Health & Human Services Board - Regular Meeting — Minutes

Chippewa County Health & Human Services Board Regular Meeting June 18, 2026 Chippewa County Courthouse, Room 302 8:00 AM 1. Call to Order The Chair called the meeting to order at 08:00 AM 2. Roll Call Members Present: Kari Ives, Pam Guthman, Dennis Bachman, Sandy Frohling, MD, Marcia Kyes Members Absent: Lee Hennick, James Ericksen, John Halbleib, Robert Bullwinkel, MD Others Present: Others Present: County Administrator Andy Albarado; Human Services Staff: Bobbie Jaeger, Brandi Engel, Paul Brenner, Sarah Zielke; Public Health Staff: Brittnay Fortuna, Audra Knowlton, Sarah McQuillan, Allie Isaacson, Jennifer Lenbom, and Tabitha Wessels. 3. Members of the Public Wishing to Be Heard (Comments will be limited to 5 minutes per speaker.) There were no members of the public wishing to be heard. 4. Consent Agenda (Unless separation of an item is requested, all items will be adopted under one motion.) 1. Approve the Agenda Motion: Approved Result: Passed (5 - 0) Mover: Pam Guthman Seconder: Marcia Kyes Ayes: Kari Ives, Pam Guthman, Dennis Bachman, Sandy Frohling, MD, Marcia Kyes Nayes: None Absent: Lee Hennick, James Ericksen, John Halbleib, Robert Bullwinkel, MD 2. Approve the Minutes - May 21, 2026 3. Schedule Next Meeting Date - July 16, 2026 5. Reports 1. ADRC Board Minutes - May 14, 2026 Minutes of the May 14, 2026, Aging & Disability Resource Center Board Meeting were attached for informational purposes. 2. Public Health Policy, Practice, and Program Success - Community Health Division Staff Community Health staff gave a presentation on Public Health Services. Community Health Division Manager Allie Isaacson reviewed applicable Wisconsin Laws, Level III Health Department standards, and communicable disease prevention and response. They shared a success story involving a gentleman diagnosed with Legionellosis. They worked with his wife, the state, and the state of Colorado to help investigate how he contracted Legionellosis, emphasizing the importance of partnerships. Intake Nurse Tabitha Wessels follows up on animal bites and rabies prevention, giving examples. Public Health Nurse Jennifer Lenbom talked about their immunization services. A success of the program is the strong collaboration with schools, school nurses, and offering mass vaccination clinics within schools. They provide reproductive and family planning services. Lenbom shared a thank-you note from a client who was unable to schedule a doctor’s appointment before leaving on vacation. Public Health was able to provide the needed services. A request was made to track the return on investment. Staff recently attended Force Fields to provide harm reduction education and supplies. This was a partnership with End Overdose. Isaacson and Wessels shared the harm reduction outreach conducted in the community. Dr. Robert Bullwinkel arrived at 8: 20 AM. 3. Public Health Director’s Program and Financial Report – Brittnay Fortuna Public Health Director Brittnay Fortuna presented the Public Health Program and Financial Report. Fortuna highlighted several items from her report: Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo; staff participating in a tabletop exercise next week to prepare for an Ebola outbreak; communicable disease numbers were lower in May; an increase in new businesses; Water Lab data, weekly beach water testing, and inspections conducted at Force Fields. The Nutrition Division is preparing for a state management evaluation; Farmers Market checks and vouchers are being distributed; $25 vouchers are being distributed to food pantries; and the next Blood Drive at the Courthouse is on July 22. The Planning and Strategy Division launched the IMPACT council to guide performance management and quality improvement efforts; Single Point of Entry received 33 referrals in May; reviewed Reaccreditation Dashboard data; CRC-West distributed gas cards and hospital bags to families in need; and Congratulations to staff celebrating years of service. 4. Human Services Director’s Program and Financial Report – Bobbie Jaeger Human Services Director Bobbie Jaeger presented the Human Services Program and Financial Report. Jaeger highlighted several items from her report: Wisconsin Act 115 has now become Wisconsin Statute 50.06, which takes the burden off the health care system; work requirements for adults in Medicaid; Congratulations to staff with work anniversaries, especially Melinda Steele for 11 years of service; the Senior Farmers Market Voucher program began June 1. Child Protective Services had one child reunified with its family; seeing an increase in cases due to substance use by parent(s); Elder Awareness Day was June 15; Comprehensive Community Services had three successful graduations from the program by utilizing supports in the community; crisis cases were down in May but remain high and more complex; reviewed DHS Dashboard data; and continue to monitor out-of-home placements. 5. Human Services 2025–2027 Strategic Plan Updates — Bobbie Jaeger Human Services Director Bobbie Jaeger presented the 2025–2027 Strategic Plan updates. This provides an opportunity to look at what was accomplished in the past six months. A panel with veteran staff was created to discuss tips and tricks learned through the years; small group discussions were held between staff to foster relationships and share experiences; and a survey was completed in May for DHS staff with questions on satisfaction in their roles and what they want other staff to know about their roles. Results showed staff really show pride in their jobs. ADRC staff expanded their job knowledge and participated in a Poverty Simulation and added a Contact Us form on the ADRC website. Updates to the Vehicle Modification Grant increased awareness of vehicle modification resources; Children, Youth, & Families want to increase the number of Foster homes for older children and those with special needs; the Fiscal Team has six contracted providers to work in Avatar; Adult Protective Services (APS) is overwhelmed with the increased caseload and has trained additional staff to cover absences; and they held collaborative meetings with law enforcement, LLS, Public Health, Corporation Counsel, and ADRC to be expedient with services. Discussion on increasing funding and APS for reporting elder abuse. ADRC is seeing an increase in services for the elderly. 6. Public Health Frameworks and Their Role in Community Health and Healthcare Delivery - Brittnay Fortuna Public Health Director Brittnay Fortuna provided an overview of the Public Health frameworks. She reviewed the 10 Essential Public Health Services, Foundational Public Health Services, and the interaction between social determinants of health, policies and programs, and health outcomes, Discussion on the cost of care, transportation, food insecurity, EMS shortage, and funding for EMS staff, which may affect access to care that intersect with hospital bed availability. Fortuna would like to recommend that hospitals in our community share their vision on how they will give back to the community, for example, through grant funding. 6. Business Items 1. Public Health Financial User Fees – Brittnay Fortuna Fiscal Manager Sarah McQuillan reviewed the changes to the Fees for Services spreadsheet. The green changes will be effective July 1, 2026, and the purple changes will be effective January 1, 2027. She highlighted the vaccine administration increases, the sharps disposal fee breakdown, and the percentage change to align with the Federal Poverty Levels. The red changes will be effective April 1, 2027, to align with the five percent state fee increase. Public Health will be creating a resolution to increase the Environmental Health Specialist LTE position to half-time status to help sustain the caseload. Motion: Approved Result: Passed (6 - 0) Mover: Marcia Kyes Seconder: Pam Guthman Ayes: Kari Ives, Pam Guthman, Dennis Bachman, Sandy Frohling, MD, Robert Bullwinkel, MD, Marcia Kyes Nayes: None Absent: Lee Hennick, James Ericksen, John Halbleib 2. Public Health Communications Policy - Brittnay Fortuna Public Health Director Brittnay Fortuna noted this policy aligns with the Communications Plan and provides clear standards for sharing information. She reviewed the policy statement for internal and external communications, which will be branded utilizing the Public Health branding and style guidelines. Motion: Approved Result: Passed (6 - 0) Mover: Pam Guthman Seconder: Sandy Frohling, MD Ayes: Kari Ives, Pam Guthman, Dennis Bachman, Sandy Frohling, MD, Robert Bullwinkel, MD, Marcia Kyes Nayes: None Absent: Lee Hennick, James Ericksen, John Halbleib 7. Agenda Items for Future Consideration 8. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 9:30 AM. Motion: Approved Result: Passed (6 - 0) Mover: Dennis Bachman Seconder: Marcia Kyes Ayes: Kari Ives, Pam Guthman, Dennis Bachman, Sandy Frohling, MD, Robert Bullwinkel, MD, Marcia Kyes Nayes: None Absent: Lee Hennick, James Ericksen, John Halbleib