receive breast exams, pap smears, and mammograms. Funds can only be spent for screening and not for outreach purposes. Orange County Health Department’s BCCCP performance is on the bottom 5% of all health department performance scores. The Personal Health Division is working on a plan to improve these performance scores. Listed below are a few of the strategies developed: (for other strategies, please refer to the hand out received at the BOH meeting) • Develop and institute a comprehensive and effective client follow-up and tracking plan to influence delinquent, return and new clients to follow through with medical evaluations and mammograms. • Provide off-site community-based screening clinics to qualified BCCCP eligible women and ensure transportation needs are met to receive mammography services. • Strategically market BCCCP screening and heighten community awareness through a diverse and varied approach yielding a positive response for services. ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT VALUES AND PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT, PRESENTED BY ROSEMARY SUMMERS There was much discussion concerning the draft Core Values and Purpose. This was presented in draft form and the Board agreed these need to be re-worded. Beverly Foster suggested instead of saying preventing disease, to say that the role of fostering healthy lifestyle choices for citizens in order to prevent disease and lead to a better quality of life, -- we don’t want to focus just on personal health and healthy lifestyles, but preventing disease also encompasses things like safety, transmission, communicable diseases, environmental, etc. Three things will guide the rest of Orange County Health Department strategic planning. Adoption of core functions, essential services, and the value statements will give the department direction on how to make choices in implementing restructuring. Example: The prostate cancer project. If we have a core value that says communities and individuals are responsible for their own health, then the department will work with the community to educate them regarding all of the options before they make a decision on how they wish to proceed. If they choose to do go in a direction that as an agency we don’t feel is the best choice, our core value statement says that that’s their right to make their own choice and that we will not force our will on them as a provider. Tim Ives suggested a value statement reflecting an educational focus. Example suggestion: “We believe in affording opportunities in training, developing, and nurturing the next generation of practitioners.” Beverly Foster questioned the language of #4 and wished to broaden #2. Rosemary will redraft these and send to staff for input and have the Board revisit this again in April. 5. SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAM (INCLUDING VISION SCREENING), PRESENTED BY EILEEN KUGLER Eileen Kugler reviewed the handout provided to the Board (attached). Barry Adler has suggested / volunteered to check into using different screening tests for the schools. 6. INTERIM HEALTH DIRECTOR’S REPORT, PRESENTED BY ROSEMARY SUMMERS COMMUNITY DIAGNOSIS The Community Diagnosis was submitted to the State on March 6, 1998. The executive summary is part of the Board packet. PATIENT FLOW ANALYSIS STUDY DHHS has a service that provides nurse consultants who look at patient flow and clinic studies and provide feedback. Forms were submitted in January requesting this service. The visit is scheduled for June 4, 1998, with the report being available on June 8, 1998. This report will be used in reconfiguring clinic services. EMPLOYEE COMMITTEE The Employee Committee met in February with the Interim Health Director. There were 3 primary issues identified that are continuing concerns for them. The first one was a lack of information flow from administration to employees and their perception that there are various informational roadblocks. Their second concern is that supervisors and managers aren’t responsive to work concerns in a timely fashion. Thirdly there are still “building issues” in Whitted --appearance and cleanliness issues they would like MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MARCH 26, 1998 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Patsy L. Bateman 3 MARCH 26, 1998 addressed. We discussed the continuation of the committee and they expressed a wish for the committee to continue. Three will stay on that committee, four have been voluntarily replaced and there are still two spots to fill. Patsy will be beginning a bi-monthly internal newsletter and we hope the first issue will be out next week. The Interim Health Director has instituted drop in times on her calendar, one hour twice a week. This calendar is published and distributed to Division Directors and also posted in various locations. Quarterly all-staff meetings will be continued -- the next one is on April 3, 1998 at SHSC. Each division is responsible for planning one on a rotating basis; Environmental Health is planning the 4/3 meeting. This all- staff meeting will be kicked off with an employee appreciation desert bar. Management staff will begin work on a new employee orientation process. Health Department Staff will identify a date to clean up all the physical facilities of the Orange County Health Department. Board of Health has requested a copy of the newsletter. Tim Ives would like to see the Board take responsibility for planning and implementing an employee appreciation event; one possibility being an “Ice Cream” afternoon. BUDGET UPDATE The budget was submitted to the County Offices the Friday before it was due on Monday. Rosemary and Eileen met with a small group of County staff to discuss Home Visiting position requests. This is on the Board of County Commissioners agenda for 4/7/98. The Health Education positions were discussed briefly and seemed to get a favorable review from John Link. Tim Ives stated that the Manager’s Office was very pleased with the budget, appearance and information received on time. Many thanks to Joyce and staff. DHHS Consolidated Contracts are due 5/1/98 to the State. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS There was an emergency situation about a month ago in the Whitted Building where there was a chemical odor that caused the clinic and administrative offices to close. The building was evacuated and the situation secured. The process was ragged and brought to light the need to plan for these types of emergencies. Division Directors were asked to go back to each location and develop a plan to evacuate or shut-down operations. TERMS OF OFFICE FOR BOARD MEMBERS A review of records show there are three Board members whose terms of office expire 6/30/98. Tim Ives is completing a second term and Jonathan Klein and Janet Southerland are completing their first term. All are eligible to serve another three-year term. All agreed to serve an additional term. Rosemary will prepare a letter to Beverly Blythe informing her of the renewal. A motion was made by Ron Cammarata and seconded by Beverly Foster to adjourn the meeting. The next regular Board of Health meeting will be held on April 23, 1998 at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Respectfully submitted, Rosemary L. Summers, MPH, DrPH Interim Health Director RLS:plb