HomeMy WebLinkAboutHealth Board - Minutes - 12/17/2012
BAYFIELD COUNTY
BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING
Monday, December 17, 2012 – 4:00 PM
Present: Beth Meyers, Deb Dryer, Winefred Punjak, Wayne Williams at 4:27 p.m., Harold Maki at 4:40
p.m.
Absent: John Bennett, Elaine Kopp, Ken Jardine
Staff: Terri Kramolis, Cathy Moore, Pete Morrissette, Jennifer Jako,
Others: None
1. Call the Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 4:03 pm by Chairperson Meyers.
2. Approval of October 22, 2012 Meeting Minutes: (moved to #9): A motion to approve the minutes
of the October 22, 2012 meeting with the correction of adding Dr. Dryer and Beth Meyers to those
who attended was made by Williams; motion seconded by Dryer. Motion carried.
3. Adoption of Agenda: (moved to #2): As there was not a quorum at the time the meeting was called
to order, items that did not require action were addressed first.
4. Budget Update: (moved to #3): The budget was reviewed. There is nothing to highlight. The
budget report was accepted and placed on file.
5. Discussion and Possible Action on CHANGE Grant Award: (moved to #10): Bayfield County
Health Department has received a CHANGE grant in the amount of $10,000. CHANGE (Community
Health Assessment and Group Evaluation) is a data-collection, coalition building and planning
resource for coalitions and other community partnerships. Bad River Tribe, Red Cliff Tribe, Ashland
County and Bayfield County will combine as a coalition on obesity. We will collect data, enter it in
this program and develop an action plan. We have reached out to certain populations who have
difficulty accessing healthy foods and physical activity. It is a very in-depth program. One of the
people contracted was the nurse at Brettings. She was asked to personally contact each of the
employees and ask them what makes them want to participate or not participate in activities. This
grant can be renewed annually. Next year we could write for $20,000 if we have everything ready
from this year. A motion to forward the resolution on to the Full County Board for approval was
made by Maki; motion seconded by Williams. Motion carried.
6. CHIP (Community Health Improvement Plan) Progress: (moved to #4): The Community Health
Improvement Plan is a statutory requirement for both local health departments and an IRS
requirement for hospitals. The assessment has been completed and from that the priority areas have
been selected. An initial draft plan is done. We expect to publish the Plan in February 2013. The
Health Department is required to do this every five years; the hospital is required to do it every three
years. With the Health Board’s okay, we will review the data every three years and reprioritize and
do a full assessment every six years. This is an unfunded mandate; fortunately we have been able to
get interns through the AHEC program to do this. Memorial Medical Center has a grant to pay for
the publishing and dispersing to the community. It will be distributed to stakeholders and to those
identified as community partners. If the Health Board wants it sent to anyone else, let Kramolis
know.
7. Fit Families Grant: (moved to #5): Fit Families is grant funding awarded to the Bay Area WIC
Project for families served by WIC that are identified at risk for overweight and obesity. This is new
for the Health Department. This is a behavior change program for families of 2 to 3 year old children
with a BMI greater than the 85 percentile although families with children under the 85th percentile can
also participate. It is a year-long program. People sign a contract stating they will participate in the
program. It focuses on drinking healthier beverages, eating more fruits and vegetables, watching less
television, and being more active. Data from other WIC programs around the state show good
improvement in BMI. There will be individual counseling with WIC participants. Our goal is a
caseload of 25. The program will be run by Jennifer Jako, Nutritionist and Peter Morrissette, Public
Health Educator.
8. Jail Health Update: (moved to #6): Lynn Frechette who works part-time in Human Services in the
COP Program and 20 hours per week in the jail will be retiring in January. The Administrator would
like jail health to go back into the Health Department. He felt this would provide nursing supervision
and backup. The concern is if this is not decided soon there will not be enough time to advertise, hire
and train someone before Lynn retires. Right now we only have one full-time nurse who does not
have the time to take this on. The County is also looking at contracting for a jail nurse. The
submitted bids have been between $65,000 and $75,000. Lynn’s salary and fringe benefit package is
about $50,000. The agency Ashland County contracts with has pharmaceutical services and a doctor
on call 24 hours per day. Dryer felt this program does not belong in the health department as this is
not a public health service. The liability would be with the county and the health department would
have to write all the protocols. With a contract agency, the liability is with them and they write all the
protocols. The drawback with a contract agency is that there is no follow-up once the inmate is
released.
9. Accreditation Update: (moved to #7): The State of Wisconsin is pursuing Public Health
Accreditation and all local health departments are at various levels of looking towards the
accreditation process. Bayfield County is at the freshmen level in the process. Three counties in the
state of Wisconsin have submitted and one has been evaluated by the national accreditation board.
We have just applied for another $10,000.
Wayne Williams joined the meeting at 4:27 p.m.
Right now health departments are rated as a Level I, II or III. At a Level III, which we are, we get 10
percent more grant funding. Sometime in the future accreditation will be mandated. One of the
components is to find better ways to do things.
10. 317 Vaccine Funding Changes Update: (moved to #8): 317 is the discretionary funding that pays
for our Vaccine for Children (VFC) vaccine that we give free to all children.
Harold Maki joined the meeting at 4:40 p.m.
We are trying to work our issues with the school-based clinics. We will be held totally responsible
for the cost of any vaccine that expires. The State of Wisconsin spends about $6 million on this
program. Much of what we order comes in 10 dose units. Sometimes we don’t give 10 doses in a
year. We will have to work more closely with other health departments and clinics in the area to
coordinate vaccine inventory. . The State of Wisconsin has submitted FQHC designations request for
all local health departments. This will give us more flexibility in who we can administer
immunizations to. Response from the CDC is pending.
11. Student Mentoring: Within the public health structure there is a program called LEAP, Linking
Education with Practice. We are contracted with five or six college campuses for nursing students
can come to be mentored in public health. They need to do a community health rotation. This year
we mentored two students.
12. County Wellness Program: Pete Morrissette runs the wellness programs for employees. He has also
reached out into the community with wellness programs. Security Health, the County’s insurance
provider, has a wellness program. They offer some online or prepared programs for us; Pete develops
the others. Employees on Security Health can have free biometric screenings. People are then asked
input data about themselves in program. This all filters into the risk factors and what the County pays
for health insurance. We have struggled with employee participation and getting the numbers up.
Security Health has informed us that if we don’t have 50 percent participation from employees
covered by Security Health that we don’t get accurate data. We are also not reaching the standard
where Security Health would give money to the health department. There was a personnel request
from administration that gave employees the choice of participating in our biometric screening and
entering data in the program or seeing their physician for a biometric screening and entering the data
in the program. Those who participated would get a reduction in their portion of the health insurance
premium. The employees who planned to see their physician were not receptive to entering data in
the program so now they don’t have to enter the data. Because of this we may not meet that 50
percent.
The AFSCME Union has purchased a treadmill for the Superior Health room. Pete also purchased
Wii Fit and he will be setting up some team competitions. We have also set up a points program.
The more people participate the more points they will get and they will receive a financial incentive.
Right now the incentive is $75. We may try to give an incentive to those who see their physician for
the biometric assessment and enter the data in the Security Health program to try to keep our platinum
standing. With that platinum standing we get $2,000 plus a lot of canned programs, health coaching,
etc. There is the fear among employees that the county will be able to access the data they enter and
know if they have conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. The Board suggested the
Health Department do some type of education on security of health data. That has already been done
and employees are still not receptive to this although we can send out an overview explaining the
security of health data, how the process will work and how it will benefit us. There was a suggestion
that the health risk appraisal be done on paper with no identifiable data and someone in the health
department could enter the data. There was also a suggestion to contract with a third entity such as
the University of Michigan.
13. Environmental Health:
a. Inspections Report: The inspection report was reviewed. There were no questions.
14. Next Meeting Date: February 18, 2013 – 4:00 pm.
15. Other Issues: There is a problem at WIC with cars cutting through the parking lot between Super
One and Third Street. Cars are going through at great speed. WIC has lots of women with babies and
small children. A letter was sent to the City of Ashland Police Chief. He turned it over to the city
street superintendent. The city street superintendent said this is a private parking lot so he can’t do
anything with it. Kramolis is going to ask the property owner and the other two renters to see if they
have a problem with putting up signage. There was a suggestion that we contact the property owner
and that access closed off.
Loan closet: We have medical equipment that we loan out such as walkers, wheelchairs, bath
benches, etc. They are free for 60 days and then there is a small charge. We have been trying to get
some other entity to take over this service. There is a question of liability. The Ashland Senior
Center is the only one willing to take it. The Iron River veterans have a loan closet. There was
discussion regarding the liability to the county if the equipment is not maintained properly. Also
there is liability if the equipment is not fitted properly to the person. It was felt we may need to keep
the program until we could find someone else to take it over.
16. Adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 5:27 pm.
Respectfully Submitted
Cathy Moore, Office Manager