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HomeMy WebLinkAboutM082015JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MINUTES Thursday, August 20, 2015 Jefferson County Public Health, 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend WA 98368 Board Members Phil Johnson, County Commissioner District #1 David Sullivan, County Commissioner, District #2 Kathleen Kier, Vice -Chair, County Commissioner, District #3 Kris Nelson, Port Townsend City Council Sheila Westerman, Chair, Citizen at large Jill Buhler, Hospital Commissioner, District #2 John Austin, Citizen at large Staff Members Thomas Locke, MD, Health Officer Jean Baldwin, Public Health Dir Julia Danskin, Public Health Manager Jared Keefer, Env. Health Dir Veronica Shaw, Public Health Deputy Dir Michael Dawson, Water Quality Dir Chair, Sheila Westerman called the August 20, 2015 meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Health to order at 2:35 p.m. A quorum was present. Members Present: Sheila Westerman, David Sullivan, Kathleen Kler, Kris Nelson, Jill Buhler, Phil Johnson Members Excused: John Austin Staff Present: Jean Baldwin, Jared Keefer, Julia Danskin, Veronica Shaw, Philip Morley APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Westerman asked for approval of the August 20, 2015 Agenda. Member Buhler moved to approve the agenda; the motion was seconded by Member Sullivan. No further discussion. The motion passed unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chair Westerman asked for approval of the July 18, 2015 minutes. Member Buhler noted a mistake in the Activity Update section of the minutes — rather than "to adopt recommendations to form..." the sentence should read: "moved to approve recommendations from the task force." Chair Westerman called for approval of the minutes, as amended, of the July 18, 2015 meeting of the Board of Health. Member Nelson moved to approve the minutes as amended; the motion was seconded by Member Kler. No further discussion. The motion passed unanimously. No public comment. PUBLIC COMMENT OLD BUSINESS AND INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 1. Port Townsend Paper Corporation (PTPC) Settlement Agreement Jared Keefer, EH Director, JCPH, reported on the completion of the PTPC Settlement Agreement. Operations, Closure, and Post Closure Plans were completed and accepted. Approval occurred on August 3, 2015, and began a 90 -day period in which the PTPC submits its financial assurance report guaranteeing its ability to pay should the need to close the plant arise. Once JC Environmental Health approves the specific financial figures contained in PTPC's financial assurances, this document will be sent to the County Auditor for final approval. Mr. Keefer will write a press release once the entire process in complete. 2. Youth Mental Health Training Julia Danskin, Community Health Manager, JCPH, reported funding to host Youth Mental Health Training. The class was limited to 20 attendees. And because the class filled quickly, Ms. Danskin is considering a second class, the decision depends on the availability of trainers from Project Aware. 3. New Naloxone Law Takes Effect Jean Baldwin, Director, JCPH, updated the Board on HB 1671, a law that increases access to naloxone. Ms. Baldwin explained JCPH's plan for making naloxone available in the syringe exchange program to prevent opiate overdose fatalities. JCPH is working on securing funding for naloxone and to improve access to it in the community. 4. West Nile Virus Death Reported in Benton County Ms. Baldwin reported to the Board on increased awareness and attention being paid to bats, and increases in mosquito populations. It was suggested that people who sleep with their windows open due to the unusually high temperatures use screens to prevent mosquitos from getting into the house. NEW BUSINESS 1. Olympic Accountable Community of Health (ACH) Briefing — Peter Browning Peter Browning, Browning Solutions, introduced his credentials and discussed his role in the formation of the Olympic Accountable Community of Health (ACH), the three - county ACH to which Jefferson County played a key role in establishing. Mr. Browning reviewed unique demographics throughout the region, and emphasized the importance and difficulties of working with Health Care Authority (HCA) at the state level and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) at the federal level. Browning also discussed the timeline for formation of the Behavioral Health Organization (BHO). The ACH is focused on specific tasks in order to secure designation as a state designated ACH in late 2015. Establishing a governance structure and administrative capacity; developing a governing body and structure for funding; and refining communication that promotes transparency and regional awareness are the priorities. Managing data region - wide will improve rural health care with the "triple aim" to provide health care "better, faster, and cheaper." Understanding data is key to comprehensive, coordinated healthcare delivery. Electronic Medical Records will be core to making all of this work. All of this combined will enable the ACH's future achievement of Medicaid Waiver status with CMS, which will give the organization control of its federal Medicaid dollars. Mr. Browning stressed the importance of this in securing specific improvements in healthcare delivery appropriate to the community's unique demographics. Browning acknowledged that we have a long, bumpy road ahead but he is enthusiastic, and believes in the high-level collaborative functioning of the group members. 2. Solid Waste Enforcement Mr. Keefer further discussed the reduction in funding at the state level for the JCPH, Solid Waste program. In order to maintain some vigilance and response to complaints, Mr. Keefer suggested county -backed bridge funding to take up the slack while the county waits for the State to provide backfill money. There was concern among Board members about where the county would get the additional funds to bridge the gap. Keefer emphasized the need for a methodical, planned decline in enforcement and reiterated the importance of bridge funding. 3. Food Safety Program Mr. Keefer provided to the Board the second installment of a review of the Food Safety program in Jefferson County. He reviewed and explained inspection detail by establishment type and uncompensated activity in detail. The problem is uncompensated costs, and how the program might recoup those costs. Mr. Keefer is not suggesting fees support the program at 100%, but that fees and performance improvements support the program. 4. Community Health Improvement Plan — Activity Update Ms. Baldwin reported to the Board the immediate problem facing the Community Health Improvement Plan: how to pull all of the piece together. The group needs someone to coordinate, track, record, and schedule all of the many aspects of Plan elements; as well, she noted finding new funding sources for continued work is needed. She is hopeful hospital stakeholders will contribute to these needs. JCPH is emphasizing the importance of integrating healthy behaviors within the County's Building Comprehensive Plan. If communities are designed to be conducive to healthy behaviors at the building and infrastructure levels, then populations will be better able to consistently engage these behaviors. 5. Community Health Director Interview Process Ms. Baldwin stressed the importance of this position in providing stability in the face of the many upcoming retirements and asked for a volunteer from the Board to participate in the interview process. It was tentatively decided that John Austin, who was absent, might participate in lieu of Sheila Westerman, should her schedule prevent her participation. ACTIVITY UPDATE Ms. Baldwin reported that Jefferson Healthcare was awarded World Health Organization's Baby Friendly Hospital designation. Jefferson Healthcare is one of five hospitals in the state to receive this designation. Mr. Keefer informed the Board that JCPH has formed a partnership with the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe in establishing a working relationship regarding water quality and Pollution Identification and Correction. Ms. Baldwin noted JCPH has budget shortfalls. Member Buhler will not attend the September 17, 2015 Board of Health meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT There was no public comment. NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING The next Board of Health meeting will be, held on Thursday, September 17, 2015 from 2:30 — 4:30 p.m. at Jefferson County Public Health, 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend, WA. ADJOURNMENT Chair Westerman adjourned the August 20, 2015 Jefferson County Board of Health meeting at 4:15 p.m. JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH ABSENT Phil Jo _ n Member Jailll Buhler, Mem, , Davi ul ern . Sheila Westerman, Chair Kris Nelson, Member Kathleen Kler, Vice -Chair Av) zewk- John Austin, Member Respectfully Submitted: