Board of Health

Board of Health Minutes – Approved 2/1/2023 December 7, 2022 Board Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Greg Knight, Roxy Kahan, Diane Albrecht, Lynn Rosemeyer, Brittany Chariton (Zoom), Jennifer Polacek (Zoom) Board Members Excused: Dr. Sally Nazer Health Staff Present: Michelle Cahoon, Melissa Moore Also Present: Chuck Zenner (Board Member), Daniel Gellert Call to Order – Called to order at 8:30AM with a quorum present. Approval of Consent Agenda (Agenda for 12/7, minutes from 10/6) - Agenda approval – motion by Diane, seconded by Greg. Motion carries. - Minutes approval – motion by Greg, seconded by Roxy. Motion carries. Public Comment – None Correspondence - None Highlights from Health Officer Report & Other Departmental Updates i. COVID-19 Response – Cases, Funding, Testing, & Vaccines – Updates on status of COVID in community. Michelle indicated that we are seeing a rise in Influenza A, including hospitalizations (which are reportable). RSV is also present in the community. Flu shots are still available. There was also discussion on th e rise in respiratory virus, including those that are not testing positive for known viruses. AMI contract is not being renewed with Aspirus location at this time. Staffing and interest in vaccines were contributing factors. TCHD will resume doing vaccines for those that are 5 & up. ii. Staffing Update – The Program Specialist position has been posted with three applications responded. Any interested Board members who are interested in being a part of the interview panel to let Michelle know. A current nurse h as elected to move from 1FTE to a .7FTE, making the new position up to a 1FTE position. iii. Updates on programing – Michelle provided a quick overview of items included in this month’s Health Officer Report. Topics included nail care expansion to Goodrich; sc hool- based hearing, vision, and fluoride; preparedness exercises and planning; and cross - agency partnerships. iv. New future agenda item – In the News will be part of your packets in the future so you can see our increased efforts to raise awareness as well as the activities supported and/or lead by the Health Department. Agent Contract & Fees i. Review and approve agent contract for 2023 – Current contract will be ending on December 31, 2022. A copy of the proposed 2023 contract was included in the packet. Michelle reviewed the timelines and changes to the current contract – including state and time reporting requirements – which has been vetted by Corporation Counsel. If there is not an agreement in place with the New Year and MOU is in place with Marathon County to fill that need an alternative is in place. There was also a discussion on if this will continue to be a contracted or be made an employee, and how fees will be able to support the position in the long term. Motion to approve by Greg, seconded by Lynn. Motion carries. ii. Review and approve fee increase for DATCP licensing – Fees have been raised at the state level which will requi re Taylor County to also increase fees. A copy of the proposed increase s with rationale was included in the packet. Michelle provided the background as to how much is given to the state on each license fee, which will go up incrementally over the next two years. Local license holders will receive a 10% increase with next year’s renewals. Motion to approve by Lynn, seconded by Greg. Motion carries. Program Spotlight – Melissa provided an overview of the role harm reduction plays in prevention. This session will be recorded for distribution through the new TCHD YouTube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjjvawfobKlkX2x5AKRYc5Q) with handou ts available online at bit.ly/ODNTHarmRed. Capacity Building, Trainings, & Conferences - Board is invited to attend the WWPHRC/HERC Tabletop drill – Jan 25 9-12pm – Sheriff’s training room, Courthouse - Michelle will be attending the Public Health Operations Conference – February 15-16 in Wisconsin Dells. - Karen, Sara & Whitney are participating in an ICS 30 0 course in Crandon this week. This course is required for all public health staff to support emergency preparedness efforts. Reports from Other Committees - None Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 9:00 AM in the Sheriff’s Training Room, Ground Floor of Courthouse Adjournment at 9:37AM – Motioned made by Diane, seconded by Greg. Motion carries. Submitted by: Melissa Moore, Public Health Coordinator Board of Health Minutes October 6, 2022 Board Members Present: Brittany Chariton (via Zoom), Diane Albrecht, Gregory Knight, Roxy Kahan, Scott Mildbrand, Lynnette Rosemeyer, Sally Nazer (via Zoom) Board Members Excused: Jennifer Polacek Health Staff Present: Michelle Cahoon, Whitney Wiltse Also Present: None Note: Zoom link was available for Board Member unable to attend in person due to scheduling conflict. Call to Order: 8:30 AM Approval of Consent Agenda: Includes Agenda for October 6, 2022; Minute s from August 3, August 11, and August 31, 2022; and the Health Officer Report for September/October . Motion to approve by Lynette Rosemeyer, seconded by Roxy Kahan, motion carries unanimously. Public Comment - None Correspondence - None Highlights from Health Officer Report & Other Departmental Updates v. COVID-19 Response – Cases, Funding, Testing, & Vaccines – We continue to see a handful of cases per day. Testing is still available at local health care sites, and free home tests are available at the dep artment or local libraries. We have started to provide the bivalent vaccines to residents 12+ for Pfizer and 18+ for Moderna. vi. Status of Departmental Budget – Michelle reported that the proposed budget has moved out of Finance and will be voted on during th e County Board meeting at 8:30AM on October 26th. vii. Taylor County Opioid Settlement Discussion – Melissa Moore and Michelle Cahoon have been invited to participate on an ad -hoc committee for the county that has been tasked with creating a plan to spend the $300K+ funds through the state’s master settlement with drug companies for opioid prevention and response. A copy of the state’s summary document from conversations around the state was included in the packet. viii. Updates on Staffing – Melissa Moore has acce pted the Public Health Coordinator position. All staff is back from FMLA. We are waiting to p ost the vacant Public Health Specialist position until renovations in front waiting area are completed this fall. Policies & Procedures – Reviewed and discussed the following items: - Naloxone Policy – A copy of the draft policy which was adapted from Wood County Health Department was included in this month’s packet. Recently, Taylor County Health Department was accepted as a Narcan Direct location with WI DHS, mea ning that we will be able to distribute naloxone to community members and provide overdose prevention trainings. We will also be able to be a hub for partners to access the medications through MOUs. There is no cost to participate in this life -saving progr am. Motion to approve by Gregory Knight , seconded by Diane Albrecht, motion carries unanimously. - Standing Order for Distribution – A draft of the standing order which was revised from other counties in the Narcan Direct program was sent to the department’s medical director. We are waiting for the signature to start the program. - Changes to the fee schedule – Due to the rising costs of TB tests we have raised the fees for that service. A copy of the updated fee schedule was included in the packet. Note also that our out-of-pocket flu shots have also increased this year by $10 per vaccine. Program Spotlight – Immunizations – Michelle provided an overview of the various immunizations that are provided through the department, as well as the various funding sources that support the programs. A copy of the promotional material that was created in both English and Spanish were included in the packet. Capacity Building, Trainings, and Conferences ix. Recaps of recent trainings supported by the Maternal Child Health g rant funds were provided: a. Overdose Prevention – Over 30 people from 10 agencies attended the training on September 26 at NTC. 36 naloxone kits were distributed to partners to have on hand to respond in the event of an overdose. b. Trauma Informed Care 101 – 27 people attended the session on September 28 at NTC, with additional trainings being held in Wausau and Antigo on September 29. There is interest in having Scott Webb come for a future in - service training in the 2022-2023 school year. c. Suicide Prevention/QPR - x. Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Seminar held October 19, 2022, in Green Bay – Information included in the meeting packet. Funds are available for Board members to attend if they are interested. xi. Family Night with the Figureheads held on November 3, 2022, i n Medford . Information included in the meeting packet. xii. Plain Clothes in Wisconsin held November 17, 2002, in Medford. More details coming soon! Reports from other committees – None Next Meeting Dates: xiii. Regular Meeting – December 7, 2022, at 9:00 AM in the Sheriff’s Training Room, Ground Floor of Courthouse Adjournment – Motion to adjourn at 9:32 AM by Diane Albrecht, 2nd by Gregory Knight, motion carries unanimously. Minutes provided by Whitney Wiltse, Public Health Aide, Taylor County Health Department Board of Health Minutes August 31, 2022 Board Members Present: Scott Mildbran d, Lynnette Rosemeyer, Diane Albrecht, Gregory Knight, Roxy Kahan, Sally Nazer (via Zoom), Brittany Chariton (via Zoom) Board Members Excused: Jennifer Polacek Health Staff Present: Michelle Cahoon, Melissa Moore Also Present: Larry Brandl Note: A Zoom link was made available for Board Members who were unable to attend in person. Call to Order: 9:00 AM by Scott. Approval of Agenda: Motion by Diane, seconded Lynn, motion passes unanimously. Review and Approval of 2023 Annual Budget: Acknowledgement by Scott of the stressful situation that the budget process is. A review of the process from the Board of Health Committee to Finance then onto the full County Board. The proposed budget was sent out via email and was available via paper copy for Board members present and was reviewed by the finance director . Michelle provided additional information for each corresponding page of the bud get based on the line items and source s of funding. Request asked by the Committee to provide an estimate regarding sources of funding (levy vs grant funding) for next steps in the approval process . Michelle cautioned that the amounts within the department will be inflated due to remaining COVID-19 response funding. - Follow up was needed on the advertising line in the public health /tax levy lists $6000+ which may have been mislabeled in financial system. With further research the majority was for job postings in local media outlets (per Larry). - Additional questions were asked and responded to while in session. Motion to approve the 2023 Annual Budget by Greg, seconded by Lynn, motion passes unanimously. Budget will be moved onto the Finance Committee. Updated Employee Job Descriptions: Positions proposed for approval include Public Health Director, Public Health Aide, Registered Nurse, and Accounting Specialist/Administrative Support. - Motion to approve the batch of four revised job descriptions, motion by Lynn, seconded by Diane, motion passes unanimously. Next Meeting Date: October 5, 2022, at 9:00 AM in the Sheriff’s Training Room, Ground Floor of Courthouse Adjournment – Motion to adjourn at 10:15 AM by Diane, seconded by Greg, motion passes unanimously. Minutes provided by Melissa Moore, Public Health Program Specialist, Taylor County Health Department Board of Health Minutes August 11, 2022 Board Members Present: Diane Albrecht, Gregory Knight (Acting Chair), Jennifer Polacek (via Zoom), Roxy Kahan Board Members Excused: Scott Mildbrand, Brittany Chariton, Lynnette Rosemeyer, Sally Nazer Health Staff Present: Michelle Cahoon, Melissa Moore Also Present: Amy Kocherer Note: This is a special meeting of the Board of Health to act on an item which is included on the upcoming Finance & Personnel Meeting held August 11, 2022, at 1PM. A Zoom link was available for Board Members who were unable to attend in person. Call to Order: 10:35 AM by Greg, who is acting chair in Scott’s absence. Approval of Agenda: Motion by Diane, seconded Roxy, motion passes unanimously. Updated Employee Job Descriptions: Positions proposed for approval included the Public Health Coordinator ( allow up to 1 FTE, currently vacant) and Public Health Program Specialist (.75 FTE) . Other positions in the department will be acted upon at a future meeting. - Motion to approve the Public Health Coordinator by Diane, seconded by Roxy , motion passes unanimously. - Motion to approve the Public Health Program Specialist by Roxy, seconded by Jennifer, motion passes unanimously. Next Meeting Date: October 5, 2022, at 9:00 AM in the Sheriff’s Trainin g Room, Ground Floor of Courthouse Adjournment – Motion to adjourn at 10:42 AM by Diane, seconded by Roxy, motion passes unanimously. Minutes provided by Melissa Moore, Pub lic Health Program Specialist, Taylor County Health Department Board of Health Minutes August 3, 2022 Board Members Present: Brittany Chariton (via Zoom), Diane Albrecht, Gregory Knight, Jennifer Polacek, Roxy Kahan, Scott Mildbrand, Lynnette Rosemeyer, Sally Nazer Board Members Excused: None Health Staff Present: Michelle Cahoon, Melissa Moore Also Present: Nicole Hager Note: Zoom link was available for Board Member unable to attend in person due to scheduling conflict. Call to Order: 9:02AM Approval of Consent Agenda: Includes 8/3 Agenda, Minutes from 3/18 & 6/1, Health Officer Report – Motions taken separately due to missing members at time of voting. - 8/3 Agenda - motion by Diane, 2nd by Lynnette, motion carries unanimously - 6/1 Minutes – motion by Greg, 2nd by Roxy, motion carries unanimously - 3/18 Minutes – motion by Diane, 2nd by Sally, motion carries unanimously Public Comment - None Correspondence - None Highlights from Health Officer Report & Other Departmental Updates - COVID-19 – No further updates given - Monkeypox – Basic information was provided at the meeting from WI Department of Health Services. The department is not providing vaccines currently. The public is encouraged to dial 211 to find a provider if they are close contacts or a known exposure. - Western Wisconsin Public Health Readiness Consortium – Taylor County has joined public and tribal health departments in western Wisconsin under the Public Health Emergency Response (PHER) funds. The benefits include support in updating plans, consistent communications, and staff support on a regional level. - Discussion on the importance of (re)building relationships with the community and partners following COVID-19 and introduce new staff/leadership. Employee Job Descriptions - Updated exist ing positions - Health Officer, Public Health Coordinator, Public Health Nurse, Public Health Program Specialist, Public Health Aide, and Accounts Specialist/Administrative Support – included CPR requirements and consistent language across existing positions. Currently the department is allotted 7 FTE (not including contractual) and is sitting at 5.75FTE. There is interest in filling the vacancy with another possible .75FTE in the future. - Created new position description – Environmental Sanitarian – which will be used as a guide for future contracts and/or recruitment of the current contractual position. Discussion of employee descriptions listed above. Michelle provided background on the timing and content of the revisions. Nicole from Human Resources at tended to provide details on the process and shared that in their review with drafts that were provided to HR there were phrases and responsibilities moved around within the categories which resulted in updated drafts from HR. Due to these revisions, no action was taken today. To approve the newly updated job descriptions for a minimum of the Public Health Coordinator and Public Health Program Specialist position prior to the Personnel Committee meeting on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 11am , there will be an emerg ency meeting at 10:30am available in person and via Zoom on the 3rd Floor of the Courthouse. Meeting announcements will be posted according to requirements. Copies of the revised descriptions will be sent out via email as they are available prior to the meeting. Policies & Procedures – Reviewed and discussed the following items: - Beach Water Testing Policy - Background given that Taylor County Government is responsible for 2 county beaches - Camp 8 and Wood Lake. The current testing process is once per year by maintenance, which draws from the hand pump stations. The goal of a policy is to standardize when scenarios will require reactive testing, but not regular testing. TCHD will continue to follow up in the event of complaints and/or illnesses. Signage ha s been ordered for beach and pump postings to cover liabilities. Motion to approve the Beach Policy and Sign Installation by Greg, 2nd by Lynn. Motion carries unanimously. - City/County Water Testing Lab MOU - Michelle provided a report on the status of the pilot program with the Medford City Lab. An MOU was signed between the two departments which has been a pproved by Corporation Counsel. Arsenic testing continues to be sent to UW Oshkosh self-pay by residents. No motion required for this agenda item. Program Spotlight – Grapevine – A overview summary of the chronic disease prevention program through the Wi sconsin Women’s Health Foundation was included in the meeting packet. No additional sessions have been scheduled at this time. Plans to continue sessions with topics yet to be determined at outlying sites as well. Discussion of recording sessions to share with homebound residents. Capacity Building, Trainings, and Conferences xiv. WPHA Public Health in Practice held August 9 -10, 2022, in Oshkosh – Staff will be attending this conference next week with support of grant funding . Highlights of lessons learned will be provided at a future meeting. The office will be open with minimal staff due to four attending the conference. xv. Suicide Prevention Summit held Septe mber 22, 2022, in La Crosse – Michelle will be attending through MCH grant funds. xvi. Trauma Informed Care 101 held September 28, 2022, in Medford – Board members are encouraged to attend if they are able. Funding is available to support the $20 registration fee if needed. There was a request to the Board to approve office closure from 1pm -4:30pm to allow all staff to attend training in person as a group at the Medford NTC campus. Motion to approve the request with proper communications and notifications to the public by Sally, 2 nd by Lynnette. Motion carries, with Scott voting not in favor of the motion. xvii. Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Seminar held October 19, 2022, in Green Bay – Information will be shared at the next Board meeting as to how to register and funding is available should Board members like to attend. Reports from other committees – None Next Meeting Dates: i. Special Meeting – Thursday, August 11 at 10:30AM in the 3 rd Floor County Board Room of the Courthouse, or via the following Zoom link - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83580452992?pwd=YWVzbHJsTzlJMkFlYTF6UGVjVzZ3QT09, Meeting ID: 835 8045 2992, Passcode: 206085 ii. Regular Meeting - October 5, 2022, at 9:00 AM in the Sheriff’s Training Room, Ground Floor of Courthouse Adjournment – Motion to adjourn at 10:12AM by Greg, 2 nd by Jennifer, motion carries unanimously. Minutes provided by Melissa Moore, Public Health Program Specialist, Taylor County Health Department Board of Health Minutes Meeting held on June 1, 2022 9:00AM at the Taylor County Courthouse Board Members Present: Brittany Chariton, Diane Albrecht, Gregory Knight, Jennifer Polacek, Roxy Kahan, Scott Mildbrand Board Members Excused: Lynnette Rosemeyer, Sally Nazer Health Staff Present: Michelle Cahoon, Melissa Moore Also Present: Sara Emmerich, Whitney Wiltse Call to Order: Prior to call to order Scott M. recognized previous Board of Health members for their service. Call to order at 9:32AM. Approval of Minutes from March 18, 2022: Due to previous Board of Health members were unable to attend the minutes from March 18, 2022 will be approved at the next meeting. Approval of Agenda: Motion by Diane A., seconded by Greg K. Motion carried. Public Comment: None Correspondence: None Board of Health Orientation : Melissa Moore provided a brief orientation for Board of Health members. Handouts from the Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments & Boar ds (WALHDAB) were provided along with examples of Health Department program materials. Copies of the presentation are available upon request. Members not present will be given opportunity to schedule a time for 1:1 orientation. Michelle C. added that Boa rd of Health members are welcome to attend the two WPHA/WALHDAB Conferences in May and August annually. Program Updates: Michelle Cahoon provided highlights from the previously sent Health Officer Report. xviii. COVID-19 Response – Cases, Funding, Testing, & Vaccines a. We are seeing an increase in cases, bu t we will not be resuming testing at this time. In conversations with Accelerated Labs, we were assured that it would be a very quick restart should it be needed. b. We are working with local fire departments and partner organizations to plan for spending down existing COVID monies which are scheduled through 2024. c. Locally Moderna and J&J are available, with residents having to travel to neighboring counties to get their Pfizer vaccine. In response to this need we are offering Pfizer vaccine for adults and kids at our department by appointment. d. Discussion ensued re: trends, concerns, and status of pandemic vs endemic. xix. Cross-Agency Partnerships – Commission on Aging, Extension, Wastewater a. Nurses are partnering with the Commission on Aging to provide onsite n ail care and the Grapevine Prevention Program. Melissa Moore is also working with them to rebrand their department, including logo and revamp materials. b. Whitney Wiltse and Melissa Moore are collaborating with Michelle Grimm at Extension for outreach to the Hispanic community, with focus groups held with local students and businesses. Ongoing outreach is planned, as well as continuing to work on the translation of materials and critical paperwork. This supports the recently updated Civil Rights Compliance P lan su bmitted to the state. c. Changes are coming to the Water Lab as a result of a new partnership with Medford Wastewater who will take over testing for nitrates, bacteria and e. coli. The benefits include a faster turnaround and with the amount of tests being run on an annual basis a cost savings on department staff time. Arsenic will still be collected and submitted at the department. Costs of this service have been increased to reflect the costs to the department for this new pilot. Free water tests are still available for residents who are pregnant, have small children in the home or are in a financial hardship. Hours at our department wil l continue to be Monday -Thursday from 8:30am -4pm for the lab, with the City’s hours for drop off being 7AM -2:30PM at t he Wastewater Treatment Facility off Whelen. At the time that the pilot is completed and agreement to continue the relationship, an MOU w ill be created to continue the relationship and lay out responsibilities for each agency. xx. Program Expansions – Traffic Safety, Adult Vaccine Program, Hearing Screening, AED a. Program staff will be working with Safe Kids Wisconsin to be trained in car seat checks. We will also be seeking out funds to have discounted car seats available for residents who may not have a safe way to transport their children. b. We received the ok from the state to start to provide adult vaccines at no cost for those that are uninsu red, underinsured, or costs are prohibitive for them to seek out vaccinations at their provider. Vaccines include pne umonia, Hep A, Tdap and tetanus. Nurses will be working with the local shelters and service providers to outreach to homeless populations to engage them in this offering. c. A funding request to Aspirus Community Benefits was awarded to the department for th e purchase of two new hearing screeners with the capacity to create personalized reports onsite. These screeners will be available as they have been in schools, but will expand to childcare, WIC clinic, senior meal sites and additional settings to screen residents of all ages. d. AED units have been purchased and delivered to the Health Department for all County buildings, including meal sites and more levels of the Courthouse. We are working with maintenance to schedule installation and facilities to schedul e trainings on the units. xxi. Review Available Resources – New materials, online Resource Guide – We would appreciate your help in bringing this information back to your communities! a. Examples of the newly created program materials are available for pick up in both English and Spanish. We are working with partners to distribute them into the community. At recent health fairs/community events they were well received! b. Melissa Moore updated the Taylor County Resource Guide and created it as an online resource whi ch can then easily be updated without reprints. Promotional postcards with links and a scan code were created to help direct residents to it. Contractual Agent Updates: i. WIC Program Transition & MOU - At the end of April the WIC Program transitioned to Healthfirst who is now the provider of this service. A copy of the MOU signed laying out responsibilities both during and after this transition was included in the meeting materials. The plan is to have all outstanding expenditures and the financial audit completed in the coming months. Timeline for complete transition i s July 1 for the grant to move to Healthfirst. Capacity Building/Training or Conferences: i. Summary from WPHA (WI Public Health Association) Annual Conference held May 24-26, 2022, in Wisco nsin D ells – Michelle Cahoon provided highlights from the training, including a residency program available for nurses and health employees, alcohol prevention, suicide in veterans, and diversity concerns (Alonzo Kelly - https://www.alonzokelly.com/). The 2023 Conference is scheduled in Madison. A reminder that BOH Committee members are encouraged to attend future trainings with support of funding at the Health Department. https://www.wpha.org/page/2022AnnualPublicHealthConference. ii. NACCHO (National Association of County & City Health Officials) Conference held July 19 -21, 2022, in Atlanta – Michelle Cahoon is hoping to be able to attend th is conference based on scheduling and allowable use of grant funding. More information at http://www.nacchoannual.org/home. iii. WPHA Public Health in Practice held August 9 -10, 2022, in Oshkosh – This training is more of a ‘hands on’ training that BOH Committee members are encouraged to attend. Any in terest should be sent to Michelle Cahoon by the end of June to allow time for registration and processing . More information at www.wpha.org/page/2022PublicHealthinPracticeConference. Reports from Other Committees: None. Next Meeting Date : August 3, 2022, at 9:00AM. Brief discussion on offering Zoom or call -in options for future meetings if Committee members are not able to attend. Note that the BOH Committee will be going to every other month schedule – even #’d months – on the 1st Wednesday starting at 9:00AM. Meeting location may change based on needs such as presentations with screens. Adjournment: Motion to adjourn at 10:40AM by Greg K, seconded by Jennifer P. Motion carries. Respectfully submitted by Melissa Moore, Program Specialist Board of Health Minutes March 18, 2022 Board Members Present: Tim Hansen, Rollie Thums, Caro l Tuma, Earl Hinkel, Diane Albrecht, Dr. Sally Nazer Board Members Absent: None Health Dept Staff Present: Michelle Cahoon, Melissa Moore, Whitney Wiltse, Sara Emmerich, Karen Kropp-Mueller Also Present: None Call to Order at 9:30AM by Chairperson Tim H. Approval of Minutes from January 2022 : Motion to approve by Earl H., Carol T. seconded. Motion approved unanimously. Motion carries. Approval of Agenda : Motion to approve by Rollie T., Diane A. seconded. Motion approved unanimously. Motion carries. Public Comment - None Approval of Monthly Bills for January & February 2022 : Discussion ensued. Motion to approve by Earl H., seconded by Diane A. Motion approved unanimously. Motion carries. Retirement Resolution: Two copies of the resolution recognizing previous Health Officer Patty Krug to be presented at the April Board Meeting on April 1 9 was passed around signatures. Regional DHS staff and previous employees also were invited to attend the recognition proceedings. Program Updates - Agent Status: o Environmental Health Specialist continues to conduct inspections, including new businesses. Dep t of Ag and Trade and Consumer Protection inspection will be coming up in the next month. o WIC Program is in transition due to requirement to have a WIC Director po sition, which was grandfathered in during Patty’s tenure. Calls with State WIC and local health departments lead to three options – hire current nutritionist on as full -time employee, merge with another county or to give the program to another agency/program to implement it. Marathon, Lincoln, Langlade, Sawyer, Price and Florence Counties, as well as WI DHS provided feedback. Caseload of 350 is required by the state to hold a county program, currently averaging around 270 participants. Pros and Cons of bringing full time contractual staff in as full-time county employee discussed, as well as shari ng position with another county. Currently there is no interest from other local health departments to join programs, though Price County entertained it but ruled i t out. HealthFirst (formally Family Planning Health Services) is interested in assuming res ponsibilities for the administration of the program in Medford, Gilman and Rib Lake with our continued support ( written out in an MOU) for partnerships in immunizati ons an d other public health programs. There is an excellent working relationship with this agency currently for a variety of public health programs (including communicable disease prevention). Grant funds to support the WIC program is solely for WIC staff, WIC supplies and WIC participants would be transitioned to new provider with no impact to the department budget. A 90-day window was allowed by the state to discuss what is best for the future of the program and the participants, which is currently at the halfway point. Should the new WIC provider close their doors in the future, by statute WIC is required to be present in the county so the program would come back to the department. Discussion on pros and cons of the three options described above ensued. Motion to pursue transition of the WIC program to HealthFirst effectively immediately by Earl H., seconded by Tim H. Motion approved unanimously. Motion carries. - Staffing Updates: Introductions of new staff to the Health Department – Sara Emmerich and Karen Kropp-Mueller are full -time Community Health Nurses, Whitney Wiltse is a full-time Public Health Aide (currently serving as part-time WIC Clerk), and Melissa Moore is the part-time Public Health Program Specialist. Grant Updates - Health Officer provide d updates on the rebranding initiatives , new promotional items purchased through COVID recovery funds, and upcoming outreach activities (including the Health & Safety Fair on March 26 at the High School). - Currently reviewing translational services and pro fessional printing options to support public health programs, including vital forms and promotional items. - COVID updates include a report out on caseload, vaccination and testing programs. Testing and vaccination clinics are set to continue through April. - Staff provided services at Child Development Days in Medford, Stetsonville, Gilman and Rib Lake in early March. - Fluoride varnish program in schools will be wrapping up this month. Scheduled Training & Conferences - WI Emergency Management and Public Heal th Conference – Health Officer participated this month, but will be looking at - National Health Officer Training being planned for later this year in Atlanta. More details coming soon. - WPHA/WALDAB conference is scheduled from May 24 -26 in WI Dells. Funds a re available for b oard members to atte nd if able. Health Department staff will be attending Monday’s networking for new public health employees. More details at https://www.walhdab.org/. Human Health Hazards - Current Complaints - None - New Complaints - None Communicable Disease - A slight increase of STIs and enteric disease reports are being investigated. Correspondence - None Report from Committee Members who attended other committee meetings - None Closed session pursuant to statutes started at 10:22AM motion by Earl H., seconded by Rollie T., approved by all Board of Health Members present . Motion to resume o pen session by Earl H., seconded by Rollie T. approved by all Board of Health Members present. Open meet ing resumed at 10:51AM. Operation Updates - None Next Meeting Date: Friday, May 20 at 9:30AM. Agreement that if a special meeting is required prior to that proper notice will be provided. Adjournment motion by Diane A., seconded by Tim H. Motion appro ved unanimously. Motion carries. Posted: March 18, 2022 Chairperson: Tim Hansen Taylor County Board of Health January 21, 2022 3rd floor County Board Room Call Meeting To Order: Rollie Thums called the meeting to order at 9:00 am. Members Present: Rolland Thums, Carol Tuma, Earl Hinkel, Diane Albrecht and Dr. Sally Nazer Members Absent: Tim Hansen Other Attendees in person: Patty Krug and Michelle Cahoon Approve Minutes: A moti on was made by Diane Albrecht and seconded by Earl Hinkel to approve the December 2021 minutes as submitted. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: A motion was made by Diane Albrecht and seconded by Carol T uma to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried. Public Comment: None Monthly Bills: A motion was made by Earl Hinkel and seconded by Diane Albrecht to approve the December 2021 bills as submitted. Motion carried. Update on Programs: Agent Status Program: 1. Patty informed the committee, Anthony, EHS continues to complete ins pections and providing information to community members who are inte rested in opening a licensed facility. Karen RN has been certified to read water test results submitted to our lab. Patty informed the committee the state of Wisconsin start ing in July 20 22 will increase the reimbursement to DHS of collected licensing fees to 12% and 13% the following year. The committee will need to review our current fees at a future meeting. Public Health Activities 1. New Public Health D irector will be Michelle Cahoon. Patty explained the process for interviewing, the background and skill set Mich elle has for her se lection as the new health officer. Michelle provided i nformation to the board some of her identified priorities and plans for the agency. 2. Medical Director for H ealth Department: Patty informed th e committee, Dr. V alentijn, pediatrician, Aspirus Medford has agreed to be our medical director. Patty informed the committee we do not have a medical doctor representative for the committee at this time due to the covid surge and limited time. The state has been informed. 3. Covid Update: Patty and Michelle updated the committee on the current st atus related to the covid surge, work with schools and industries, community testing, AMI Vaccination team collaboration with DHS, our agency and Aspirus Medford to increase opportunities for access t o the COVID vaccine, weekend hours, new CDC guidanc e for covid and the potential need to move to cris is standards for disease investigations due to limite d staff with Patty retiring. 4. Approve/Reject updated job descriptions : Patty presented the public health specialist position. She dis cussed this position is part of the Taylo r County Health Department Strategic Plan developed with staff and board members identified need for the value and skill set t his position will provide moving the agency forward f or pr ograms and assessments. A motion by Earl Hinkel and seconded by Sally Nazer to approve the job description for the public health specialist. Motion carried. 5. Approve/Reject filling job vacancies: Patty asked the committee for a motion to approve filling the Public Health S pecialist position once Carlson company has provided the county with its position in the wage s cale and approved by the personnel committee. This pos ition is a grant funded posit ion. A motion was m ade by Earl Hinkel and seconded by Diane Albrecht to approved filling this position with the conditions a n oted by Patty Krug. Motion carried. 6. Approve/Reject 2022 Dietician and Environmental Health Specialist Contracts. A motion was made by Earl Hinkel and seconded by Sally Na zer to approve the 2021 addendum dietician contract as presented. Motion carried. A motion was made by Earl Hinkel a nd seconded by Dia ne Albrecht to approve the 2022 Dieti cian and Environment Health Specialist contract as presented. Motion carried. 7. Additional a ctivities: Discussion was brought forward of how to move fo rward with programming and participation in community events as an agency with C ovid. The agency is currently r eviewing the T aylor County Resource Guide for families updating resources for families. 8. Update on G rants: Patty reported waiting for the state to provide the directions for submitting our workforce development grant which was in place October 2021 to increase our staff capacity. She report s she is this funding to increase the WI C clerk to full time for public health activities and the public health program specialist position. Scheduled Trainings/Conferences: Public Health Operations Conference: Febrary 2022 Virtual Rabies Control Program : Feb 2022 State of Wisconsin Emergency Management-March 2022 Review of Human Health Hazard Investigations: None Communicable Disease Investigation s: Patty reported continued investigations for reported illnesses of COVID, gastric illnesses and influenza hospitalizations. Correspondence: None Other meetings attended by committee members: None Discussion between board members and Health Department employees regarding various operational topics. No action will be taken on any of the topics discussed: The committee discussed fluoride varnish program and the community health improvement plan data in a day meeting. Patty thanked the board for their support during her tenure as public health director. Next Committee Meeting: The next meeting of the Taylor County Board of Health Committee will be Friday, March 18, 2022 at 9:30 am. Adjournment: A motio n b y Diane A lbrecht and s econded by Earl Hinkel to adjourn the meeting at 10:24 am. Motion carried. Respectfully submitted: Patty Krug, Health Officer