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Home My WebLink AboutBOH Agenda 102820 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING AGENDA DATE: October 28, 2020 TIME: 7:00 P.M. PLACE: Go To Meeting Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://qlobal.gotomeeting.com/moin/408637013 You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (571) 317-3122 Access Code: 408-637-013 New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://qlobal.gotomeeting.com/install/408637013 TIME ITEM 7:00 p.m. I. Welcome New Employees 7:00—7:05 II. Public Comment for Items NOT on Printed Agenda. Public Comment for Items ON Printed Agenda will be handled during that agenda item. (Please sign up for both on the chat section of the screen.) Please limit your comments to 3 minutes. 7:05—7:10 III. Approval of October 28, 2020 Agenda 7:10—7:15 IV. Action Items (Consent) A. Minutes of September 23, 2020 7:15—7:55 V. Educational Sessions A. NC CARE 360 Mikayla Gaspary (20 minutes) B. 1st Quarter Financial Reports & Billing Dashboard Rebecca Crawford (15 minutes) C. Advisory Board Update Beverly Scurry (5 minutes) 7:55—8:30 VI. Reports and Discussion with Possible Action A. BOH Chair and Vice-Chair Slate Jessica Frega B. Health Director Annual Evaluation Jessica Frega C. Health Director Report Quintana Stewart D. COVID-19 Update Quintana Stewart E. Media Items Kristin Prelipp 8:30—8:35 VII. Board Comments 8:35 Vill. Adjournment BOARD MEMBERS: To ensure a quorum, SEND E-MAIL to Istran_ge Doran attendance her of your attendance at this meeting OR CALL 919-245-2411. Compliance with the"Americans with Disabilities Act"and Title VI-Interpreter services and/or special sound equipment are available on request. Call the Immigrant and Refugee Health Program Manager at 919.245.2387 to request an interpreter or other accommodation. Conforme a la"Ley sobre Estadounidenses con Discapacidades"(ADA)y el Titulo VI—los servicios de interprete y/o equipo de sonido especial estan disponibles a solicitud. Llame a la Administradora del Programa de Salud para Inmigrantes y Refugiados al 919-245-2387 para solicitar un interprete u otros arreglos o adaptaciones. MINUTES - Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH September 23, 2020 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2020 Agenda & Abstracts/ September 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 September 23, 2020 virtually via Go To Meeting. BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Jessica Frega – Chair, Sam Lasris – Vice-Chair, Keith Bagby, Bruce Baldwin, Aparna Jonnal, Lee Pickett, Shielda Rodgers, Timothy Smith and Alison Stuebe. BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: Commissioner Earl McKee. STAFF PRESENT: Quintana Stewart, Health Director; Rebecca Crawford, Financial and Administrative Services Director; Victoria Hudson, Environmental Health Director; Donna King, Health Promotion & Education Services Director; Kristin Prelipp, Communications Manager; Beverly Scurry, BOH Strategic Plan Manager; and La Toya Strange, Administrative Support I. GUESTS PRESENT: Janice Tyler, Department of Aging Director. Jessica Frega, Chair, called the meeting to order. There were no new employees in attendance. I. Public Comment for Items NOT on Printed Agenda: None. II. Approval of the September 23, 2020 Agenda Motion was made by Lee Pickett to approve the agenda, seconded by Bruce Baldwin and carried without dissent. III. Action Items (Consent) A. Minutes of August 26, 2020 Meeting Motion was made by Timothy Smith to approve the minutes of August 2020, seconded by Alison Stuebe and carried without dissent. IV. Educational Sessions A. Department of Aging Update Janice Tyler, Department of Aging Director, provided an in-depth presentation on the aging population in Orange County, services of the Department on Aging (DOA), and the department’s Master Aging Plan (MAP). Below are some of the highlights of her presentation. • Ages 60+ are generally considered older adults. The DOA serves a population of 55- 105 year olds. • The local model of an age-friendly community is based off of the AARP Livable Communities model that supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and rural MINUTES - Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH September 23, 2020 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2020 Agenda & Abstracts/ September Page 2 areas to be great places for people of all ages. The DOA believes that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; age-friendly housing and transportation options; access to needed services; and opportunities for residents of all ages to participate in community life. • By 2030, one in five Americans will be over 65. In 2035, there will be more people over 65 in the U.S. than under age 18. This is the first time in America that this change will be experienced which is a turning point for the catalyst for revisiting some common practices particularly with land development that have, over time, generated more problems than promise, mostly for older adults. In the last 70 years, most land development has focused on meeting the needs for families with children with little access to transportation. • Social and economic consequences have also emerged including longer commutes, increased social isolation, greater dependency on cars are some of the costs that are even more of a burden to older adults. • Some statistics regarding seniors in Orange County: o 5.4% of people age 65+ live below 100% of the poverty level. 15.4% of people age 65+ live between 100% and 199% of the poverty level. 100% – 199% of poverty levels for one person = annual incomes between $11,770 and $23,539. o People over 65+ are the most cost-burdened age group for housing. 28% of homeowners and 56% of renters are paying more than 30% of their income on housing. o By 2038, persons age 60+ will represent 26% of OC’s population; while children ages 0-17 years will only represent 16% of the county’s population. • There are 2 senior centers – the Seymour Center, opened in 2007, and the Passmore Center, opened in 2009. Due to outgrowing these facilities, a small expansion was done to the Passmore Center. Currently, there is a major expansion undergoing the Seymour Center. • The Master Aging Plan (MAP) process is the DOA’s key to its success to planning for a growing older adult population. o Every 5 years since 2000, the DOA has completed a community wide planning process and created a MAP for the community. The purpose of the plan is to outline anticipated needs for the OC’s aging population, and to facilitate cooperation amongst stakeholders to meet these growing demands. Using the MAP, the DOA was able to pass a county bond to build the two nationally accredited senior centers, help expand transportation services to older adults, and strengthen community partnerships to expand housing options for older adults. • Age Friendly Communities o OC was the first in NC to join the network. An age-friendly community impacts more than just older adults and is inclusive, accessible, and supportive of all residents, regardless of age, ability, or any other characteristic. o Eight domains comprise a community’s age-friendliness. They are outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and community support and health services. o In 2016, a county wide assessment was launched that was the basis of the 2017- 2022 MAP which can be found on the DOA website along with quarterly updates. The assessment included surveys, focus groups, community meetings and key informant interviews. • The DOA is divided into 3 divisions. MINUTES - Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH September 23, 2020 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2020 Agenda & Abstracts/ September Page 3 o Senior Center Operations  Seymour Center serves 450+ persons daily.  Passmore Center serves 250+ persons daily. o Aging Transitions  It’s the social work section of the DOA. On-staff social workers, occupational therapists, support groups, in-home services, and depression screenings are some of the many services offered. o Volunteer Connect 55+  It’s the volunteer division of the DOA that has senior center and community based programs including the Project EngAGE senior leadership program that trains OC seniors to become resource leaders and make their communities an ideal place to age.  There are 400+ volunteers. • COVID-19 Arrived… o The DOA became a “senior center without walls”, never closing. o With the assistance of local law enforcement, curbside meals are distributed on- site at the senior centers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For those dependent on public transportation, local officers and volunteers deliver meals to them. Participants receive 6 meals a week. Almost 1000 meals a week are served. o Monthly commodity food distributions still occur with over 300 persons benefiting from this service. A grocery delivery service has been created, but has been underutilized. o End of Life Senior Resource Team saw a need to develop a form that older adults could use to develop an Emergency and Serious Illness Plan should they be diagnosed with COVID. o Durable Medical Equipment (DME) loan equipment program has continued with DME equipment being delivered porch side. o With limited public transportation and fear of contracting COVID on public transit buses, the DOA Volunteer Driver program kept going to assist older adults with getting to medical appointments and getting groceries. o In response to concerns about social isolation, deconditioning of older adults and access to technology, the following has been done.  With the assistance of our three MSW interns, the DOA is attempting to contact all regular participants that they have not had contact with during COVID. All staff reviewed the departmental database, which has approximately 4,000 persons and has collectively identified individuals that they have not heard from. They will be reaching out to these folks to identify any unmet needs.  At the beginning of COVID, the DOA worked with their IT department to get internet access and computers into all of their low income senior housing complexes. This was not only to help with social isolation, but also for access to telehealth services. The BOH members had questions and comments that were addressed by Ms. Tyler. V. Action Items (Non-Consent) A. Policy Approval MINUTES - Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH September 23, 2020 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2020 Agenda & Abstracts/ September Page 4 The Fee and Eligibility Policy was updated to reflect a change in the Billing Cycle for the Health Department (page 7). The Board voted to approve the Board of Health Policy including the change made within the Fee and Eligibility Policy as a result of discussion at last month’s Board meeting. *Motion was made by Timothy Smith to approve the Board of Health policy, seconded by Shielda Rodgers and carried without dissent. VI. Reports and Discussion with Possible Action Action Items A. Present Chair/Vice-Chair Slate It is customary for the current Vice-Chair to occupy the Chair position due to the experience gained as Vice-Chair. Jessica Frega, Chair, solicited volunteers to join her and Sam Lasris to serve on a committee to discuss the Vice-Chair position. Timothy Smith volunteered. Ms. Frega directed the Board to send her an email if they’d like to participate on the committee. Vice-Chair options will be presented at the October meeting and voted at the meeting in November. B. Health Director Report In addition to her report, Ms. Stewart spoke briefly on the general items below. • Ms. Stewart agreed to serve on the Carolina PROSPER Board which is a program affiliated with the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. It will offer technical assistance to facilitate the safe re-opening of businesses during the pandemic while promoting worker health. There will be two 2-hour long meetings this fall with the first meeting occuring next Friday. C. COVID-19 Update Quintana Stewart, Health Director, gave an update on the COVID-19 status in Orange County as well as took questions from the Board. Some highlights are below. • DHHS launched a new app called SlowCOVIDNC. It’s an exposure app. SlowCOVID can be accessed on Google and Apple platforms. It needs to be downloaded on your cellphone. It will alert users that have the app if they have been in close contact (6ft or less for more than 15 minutes) with an individual, who has also downloaded the app, later tests positive for COVID-19. The app is completely anonymous and does not collect, store or share personal information or location data. SlowCOVIDNC is voluntary to download and use and designed to enhance the state’s existing contact tracing efforts. • We continue to work on our vaccination plans. We haven’t been given much info. We are awaiting a final list of priority groups with infrastructure healthcare and first responders getting first priority. • We’re gearing up to do our flu vaccinations. Today, Ms. Stewart had a meeting with the County and Deputy County Managers and made a request to offer flu vaccinations at no cost as we want to remove all barriers. They agreed and we’ll be offering free flu vaccinations to the community. They’ll be offered at COVID testing events. We’re MINUTES - Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH September 23, 2020 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2020 Agenda & Abstracts/ September Page 5 looking for other ways to go out into the community and offer free flu shots. We’ll be advertising this information soon. This is an eligible expense for using some of the CARES money. • As of today, o There are 2,603 confirmed cases and 55 deaths in Orange County. o We are actively monitoring 123 cases in Orange County. o We continue to see an increase in cases in the 18-24 year old age group. o There are 7 outbreaks with 4 occurring in nursing homes, 1 in residential facility and 2 in correctional facilities. In order for them to come off of outbreak status, they must go 28 consecutive days with no new cases. • There’s been a slight decrease in COVID-like illness ED visits over the past 2 weeks. • Percent positive tests has decreased to 3.2% with the state decreasing to 5.4%. The ideal percentage is 5% or less. • Approximately 47,228 people, roughly 32% of OC population, have been tested in Orange County out of which 1,023 were tested at mass county events held in collaboration with StarMed. • A testing event was held last week in northern OC. Although only 61 people were tested, we learned some valuable information. We have to build some more trust with the African-American community. We also need to provide more education around the actual test as it was rumored that the test hurt. Once church members were tested, they left and spread the word that it was quite the opposite. More people started to show up towards the end of the testing event. The next testing event will be held at St. Thomas More Catholic Church on this Saturday from 12-4pm. • The Communications Team released a Spanish video to highlight National Hispanic Month targeted at our Hispanic communities with tips on how to celebrate safely with their families. They’re also working on Halloween guidance to push out to the community that will focus on risk reduction activities such as noncontact trick-o-treating. • The CDC reversed their stance on not testing asymptomatic contacts of positive cases. We have always encouraged testing of asymptomatic contacts. The CDC also addressed their statement regarding airborne transmission. They stated it was uploaded to their website prematurely before the formal review of this information was concluded. • Govenor Cooper stated that if COVID numbers continue to stabilize and trend down, he’s looking to progress in the stages. Part of that progression will be allowing 7% capacity in large outdoor arenas and stadiums. That means that Kenan Stadium will be able to accommodate 3500 spectators for some of the football games. We’ll work with UNC on their plan for Kenan Stadium. • Meetings continue with UNC. UNC is working on their spring reopening plans and have added an advisory committee. They are receiving input from their faculty, local business and community groups. They’re looking to better define who is able to come back on campus and determine which programs are difficult to do online such as performing arts and music. They’re also looking to keep the residence halls at a student capacity of 1 per room, 2 per suite. UNC is also working on plans regarding COVID testing including mandatory testing before coming back on campus and random surveillance testing while they’re back on campus. • The OCHD also continues to work with both K-12 school districts in Orange County as they work on their re-opening plans. We support K-5 students return to class for face-to- face instruction with the rationale that as they’re not seeing a high number of cases with the K-5 population across the state. Half of the school districts in the state have opened MINUTES - Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH September 23, 2020 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2020 Agenda & Abstracts/ September Page 6 with face-to-face instruction with strict adherence to mask wearing, distancing and hand hygiene. D. Media Items Kristin Prelipp, Communications Manager, mentioned that all of the articles were COVID-19- related including articles on local officials speaking about how we’re (Ms. Stewart and Dinah Jeffries from EMS) leading OC in a crisis and the re-opening of UNC. Ms. Prelipp stated that she did not compile all of the articles as there were too many to gather. She suggested Googling “OCHD NC” and you will see an abundance of media items. Ms. Prelipp stated that the National Hispanic Month video was Ana Salas’ idea. Ms. Salas, in collaboration with the Latinx Equity Committee, a committee in which Ms. Prelipp and Ms. Salas meet with weekly, assisted with the creation of this video. Ms. Salas wrote a script. People from all over the community took the script, had fun personalizing it and sent it to Ms. Prelipp, who put it into its current form for viewing. The purpose was to have the community talk to the community with the intent of reminding them of risk reduction practices. Ms. Prelipp mentioned that she’d love to do an English version. Ms. Stewart added that she wanted to thank Aparna Jonnal for her participation on the Long Term Recovery Committee. Media items were in the packet which focused on Orange County’s events and our involvement in various efforts. VI. Board Comments. Ms. Frega spoke on why there wasn’t a pharmacist representative present at the Board meeting. Ms. Stewart stated that the response received from Thom Freeman, BOCC Clerk, is that the BOCC spoke about Dr. Crandell’s recommendation at the September meeting; however, they’ve moved the discussion regarding board appointments into the work session, which meets next month. We are awaiting confirmation as to whether Dr. Crandell will be appointed. Ms. Frega stated that it would be great if the Board had a representative working with the Family Success Alliance as Liska Lackey was the last representative. She’ll also send an email reminder to the Board. Keith Bagby stated that he was interested. Ms. Frega will get in touch with Ms. Bagby to connect him with the appropriate person(s). *Alison Stuebe did not vote as she had to excuse herself. VII. Adjournment Keith Bagby moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:26pm and Aparna Jonnal seconded. The next Board of Health Meeting will be held October 28, 2020 at 7:00pm via Go To Meeting. Respectfully submitted, MINUTES - Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH September 23, 2020 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2020 Agenda & Abstracts/ September Page 7 Quintana Stewart, MPA Orange County Health Director Secretary to the Board Agenda Item Number: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: October 28, 2020 Agenda Item Subject: NC CARES 360 Attachment(s): None Staff or Board Member Reporting: Mikayla Gaspary Purpose: ____ Action _ X Information only ____ Information with possible action Summary Information: Community Engagement Manager, Mikayla Gaspary, with NCCARE360 will give a presentation on what NC CARE 360 is and how Health Departments and Boards can be supportive of this initiative. For more content on NC CARE 360 please visit https://nccare360.org/content-library/. Recommended Action: ___Approve ___Approve & forward to Board of Commissioners for action ___Approve & forward to ___________________________ _X_Accept as information ___Revise & schedule for future action ___Other (detail): Agenda Item Number: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: October 28, 2020 Agenda Item Subject: 1st Quarter Financial Report FY 20-21 Attachment(s): 1st Quarter Financial Report 1st Quarter Billing Dashboard Staff or Board Member Reporting: Rebecca Crawford Purpose: ___ Action _X_ Information only ___ Information with possible action Summary Information: Total Health Department Budget vs. Actuals: Average YTD monthly revenue in FY20-21 after the first quarter is $195k/month or $584k YTD, representing 17% of our overall budgeted revenue for the year. As usual though, the total first quarter revenue is skewed down due to the majority of state funds not eligible to be drawn in July (this is typical) and allocations of Medicaid Max funds will not be transferred into our budget until the end of the fiscal year. Revenues are only slightly below this point last fiscal year (FY 19-20 1st Quarter YTD: $216k). Expenses are in line with revenues, at 18% of the overall budget. Dental Earned Revenue by Source: The FY 20-21 average monthly revenue ($31.3k/month) for the first quarter is below our budget projection ($41k/month) and our FY 19-20 average of $39.7k/month due to longer than anticipated dental clinic closures during the pandemic and the Dental Division Director vacancy. PPE shortages had a negative impact on the dental clinic and its ability to re-open to increased capacity, as Dental staff are required to wear a higher level of PPE for most procedures. The clinic is working with Duke Hospital to sanitize N95 masks, which have allowed staff to see more patients. FY 20-21 dental earned revenue totaled $94k at the end of the first quarter compared to $160k at the end of the FY 19-20 first quarter. Medical Earned Revenue by Source: Medical earned revenue is currently above the budgeted projection for FY 20-21 ($33k/month) at $44.3k/month due to greater than anticipated revenue during the pandemic. Telehealth visits have been very successful and allowed the clinic to continue to see patients and bill for services even as in-person visits were limited. Billing staff have also worked diligently to collect as much revenue as possible from Medicaid and insurance companies from older accounts. We anticipate this trend toward increased revenue will continue to improve as the medical clinic gradually adds more in-person visits based on PPE availability and staff capacity. Medical clinic revenue totals $133k for first quarter FY 20-21 compared to $130k in first quarter FY 19-20. Environmental Health Earned Revenue by Source: Environmental Health earned revenue is slightly below the budgeted projection for FY 20-21 ($53k/month) at $48.4k/month. It is a seasonal trend to see lower revenue in the first quarter of the year than in later quarters due to spring pool inspections. EH staff have worked hard to continue OSWP inspections during the pandemic with little to no in-person required of residents. Grants Fund Revenue: FSA has drawn $200k of the multi-year Kenan grant. Expenditures are tracking as anticipated and will continue to increase as we fill the vacant Navigator position in November. Recommended Action: ___Approve ___Approve & forward to Board of Commissioners for action ___Approve & forward to ____________________ _X_Accept as information ___Revise & schedule for future action ___Other (detail): BOH GOVERNANCE DASHBOARD Q1 FY20-21 184 237 163 $0 $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 $700 $800 J A S O N D J F M A M JThousandsTOTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT REVENUE vs. Budget Projections & Prior Year Personal Health HPES FAS Environ Health Dental Total OCHD Revenue ($.6M/y) FY20-21 Budget Proj ($291k/m, ~$3.5M/y)YTD Mth Avg ($195k/m, ~$2.3M/y) FY19-20 Mth Revenue ($3.5M/y)Prior: FY18-19 Total OCHD Revenue ($3.5M/y) 26 25 43 $0 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $70 J A S O N D J F M A M JThousandsDENTAL EARNED REVENUE BY SOURCE vs. Budget Projection & Prior Year SELF PAY INSURANCE MEDICAID Total Earned Revenue ($94k YTD) FY20-21 Budget Proj ($41k/m, $496k/y)YTD Mth Avg ($31.3k/m, ~$376k/y est) FY19-20 Mth Revenue ($476k/y)FY19-20 Mth Revenue - Avg ($39.7k/m) 39 53 40 $0 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 J A S O N D J F M A M JThousandsMEDICAL (PH) EARNED REVENUE BY SOURCE vs. Budget Projection & Prior Year SELF PAY INSURANCE MEDICAID Total Earned Revenue ($133k YTD) FY20-21 Budget Proj ($33k/m, $394k/y)YTD Mth Avg ($44.3k/m, ~$532k/y est) FY19-20 Mth Revenue ($482k/y)FY19-20 Mth Revenue - Avg ($40.1k/m) 55 48 43 $0 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $70 J A S O N D J F M A M JThousandsENVIRONMENTAL (EH) EARNED REVENUE BY SOURCE vs. Budget Projection & Prior Year Wells Tattoo Parlors Septic Samples Public Pools Food and Lodging Fees Total Earned Revenue ($145k YTD) FY20-21 Budget Proj ($53k/m, $637k/y)YTD Mth Avg ($48.4k/m, ~$581k/y est) FY19-20 Mth Revenue ($552k/y)FY19-20 Mth Revenue - Avg ($46.k/m) Orange County Health Department First Quarter Financial Report FY 2020-2021 General Fund TOTAL HEALTH Q1 YTD ACTUAL ANNUAL BUDGET % OF ANNUAL BUDGET Revenue Donations Personal Health 0 0 (2,000)0.00% Donations Total 0 0 (2,000)0.00% Internal Allocations Dental Health 0 0 (48,527)0.00% Personal Health 0 0 (324,205)0.00% Internal Allocations Total 0 0 (372,732)0.00% Service Revenue Dental Health (93,883)(93,883)(495,519)18.95% Environmental Health (148,597)(148,597)(637,046)23.33% Personal Health (133,001)(133,001)(393,722)33.78% Service Revenue Total (375,480)(375,480)(1,526,287)24.60% State Allocations Finance and Admin Services (7,804)(7,804)(42,921)18.18% Health Promotion & Edu (7,883)(7,883)(43,534)18.11% Environmental Health (727)(727)(48,000)1.52% Personal Health (73,758)(73,758)(577,542)12.77% COVID-19 (33,012)(33,012)(298,647)11.05% State Allocations Total (123,184)(123,184)(1,010,644)12.19% Grants Project Revenue CC4C Accesscare (31,838)(31,838)(147,686)21.56% Community Health Grant (6,832)(6,832)(145,914)4.68% MDPP (1,479)(1,479)(19,138)7.73% PCM Accesscare (37,552)(37,552)(167,334)22.44% Piedmont Hlth Srv - Nutr (6,380)(6,380)(34,338)18.58% FIT Grant (1,150)(1,150)(16,596)6.93% Grants Project Revenue Total (85,231)(85,231)(531,006)16.05% Revenue Total (583,896)(583,896)(3,442,669)16.96% Grand Total (583,896)(583,896)(3,442,669)16.96% Orange County Health Department First Quarter Financial Report FY 2020-2021 General Fund TOTAL HEALTH Q1 YTD ACTUAL ANNUAL BUDGET % OF ANNUAL BUDGET Expenditures Salaries 1,266,990 1,263,462 6,712,291 18.82% Benefits 522,464 520,744 2,502,748 20.81% Travel 344 344 0 344.00% Training (90)(90)0 -90.00% Certifications & Licensing 1,105 1,105 10,425 10.60% Mileage 2,942 2,942 40,902 7.19% Telephone 3,220 3,220 122,159 2.64% Postage 1,335 1,335 12,798 10.43% Equip Repairs 804 804 19,352 4.15% Equip Rent 702 702 2,900 24.21% Duplicating 333 333 10,550 3.15% Printing 308 308 12,874 2.39% Advertising 143 143 16,750 0.85% Dues 692 692 6,154 11.24% Subscriptions 921 921 1,285 71.68% Dept Supplies 3,466 3,466 45,420 7.63% Edu Supplies 1,604 1,604 12,129 13.23% Office Supplies 1,657 1,657 25,843 6.41% Medical Supplies 12,000 12,000 138,849 8.64% Bloodborn Path Supplies 251 251 1,200 20.95% Pharmacy Supplies 9,556 9,556 154,877 6.17% Comp Supp/Software 0 0 5,885 0.00% Contracted Srv 88,345 88,345 669,704 13.19% X-Ray 248 248 9,000 2.76% Lab Srv 13,865 13,865 135,406 10.24% Bonds & Insurance 0 0 12,406 0.00% Uniforms 0 0 9,600 0.00% Community Proj 135 135 47,035 0.29% Accreditation Project 0 0 3,250 0.00% Credit Card Exp 3,001 3,001 11,000 27.28% Nicotine Replacement Therapy 0 0 5,000 0.00% Capital Exp Under $500 122 122 965 12.63% Equipment 6,632 6,632 7,495 88.49% IT Equipment 2,543 2,543 4,000 63.57% Expenditures Total 1,945,638 1,940,390 10,770,252 18.02% TOTAL HEALTH 1,945,638 1,940,390 10,770,252 18.02% Orange County Health Department First Quarter Financial Report FY 2020-2021 Grants Fund TOTAL HEALTH Q1 YTD ACTUAL ANNUAL BUDGET % OF ANNUAL BUDGET Revenue Kenan Grant 0 (200,000)(300,000)66.67% Revenue Total 0 (200,000)(300,000)66.67% TOTAL HEALTH Q1 YTD ACTUAL ANNUAL BUDGET % OF ANNUAL BUDGET Expenditures Salaries 9,493 13,021 0 0.00% Benefits 4,069 5,790 0 0.00% Expenditures Total 13,563 18,811 0 0.00% Agenda Item Number: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: October 28, 2020 Agenda Item Subject: Biannual Advisory Board Report Attachment(s): Biannual Advisory Board Report Staff or Board Member Reporting: Beverly Scurry Purpose: ____ Action _ X Information only ____ Information with possible action Summary Information: The Board of Health identified action steps related to engagement in the 2018-2020 Strategic Plan. One of these action steps is to receive biannual updates on actions of other Orange County advisory boards that relate to the BOH strategic plan priorities. The summary provided contains BOH top priorities related information from various Orange County advisory boards from April 2020 to September 2020, as available from the boards. This timeframe is unique in that many boards discussed COVID-19 related issues. Some of those issues were reported in the report as it related to social determinants, nutrition, or equity, but much of the conversations have been the same as the Board of Health and was not included in the report. Recommended Action: ___Approve ___Approve & forward to Board of Commissioners for action ___Approve & forward to ___________________________ _X_Accept as information ___Revise & schedule for future action ___Other (detail): Submitted October 28, 2020 O RANGE C OUNTY A DVISORY B OARD S UMMARY A PRIL 2020 – S EPTEMBER 2020 Board of Health Engagement 10/28/2020 1 Biannual Report Board of Health Engagement B OARD BOH P RIORITY S UMMARY Orange County Schools Board of Education Nutrition, Equity • The district's four priorities during the COVID-19 crisis include safety, food, learning and wholeness/wellness. • Discussion in August on reopening schools at the end of the semester and coordinating food pick up spots at multiple locations. o Incurring no new costs for salaries/benefits and bus usage/fuel Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools Board of Education Social Determinants • The new Office of Equity and Inclusion was created July1, 2019. The department is comprised of 2 elementary equity specialists, 1 middle school equity specialist, 1 high school equity specialist and 1 parent engagement specialist. The scope of work includes classroom equity audits, collaboration with the Equity Advisory Council, supporting school and district level leadership, providing professional development for all CHCCS staff, supporting affinity groups, Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate, Multicultural Student Achievement Network, and Youth Leadership Institute. DEAPR – Parks and REC Council Physical Activity and Nutrition • A Lands Legacy Action Plan 2021-2024 (Parks/Public Open Space priorities) was presented to the board in August 2020. The Historic and Agricultural Boards as well as the Commission for the Environment will be making recommendations for this plan. Part of this plan includes finding land to build a park in Bingham Township. Another main priority is finding land easements to help fill segments of the Mountains to Sea Trail. Board of County Commissioners Social Determinants of Health, Physical Activity, Substance Abuse & Mental Health • The BOCC approved the transfer of funds from the Orange County Local Rent Supplement Program (Local Vouchers) to the Risk Mitigation and Housing Displacement Fund to provide flexible, much-needed financial assistance to low-income renters experiencing housing instability and also provided additional resources for Orange County’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. • The Board voted to approve a Resolution Supporting the Decriminalization of Marijuana. 10/28/2020 2 Chapel Hill Town Council Equity Only April and May meeting minutes available • The Council recommended a Police Advisory Board Carrboro Town Council Social Determinants of Health • The Town Council passed resolutions that address increasing maximum grant for the Rental Assistance Program and supporting community organizations providing affordable housing assistance. • The town approves a Citizen Police Review Task Force to reform/transform policing • The town is now a member of GARE and is committed to continued funding of this initiative Hillsborough Board of Commissioners Regular Meetings Social Determinants of Health • The Commissioners passed a resolution acknowledging the death of George Floyd. The Police Chief also provided an extensive presentation to the Commissioners outlining statistics, department data, and how the department is responding to community requests for safer policing. • The town is planning to create a community-driven task force on reimagining public safety. Transit Advisory Services/OCPT) Social Determinants The Transit Advisory Services has only met in September and meeting minutes are not yet available. Healthy Carolinians of Orange County All • Finalized and released the 2019 Community Health Assessment (CHA) • Developed the 3 new priority areas, that were identified in the CHA a. Health Behaviors b. Access to Care c. Health Equity • Has been meeting monthly with each group to determine goals and strategies that coincide with each priority area. The plan is to have action plans completed by the end of this year. a. Health Behavior Committee i. Result/Goal - All children, adults and families in Orange County are healthy by way of collaborative promotion and development of resources and opportunities that help individuals and families identify, define and create healthy living habits for themselves and communities that they are a part of. ii. Strategy Interest Area 1 – To look at alcohol/tobacco outlet density and determine what the density is in Orange County. 1. Asking ourselves if our population exceeds the density that is currently present or not. 2. The answer will help us determine is 10/28/2020 3 policies/laws need to be created/altered/amended to ensure that no one (or more) area has a density that over powers a specific population/area 3. Also determine if there are outlets that are specific to or over powering communities of color. iii. Strategy interest Area 2 – Looking at food deserts and ways to reduce them. 1. Determine where the food deserts are; who is currently doing work around food deserts and access; 2. Are there avenues/stores that can offer fresh produce and healthier options, that currently are not; 3. Are their policies/laws that interfere with food access 4. Educate the community on food and the history of food to help them make informed decisions and understand how food affects the overall quality of life 5. Check in with the community to see if this is an interest for them and if this is of concern to them b. Access to Care Committee i. Result/Goal - All individuals receiving services in Orange County strive to obtain everything they need, with no limitations, as it pertains to accessing and receiving services such as: transportation, healthcare, prevention, as well as, intervention and treatment services c. Health Equity Council i. Result/Goal - There are no barriers to health and wellbeing based on race and culture for anyone in Orange County. • Ashley was accepted into the RBA certification program, offered and paid for through NC DHHS, in partnership with NC AHEC. a. To date – she has completed all of the study modules and has taken and passed the exam b. Before finalizing the certification, she is working on a RBA presentation and a sample action plan c. After completion, Ashley will be certified in RBA and will be an additional RBA instructor through NC AHEC 10/28/2020 4 Family Success Alliance Social Determinants • Navigator team completed Community Health Worker certificate program at Durham Tech. • Pandemic focus on family navigators working with families to meet basic needs: housing/rental assistance, utilities, and food. Coordination with other local government agencies and nonprofits to meet these needs. Also significant work with families and school district staff to support virtual learning for children. Assisted YMCA in promoting their scholastic learning centers in both Orange County school districts. • All FSA staff have worked closely on OCHD COVID response efforts including communications, health education, outreach and contact tracing, case monitoring and case investigation. Staff have worked up to 50% on these tasks. • FSA partner network continues to meet monthly with a current priority on meeting COVID-related family and community needs. Six partners received Rapid Response Funds from the United Way to meet these expanded and unexpected needs. • Completed end of year reporting for the United Way Changing Generations grant in July and conducted a virtual site visit with United Way staff in September. • FSA Advisory Council continues to meet quarterly to guide the work. Council elected Charolos Banks of CHCCS as chair for 2020-2021. Justice Advisory Council – Jail/Mental Health Workgroup Substance Abuse & Mental Health • The Familiar Faces group is working to create a consent form for participants and a Data Sharing Agreement between agencies to track participant contact with multiple agencies. • Jail psychiatry has continued during COVID-19. 113 people have been seen since November 2018 when residents began seeing jail detainees. • During COVID there have been fewer people in the jail, many of those coming out have gone to programs so the transitions have been smooth. A lack of housing is a big concern. With Community Empowerment Fund being closed and the Shelter not accepting new people, housing connections have been harder to make. • The Criminal Justice Resource Department will have a temporary position from July to December funded by the CARES Act to help those involved with the justice system make connections. This position will be located in the courthouse and will be available to help make connections for COVID-19 resources as well as mental health, domestic violence, housing, or other needs. 10/28/2020 5 • Cardinal has set aside $1 million in COVID relief funds. Grants are being made of up to $20,000. They’ve had 408 applicants and several grants were awarded in Orange County. Agenda Item Number: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: October 28, 2020 Agenda Item Subject: Elections (Chair and Vice-Chair) Attachment(s): Staff or Board Member Reporting: Jessica Frega Purpose: ____ Action ____ Information only _X__ Information with possible action Summary Information: Per the Board of Health Policies and Procedures, the Board shall elect a Chair and Vice-Chair by majority vote each year at the last meeting of the calendar year. This discussion’s purpose will include getting nominations for each position for a vote that will take place at next month’s meeting. We will be presenting the slate of officers. Recommended Action: ___Approve ___Approve & forward to Board of Commissioners for action ___Approve & forward to ___________________________ ___Accept as information ___Revise & schedule for future action ___Other (detail): Agenda Item Number: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: October 28, 2020 Agenda Item Subject: Health Director Annual Review Attachment(s): Board of Health Policy III.B.d Staff or Board Member Reporting: Jessica Frega Purpose: ____ Action ____ Information only _X__ Information with possible action Summary Information: Per Board of Health Policies and Procedures (Policy III.B.d), the Board completes a required annual review of the health director’s performance in accordance with the Statutory Requirement in GS130A-41. The purpose of this discussion is to determine this year’s process for the annual review, with guidance available in the attached policy for the information flow and input into the performance evaluation. The annual review will occur during closed session at the November 2019 meeting. Recommended Action: ___Approve ___Approve & forward to Board of Commissioners for action ___Approve & forward to ___________________________ ___Accept as information ___Revise & schedule for future action ___Other (detail):_________________________________ ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT Board of Health Policy and Procedures Manual Section III: Board Processes Process B: Supplemental Processes d. Annual Performance Review Process for Health Director Reviewed by: Board of Health Approved by: Board of Health, Health Director Review Annually (July) Page 1 of 2 Original Effective Date: January 2000 Revision Dates: 4/23/09, 1/2014, 11/2014 S:\MANAGERS WORKING FILES\BOH\AGENDAS & ABSTRACTS \2020 Agenda & Abstracts\October 2020\VI.B. Attachment III.B.d.Evaluation of Health Director.doc Annual Performance Review Process for Health Director Purpose To provide the Board with a process for accomplishing the required annual review of the health director’s performance in accordance with the statutory requirement GS 130A-41. Guidelines: 1) Orange County Personnel Policies are followed in conducting this review. Steps in the standard process are: • Preparation of an annual work plan by the employee and supervisor. • Preparation of performance notes at the end of the plan year that relate to the objectives contained in the work plan. • A conference between the employee and the supervisor regarding the employee’s performance for the year. • Supervisor prepares a Work Planning and Performance Summary after the conference which outlines the findings of the discussion and makes the final recommendation as to performance. • Supervisor forwards all paperwork to Human Resource Director. 2) In the case of the Health Director, the “supervisor” of the Director is the entire Board. The Chair assumes the responsibility of managing the information flow and input into the performance evaluation. This may include the formation of an ad-hoc committee to assist in the completion of the performance evaluation. 1. The Health Director prepares performance notes relevant to the year and emails them to all Board members. 2. The Chair schedules a meeting with the County Manager to obtain input on the Health Director’s performance. 3. The Chair may or may not solicit additional feedback, including from senior management staff and direct reports at the Health Department through electronic or in-person methods each year. A 360⁰ evaluation should be conducted at least every 5 years. 4. The Chair presents these findings to the full Board at a closed session of the Board and a general discussion of performance is then held. The Board reaches agreement on a recommendation and then the health director is called into the room and the Chair guides the discussion by Board members. 5. The Board is required to keep minutes during the closed session, including any motions made and actions resulting from such motions and transmit them to the Secretary (Health Director) for the permanent record. 6. Board members indicate changes they would like to see included in the following year’s work plan and those areas are discussed with the Health Director in the meeting. Following the meeting, the Chair writes the performance summary, finalizes the paperwork, obtains the Health Director’s signature and sends it to the Human Resources Director for the County. The ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT Board of Health Policy and Procedures Manual Section III: Board Processes Process B: Supplemental Processes d. Annual Performance Review Process for Health Director Reviewed by: Board of Health Approved by: Board of Health, Health Director Review Annually (July) Page 2 of 2 Original Effective Date: January 2000 Revision Dates: 4/23/09, 1/2014, 11/2014 S:\MANAGERS WORKING FILES\BOH\AGENDAS & ABSTRACTS \2020 Agenda & Abstracts\October 2020\VI.B. Attachment III.B.d.Evaluation of Health Director.doc Human Resources Director processes the remaining paperwork. The goal should be to have the performance review complete within 30 days of the hiring date anniversary. Health Director’s Report October 2020 • September 28 & 29, 2020 – Orange County School Board of Education meetings; Q& A about COVID-19 and school reopening plans • September 30, 2020 – NC DHHS Regional Support Teams Operational Meeting; update on recruitment and hiring of Regional Coordinator position and 6 Community Infection Prevention Educator positions. • October 1, 2020 – OC DEI Executive /Leadership Team meeting; continued work on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for all County Departments; group worked on vision, mission and values statement. • October 2, 2020 – Carolina PROSPER meeting; Upcoming activities - Carolina PROSPER seeks to partner with 3-6 small-to medium sized businesses during November 2020 to assess COVID-related occupational safety, health, and well-being needs and provide technical assistance; Carolina PROSPER launched the COVID-19 Worksite Impact Survey on 10/2/20. This survey targets businesses in a 10-county area in central North Carolina (Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Durham, Guilford, Granville, Lee, Orange, Person, Wake). It details COVID-related occupational safety, health, and well-being needs and interests and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. It can be located here: http://bit.ly/CarolinaPROSPERSurvey. • October 6, 2020 – Partner Information Sharing Group (formerly MAC group) meeting; decision made to meet first Tuesday of each month only. • October 12, 2020 – NCALHD Executive Committee Call • October 13, 2020 – Child Fatality Team Meeting • October 14, 2020 – Haggerty Long-term Recovery Meeting – Health Group; work session to identify community partners to take lead on various focus areas. • October 15, 2020 – Campus & Community Collaborative Leadership Team Meeting (Virtual) • October 15, 2020 – NC Association of Local Health Directors Meeting (Virtual) • October 16, 2020 – NCALHD New Health Director Orientation (Virtual) • October 22, 2020 – Panelist for the Diversity in Public Health: Navigating the Field as a Person of Color, for the Minority Student Caucus at UNC Gillings School of Public Health. • October 22, 2020 – Co-presenter for new service learning series, Gillings on the Ground: Emergencies in Public Health • The team and I continue to work with UNC, both the school districts, and several community agencies to discuss re-opening plans. • I recently implemented a departmental reorganization. With the recent retirement of our previous Nursing Director, I felt strongly that the Personal Health Services Division was too large for a new Director to come in and manage without the years of institutional and community knowledge that she had. There will continue to be 5 Divisions. Each division and the respective program areas will include: Personal Health Services – Medical Clinic Staff, Communicable Disease Staff and Nutrition Services, Community Health Services (NEW) – Family Home Visiting, Family Success Alliance, and Health Promotion & Education Services, Finance & Administration – Billing & Collections, Vital Records, Informatics, Compliance/Quality Improvement, IT & HR Liaisons, Dental Health, and Environmental Health. Upcoming Testing Events • Saturday, October 24, 2020; 12pm -4pm – St. Thomas More Catholic Church 940 Carmichael Street Chapel Hill, NC 27514; We will also give FREE Flu Shots at this testing event. • Beginning Monday, October 26, 2020, Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm – OCHD, Whitted Building, 300 West Tryon Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278 Agenda Item Number: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: October 28, 2020 Agenda Item Subject: COVID-19 Update Attachment(s): Staff or Board Member Reporting: Quintana Stewart Purpose: ____ Action _ X Information only ____ Information with possible action Summary Information: Quintana Stewart will give an update on COVID-19 status in Orange County. Recommended Action: ___Approve ___Approve & forward to Board of Commissioners for action ___Approve & forward to ___________________________ _X_Accept as information ___Revise & schedule for future action ___Other (detail): Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill gained national attention in August when officials reversed reopening plans one week after the fall semester began. Despite months of planning, COVID-19 cases escalated rapidly after students returned to campus. A week after classes resumed, more than 170 students and employees tested positive for COVID-19, hundreds more were in isolation and quarantine and new COVID-19 clusters were announced daily. The ABC11 I-Team filed an open records request and obtained emails sent between top university officials in I-TEAMEmails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening By Samantha Kummerer SHARE TWEET EMAIL menu EDIT Log In WATCH VIDEOS Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] the months leading up to the reopening and the days before in-person classes were abruptly canceled. Emails and testimony reveal health officials voiced concerns over reopening plans for months and students and faculty recommendations went unimplemented as officials executed a reopening plan largely created before cases spiked throughout the state. MAY 'Carolina is leading in COVID-19 response' was the subject of the first email ABC11 received between UNC- Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and officials back in April. UNC, like many universities across the country, had switched to virtual learning and were just beginning to envision what re-opening plans would entail in August. Providing antibody testing for all students was briefly discussed between UNC System leaders and Senator Richard Burr early in May. But, weeks later, UNC-Chapel Hill's first draft of its reopening plan made no mention of testing for all students. Instead, the plan outlined daily self-symptom checks, mandated masks and limited group gatherings. At the end of May, email exchanges between UNC and Orange County health officials reveal county officials tried to set up a "good working relationship" and set up time for "crucial dialogue." A spokesperson for Orange County confirmed collaboration between the entities didn't begin until Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] May. Emails exchanged between the Orange County Medical Director Erica Pettigrew and Kenneth Pittman, UNC Director of Campus Health, in late May show the two had spoken through Zoom. At the time, dorms were already identified for quarantining students, some staff members were trained on contact tracing and officials were evaluating the use of rapid tests. JUNE When the 'Roadmap for Fall 2020' was presented to faculty it sparked some concern. "That announcement caught us by surprise because most faculty had not been privy to any of the conversations that had taken place before that," said Dr. Jay Smith, a UNC history professor and vice president of the local American Association of University Professors chapter. Faculty in the Institute for Arts and Humanity wrote in one email on May 22: "The current plan puts the value of human life to the side, subordinating public health to a robust influx of revenue and accepting without note that the University plan will certainly cause the spread of COVID19 and death." In early June, many top faculty had questions and conveyed a lack of transparency and collaboration in the development of plans, according to emails. "Many faculty are asking why the University has not announced a plan for regularly testing students, staff and faculty," Dr. Lloyd Kramer, former chair of the Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] faculty, wrote to Provost Bob Blouin and others on June 7 ahead of a Faculty Executive Committee meeting. The email included many concerns from head staff members including testing and procedures concerning classroom spacing and cleaning. "I would just add that not having this kind of information is making it incredibly difficult to convince instructors that it is safe to return to campus. More information and transparency would be a big help to rebuild the trust necessary for employees to feel safe," one professor wrote in a list of questions. Another professor wrote: "How are those decisions being made - who is making them and who among you is properly trained to make them? And shouldn't we all be making them together?" "The administrative leaders, I think, were listening but the concern was that there was a tendency to listen to the epidemiologist and the scientists but not to take into consideration as much other factors, ethical factors, maybe the diversity of the student and staff communities that might be adversely (affected) by reopening," Kramer told the ABC11 I-Team. Students also conveyed frustrations over leaders not implementing their recommendations. A new student group, the Commission of Campus Equality and Student Equity, was created during the pandemic to address the impact of UNC's reopening decision on minority students. "We condemn the University's lack of acknowledgment Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] and actionable response to the thousands of students, facilities workers, and faculty members that have expressed grave life-threatening concerns regarding an in-person return," one of the commission's resolution letter said. Over the summer, the group made a number of recommendations to leaders, including all courses be offered virtually and limiting on-campus housing to those with the greatest need. "As we dialogue with undergraduate students throughout our most marginalized Carolina communities, there is a consistent consensus from both our peers and residents of the town of Chapel Hill-they are scared, fearful, and distrustful," one of the commission's resolution letters said. Greear Webb, a UNC sophomore and member on the commission said he felt the university was responsive to input but frustration came over a lack of acting on the input. "They seemed like they were listening, but they didn't implement it and now look where we are," Webb said. "It was disappointing." Kramer said the faculty committee did conduct surveys between faculty on comfort level coming back to campus and those responses were fairly evenly divided. "The problem was there was no way to mitigate those concerns without abandoning in-person teaching entirely. There was going to be that problem if we taught in person. That's why in some sense, the communication could only go so far. We just couldn't Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] predict the future and I think that was a frustration shared on both sides," he said. Kramer said one of the biggest frustrations the faculty expressed was wanting more details on what factors would set an 'exit ramp' in motion. Dr. Mimi Chapman, who took over Kramer's role mid- summer, said those specifics were never given. JULY Throughout the summer, campus leadership continued to work on an 'off-ramp.' In emails, officials said they would consider local hospitalization numbers and testing turnaround times. At the beginning of July, Guskiewicz wrote to campus leaders: "Currently, our health care leaders and public health/infection disease experts are not calling for an 'off-ramp' based on available information or that their systems/ operations are in any way overwhelmed her in Chapel Hill and Orange County." That was as Orange County health officials began to point to some 'major concerns.' "We are stretched thin as it is," wrote Orange County health director Erica Pettigrew in anticipation of the resources and assistance needed when students caused the county's population to increase by 25 percent. Just one month before most students were expected to arrive back on campus, Pettigrew highlighted her concerns in an email to Blouin on July 1. Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] "OCHD remains very concerned that the capacity for quarantined students will run out quickly. Plan B is urgently needed," she wrote. Her other main concerns included lack of contract tracers, no plan for mass testing clusters, no plan for mass testing dorms, and increasing complaints from university employees who were told to get COVID-19 testing from their primary care doctor. At the time of the email, six university housekeepers had tested positive, 12 students were positive and cases were already linked to bars and fraternity parties. A week later, 37 student-athletes, coaches and athletic staff would be positive for COVID-19 after resuming workouts on campus. Pettigrew's concerns continued. "I was extremely alarmed to learn tonight that graduate students and faculty dieticians are being sent to the isolation and quarantine dorms to personally deliver meals and medications without proper precautions in place," she wrote to Blouin on July 10. She described COVID-19 positive students interacting without masks with graduate students tasked with delivering meals, actions she said were "not in alignment" with plans the University shared with the health department and "not in compliance with public health guidance." "This problematic situation highlights two concerns we've voiced from the beginning -- the need for review of detailed plans as well as testing problems," she concluded. Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] Following emails show campus leaders discussed and reviewed the protocols on food delivery to isolated students. As local health officials pointed to continual concerns, the UNC Board of Governors called for financial impact reports from all chancellors. Emails show the Board of Governors were consulting on the financial impact of closing campuses and canceling fall sports while requesting each chancellor reduce budgets by 25 percent and 50 percent. "This is not a request, this is a directive, and I want each of you to respond to this email confirming that you understand that you are to take no action until the board and new President have met to make a decision about how to proceed," wrote Randy Ramsey, UNC Board of Governors Chairman on July 14. Many faculty members expressed confusion over whether UNC-Chapel Hill officials had the ultimate power in choosing whether students returned to campus. "What was very unclear and what became more clear is the extent to which the chancellor and provost were making decisions within constraints from the UNC System Office and so overtime that became clear that they could not really make their own decisions. They could make decisions within confines but not an all or nothing decision about to reopen or not reopen," Chapman said. "That was a constant negotiation that was going on apparently and so I think that was somewhat confusing to everyone because the system was not necessarily taking responsibility for that." UNC-Chapel Hill officials did not respond to the I- Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] Team's request to clarify who had the authority to make the final decision to bring students back to campus. "The Board of Governors did not take action to mandate reopening of UNC campuses for the fall semester nor overrule any campus reopening decisions," a spokesperson for the UNC system wrote in an email. The spokesperson also pointed to a statement previously made by Board of Governors Chair Randy Ramsey: "In a large and diverse university system like ours, there is a great deal of shared responsibility, consultation, and collaboration. Since President Hans came on board on August 1st, he has had the support of our board and the full authority to work with our chancellors to make the decisions to modify or adapt operations." As the month progressed, emails show campus leaders continued to move forward with reopening plans by communicating with county health officials on contract tracing efforts and testing capacity. "The numbers were going up all over the country. That was not the assumption when the roadmap came out in May so the assumptions it was based on were changing and so that was a big concerns for the faculty," Chapman said. In July, North Carolina was labeled in the 'red zone' for cases by the White House Coronavirus Task Force and reporting a positivity rate of almost above 10 percent. "It was pretty clear that we were heading into uncharted waters with this pandemic by July and Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] August. And we wrote petitions and we sent emails to the administrators and we organized rallies and we had a town hall and we couldn't get through to them," Smith said. Still, the overall plan of offering in-person classes did not waver, according to email exchanges. "We did not fully understand the way in which we could be overwhelmed by the spread of the disease once it started and I regret that we could not predict that more accurately," Kramer said. However, emails reveal the OCHD did know the extent that the community could be overwhelmed by COVID- 19 and warned UNC leaders. The true extent of OCHD's concerns boiled over days before the first round of students was expected to start moving in. Guskiewicz, Blouin and Vice-Chancellor George Battle received an email from Orange County health officials recommending students start virtually. "I fear it will not be enough to contain the full campus community upon return for the Fall Semester," the email said. "If students begin to move back on campus next week, we could quickly become a hot spot for new cases as thousands of students from all across the country/world merge onto the UNC Campus." Before the semester even began, cases increased by 22 percent between 18 and 22-year-olds. Health officials pointed to continual issues with contact tracing and testing, receiving mounting concerned emails and a lack of planning regarding public buses. "To keep the town operational we could potentially Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] create several clusters of cases from one single bus ride," the officials wrote to campus leaders on July 31. The Orange County Health Department declined an on-camera interview but when asked why this recommendation was not made earlier, a spokesperson said: "The UNC System made a statement that the local universities needed recommendations from their local health officials if they needed to deviate from the system reopening plans." AUGUST A week after OCHD sent the letter, Guskiewicz addressed the community once the contents of the letter were leaked. "We reviewed their recommendations, and carefully analyzed our current status and the steps we were actively taking to de-densify our campus. We believe we have made significant progress towards aligning with the OCHD's general recommendations and considerations," he wrote. UNC Chapel Hill clarifies reopening guidelines amid COVID-19 pandemic, reducing on- campus occupancy Classroom occupancy reduced to 30 percent, residential living reduced to 64 percent and collaboration with transportation partners was mentioned in the chancellor's announcement. "I also reiterated that we believe we are well prepared for the start of the Fall semester and we will continue to track trends that could lead us to recommend a Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] modification to our plans. Soon after, I discussed this matter with the UNC System and we were advised by the UNC System to stay the course with our current plan," Guskiewicz wrote of his discussions with OCHD. Smith said leaders not disclosing the recommendation they received from the health department was a 'serious error.' "If you look at this from a strictly moral and strictly public health perspective, that incident in late July one could argue provided the chancellor and the provost had all of the opening they needed to side with public health officials and to side with common sense against the stated position of the BOG Board of Governors," Smith said referring to the OCHD letter sent on July 29. Smith said not sharing the letter was a tipping point for him and other faculty. He was one of the dozens of tenured UNC professors who published an open letter to undergraduate students urging them to stay home. "It was clear that they were not interested in listening to reason at that point and so they weren't going to listen to us either," Smith said. "So, we had to appeal to a constituency outside the administration- students, and their parents to try to get them on our side." The letter, published in the Charlotte Observer, pointed to 'faulty assumptions' the UNC plan was based on and stated it was not safe for students to live on campus. UNC continued with plans to welcome students back on campus. Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] On August 3, thousands of students begin moving back to campus, one week before school started. Days later, a video surfaced showing dozen of people coming out of a home without masks. As classes started, one professor wrote to faculty: "We are now 2 days into the fall semester and overall everything seems to be working fairly well." That same day, Orange County health director Quintana Stewart emailed Guskiewicz and Blouin: "We are on the brink of a cluster in Granville Towers." By the end of the week, Granville Towers and Ehringhaus Community have COVID-19 clusters. Emails exchanged in the first week of classes show top university officials proceeded in a somewhat routine way. Speeches were planned for various faculty, new COVID-19 signage was created but in the background, the financial strain peeked in. In the middle of the first week, UNC System President Peter Hans alerted all chancellors to manage expenses and operations carefully while giving attention to a few key areas, including capital construction and salary changes. Over the weekend, daily cases of new positive cases climbed and two more clusters were announced. News of a party held over the weekend was sent to officials and a special faculty executive meeting was announced for the following week. Housing data shared in emails show 20-31 students canceled their housing contracts within the first weekend and the university received many calls Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] inquiring about cancellations. By Monday, August 17, 349 students were in campus quarantine and another 177 in isolation. By 1 p.m., campus officials were reviewing a draft of an email that would eventually alert the campus hours later that in-person classes would be canceled. The emails ABC11 obtained do not show the factors weighed or the conversations between officials leading up to this decision. Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger sent an email to Blouin and Guskiewicz at 2 p.m. requesting the university take action against the increase in cases and "toll that the re-opening of the UNC campus" had on the community. Hemminger called the situation an "avoidable" outcome and a "direct result of the decisions made by university administrators." "The vacuum left by the university's decision to take minimal responsibility for students when they are off- campus has meant that the need for monitoring and reporting has fallen to peers and neighbors, which is neither appropriate nor fair," the mayor wrote. Hemminger stressed the need to work together and request the university provide more updates to its COVID-19 dashboard and pursue the off-ramp to virtual learning. Hours later, the news broke of the university canceling in-person classes. Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate classes to shift entirely online after multiple COVID-19 clusters reported, chancellor announces "As much as we believe we have worked diligently to help create a healthy and safe campus living and learning environment, we believe the current data presents an untenable situation. As we have always said, the health and safety of our campus community is paramount, and we will continue to modify and adapt our plan when necessary," Guskiewicz and Blouin wrote in the alert. Faculty said they were not aware of the decision before the campus-wide announcement came. "I think the management of the immediate aftermath of that announcement here at the campus level showed that they have not thought this process through," Smith said. "It seemed to us, to many of us anyway, that our administration too was in crisis. And, you know, that they were making decisions on the fly without a lot of forethought." 'A lot of uncertainty': UNC Chapel Hill Student Body President on school's COVID-19 challenges That evening, Guskiewicz gave an interview to WRAL. In an email reviewing his talking points, he was told to avoid discussing that this has been a 'trying time' and that the roadmap was based on assumptions from spring and summer. "We will not apologize for trying," Leslie Minton, the associate director of UNC Media relations wrote to Guskiewicz. Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] Looking ahead Months after the pivot, UNC is trying to once again plan ahead. "University leaders are taking a detailed and thorough approach to planning, and Chancellor Guskiewicz is working closely with the Campus and Community Advisory Committee, Roadmap Implementation Team, content experts across the University, and a number of local and state partners through the process," a spokesperson for the university wrote in an email. In September, UNC announced the creation of the Campus & Community Advisory Committee, a group made up of faculty, students and Chapel Hill community members. The group is tasked with providing recommendations to officials for the spring semester. Many faculty and students are hopeful the creation of the committee will lead to a more inclusive planning process. "I think the chancellor and provost certainly heard the faculty, staff and students very clearly that we wanted more input before decisions were made, so at least to be able to give recommendations and to have all the information to sort of know who were working on things in details," said Chapman, a co-chair for the committee. She said the collaboration between different groups has been positive and useful. "That makes a difference in terms of thinking about all Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] the different ramifications of any different decision and we all kind of recognize that we all rise and fall together so we can't make things good for faculty but not good for students or good for business owners and not good for some other group," she said. Webb said he and other students are still very concerned about the lack of a wide-scale testing plan. "Until that plan is put in place, students are really saying that we don't feel safe coming back to campus. We don't view it as any different circumstance than where we were in March," he said. "This virus is still very prominent. This virus is still very dangerous and deadly. Students, the most important stakeholders of the university, don't want to be thrust back into an unhealthy environment." Chapman said the provost does have a small working group focused on testing and is evaluating what testing options might be adopted. Kramer pointed to testing as one of the university's weaknesses in the fall. Chapman said, while UNC is involving more voices this time around, she hopes the overarching UNC System is also considering things differently too for the spring. "Recognizing that each of the UNC System campuses has different needs and will be in different places in the spring, some counties may have low viral loads and some may have high viral load and that those campuses need to be able to respond to their conditions and this can't be a one size fit all and it can't be a thing where so many decisions have to be negotiated that it undermines trust in the process," Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] Chapman said. A spokesperson for Orange County wrote in an email that the health department is looking to gather more details about campus living before students return to campus again. "I think that what needs to be considered is what is realistic about the progress of the disease. We kept assuming that it was going to get better in the spring. That was sort of the assumption it would be a decline in the fall, that assumption was not correct so I think what we have to think about as we plan for the spring is whatever predictions we might make are likely to be inaccurate in some way because the situation always goes beyond what we can expect," Kramer said. While decisions about the semester are being made, the university announced last week the semester will be delayed two weeks and there will not be a traditional Spring Break. UNC-Chapel Hill officials declined an on-camera interview and did not directly answer all of the I- Team's questions but did provide links to past announcements and videos to various planning meetings. The I-Team has requested emails between UNC System Board of Governors over this same time period. These emails have still not been released nearly two months after the request. Report a correction or typo RELATED TOPICS: education chapel hill unc coronavirus college i team Orange County also has a Frequently Asked Questions page about Halloween guidance on the county government's websit e. Additionally, both the North Carolina Department of Health and Hum an Servi ces and the Centers for Disease Co ntro l have issued public health recommendations for the October holiday. New p oll: Mrtch McC onnell is tr.:iiling Amy McGrat h. Chip in t o defeat him .. . . . Chapelborc ___ ··-o-----· -�----, ou can support local 1ournahsm and our m,ss,on to serve the community. Contribute today-every single dollar matters. Town of Chapel Hill: No Holiday Parade, Halloween on Fr anklin Street Due co COVID October 2, 2020 Sponsored Content [Photos] Remember Chuck Norris? Let's Have A Look At Him Now. srar LJW News Hillsborough Holiday Parade Goes V irtual Due to COVID-19 Pandemic October 14, 2020 [It's True] Man Who Predicted Trump Win Makes Surprising New Prediction bettertyfe.news Orange County Surpasses 2,000 Total Coronavirus Cases August 25, 2020 «ec:o111111cnded bf f!lu tbrain I 1> New poll: Mitch McConnell is trailing Amy McGrath. Chip in to defeat him. pelos11orcongress.org Forsyth among first urban NC counties to use new online system for reporting deaths | Local News | journalnow.com https://journalnow.com/...n-nc-counties-to-use-new-online-system-for-reporting-deaths/article_442703c6-08cb-11eb-98be-b33505ef2142.html[10/19/20, 3:50:54 PM] TOP STORY Forsyth among first urban NC counties to use new online system forreporting deaths Richard Craver Oct 9, 2020 0 Join T he state's seven largest urban counties will be the first to use a new online system for reporting death records, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday. The system will launch on a staggered rollout starting Oct. 19 affecting Buncombe, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Johnston, Mecklenburg, Orange and Wake counties. The system will be known by the acronym NCDAVE, short for NC Database Application for Vital Events. Through NCDAVE, North Carolina’s funeral directors, medical certifiers and medical examiners will compile death information electronically, which can then be submitted to local registrars for the creation of a death certificate and then onward to registers of deeds for issuance. Statewide implementation is anticipated by June with 19 additional counties going online in December. Support Local Journalism Forsyth among first urban NC counties to use new online system for reporting deaths | Local News | journalnow.com https://journalnow.com/...n-nc-counties-to-use-new-online-system-for-reporting-deaths/article_442703c6-08cb-11eb-98be-b33505ef2142.html[10/19/20, 3:50:54 PM] “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of having accurate vital records available as quickly as possible,” Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, the state's health director, said in a statement. “By accelerating the time to finalize death certificates from more than a month to a matter of days, we will be able to understand and respond to public health trends faster.” NCDAVE is replacing a manual, paper-based process that could take months, and sometimes required funeral home staff to drive to several offices for death certificates to be registered. Tags DHHS said the new system "will allow for greater efficiency, increased data accuracy and consistency in reporting processes, faster delivery of death certificates, reduce travel cost for funeral firms, and improve disease tracking for public health purposes." Implementing NCDAVE "will greatly reduce wait times for families who need their loved ones’ death records and enhance the vital statistics we collect for the state,” said Mark Benton, assistant secretary for the N.C. Division of Public Health. The system was developed in coordination with VitalChek. For more information about death reporting and vital statistics, visit vitalrecords.nc.gov. 336-727-7376 @rcraverWSJ 0 comments Dhhs Coronavirus Covid Death Records Electronic System Ncdave Certifier Company Statistics Economics Law Public Health North Carolina Department Of Health And Human Services Funeral Director Vital Statistics Medical Examiner Commerce North Carolina Urban County UNC Set for Road Game Protocols BYGREG BARNES Sep 30, 8:22 PM • • • 3 From: https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina/Article/Trademark- applications-surface-for-Michael-Jordans-NASCAR-team-153203072/ CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 12 North Carolina will once again experience a first in the time of coronavirus this week when it takes its first road trip of the 2020 football season. The Tar Heels will depart on Friday for Chestnut Hill, a small village split between Boston, Brookline and Newton in Eastern Massachusetts. Kickoff against Boston College at Alumni Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. (ABC). UNC returned to campus in June and constructed a makeshift bubble around the Kenan Football Center in an effort to keep COVID-19 out, and save for a cluster of cases in early July that halted summer workouts, Mack Brown and his staff have succeeded in keeping their players out of quarantine. That methodology will depart the normalized confines of Chapel Hill for the first time this weekend, bringing with it a new set of protocols for the Tar Heels. The staff and players have grown accustomed to gaiters at the practice fields, although those won’t be good enough for air travel. The team will shift to N95 respirator masks for the plane and those will have to stay on for the duration of the flight in addition to the bus rides. “They're not going to be able to drink fluids on the bus or the plane,” Brown said on Wednesday. “I think it's a two-hour flight. So we've got to make sure that they hydrate before and after really well and while they're there.” Mack Brown (Photo: Grant Halverson) It’s standard fare for players to grab boxed lunches following games on their way to the team bus, although due to the mask requirement while traveling, UNC will actually sit in the stands at Alumni Stadium to eat its postgame meal. The Tar Heels stayed at a hotel the night before their season opener at Syracuse, so everyone has some familiarity with protocols required for Friday night in Boston. The program is sending longtime director of football operations Joe Haydon up early to make sure requirements are met at the hotel prior to the team’s arrival. Football coaches and players are creatures of habit, which makes 2020 so challenging. There’s nothing normal about even the most mundane tasks. “What we've told the guys is it's all going to be different,” Brown said. “This year is going to be different, maybe different next year. Who knows when this is going to change. And the teams that play the best will be the ones that can adapt to it without griping about it because it is what it is.” UNC continues testing three days a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – and the final results are potentially not available until early on Saturday, which has forced Brown to prepare a contingency plan in case he or any of his assistant coaches are unable to be on the sidelines when the game kicks off. The Hall of Fame head coach has only shared that plan with his coordinators to avoid such a hypothetical from becoming disruptive for his coaching staff. “I told [the players] yesterday, and these are facts, that until Saturday morning, we really don't know if we're going to play,” Brown said. “Then you don't know who's going to coach the game and you don't know who's going to play in the game until we get the test results back, so it's just what it is. And that's kind of the way we've handled it. We have a sudden change on the field when there's a turnover with the offense and the defense has got to go out and score, or vice versa. This is a year of sudden change. 3COMMENTS “If we get up on Saturday morning, and I've got the virus and I can't coach, we've got to be quick to make some changes and that could happen to anybody at any time. You've just got to be prepared for everything.” All of the protocol decisions have been put in place by medical experts. Brown has established a COVID-19 coordinating committee, consisting of Director of Sports Medicine Dr. Mario Ciocca, head athletic trainer Luke Ross, senior associate athletic director for capital projects/facilities Rick Steinbacher, senior associate athletic director Dwight Hollier and associate athletic director Corey Holliday, to work with the Orange County Health Department to determine protocols. Comments (3)