HomeMy WebLinkAbout3 - Retreat Abstract 2021 - Public Health2021 Departmental Abstract
Jefferson County Public Health
# FTEs: 46.61 TTL Revenues: $ 10,436,388 TTL Expenditures: $ 10,436,388
+BFB for All JCPH Managed Funds + EFB for All JCPH ManagedFunds
Key Work Program Items/Initiatives in 2021:
Department Wide in 2021
1. COVID-19 Case Investigations/Contact Tracing and Vaccine Implementation —pulling
staff from other programs to manage — all hands on deck as needed
2. Training and department -wide program review to ensure all programs review what they
do through an equity lens and work on removing any barriers to equity that may
unintentionally exist.
3. Responding to the Governor's proposal and Legislature consideration of regionalizing
local public health departments.
4. Continued statewide public health work focused on #3 above as well as securing
additional funding for public health through the Foundational Public Health Services and
Capabilities public health system -wide work.
Community & Family Health
1. Working to maintain viability of Family Planning both during COVID and after. Utilizing
telehealth for some of the services.
2. Pivoting to different ways to provide School -based Health Centers services and keeping
them available to students whether in school or at home. Standing up and
implementing the newest School -based Health Center in Quilcene primarily through
telehealth until the newly hired ARNP is on -boarded.
3. Implementation of Nurse Family Partnership expansion into Clallam County continues to
be a challenge with our inability to recruit a Public Health Nurse to accept that position.
Recruitment has been going on for more than a year. We currently have one prospect
for Clallam County and we hope we will finally have a public health nurse for this
position.
Environmental Public Health and Water Quality
1. Regulatory Reform continues as a priority for 2021 as well as continued work to
implement the new code enforcement system. Working closely with DCD and
interdepartmental internal relationships.
2. Continued work to go live with the EnerGov permitting system.
3. Continued increased implementation of on-line permitting and licensing and improving
on-line customer service. Focus on Continuous Quality Improvements.
4. Implementation of the "Cost Share" system for low income septic repairs.
5. Ongoing grant work and meeting grant deliverables within ongoing impact of COVID.
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2021 Departmental Abstract
Jefferson County Public Health
Human Services
1. Ongoing work in Developmental Disability — RFQs, writing contracts, vendor audits,
community disability work, raising awareness and sensitivity regarding people with
disabilities, staffing Board and Advisory Committees.
2. Behavioral Health Advisory Committee — RFPs, writing contracts, billing and payments,
vendor data reporting, analysis of data, and reporting
3. Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative in the Port Townsend and Chimacum
School Districts — working on youth alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention —
continued work to increase school and community engagement.
4. Community Health Improvement Plan — Implementation of 3-year Federal RCORP grant
to reduce the impacts of substance use disorder — specifically Opioid Addiction.
Additionally, taking the data from the Community Health Assessment and creating the
next Community Health Improvement Plan iteration focused on three age bands —
youth, working age and elderly. 2021 will form committees to work on each of the
three age bands as well as the writing of the next iteration of the Community Health
Improvement Plan.
5. Ongoing work to identify common metrics for behavioral health related providers
(including, but not limited to providers in housing, employment, education, income, etc.
as well as treatment providers); reach agreement to collect data around the metrics to
evaluate impact/effectiveness in the community, with an eye towards achieving
collective impact among providers and other stakeholders.
Major Departmental Adjustments to COVID; also, Lasting Changes After COVID:
1. Increased use of Telehealth for some of our services such as NFP, WIC, and School -based
Health Centers. Whether that continues post COVID will depend upon individual clients
and their preferences as well as insurance continued coverage of telehealth.
2. Diversion of some departmental staff from other programs to support the COVID case
investigation and contact tracing.
3. Telecommuting for many of our staff. This has worked very well.
4. Some, but not all, on -going meetings to continue via Zoom as an ongoing cost -saving
measure versus traveling to meetings.
5. Review COVID response to identify what worked well, where there is need for
improvement or better coordination, and work for improvements and better
preparedness for the next emergency response.
Other Important Trends/Drivers of Services in 2021 and Beyond:
1. Seeking innovative approaches and funding sources to deliver important public health
services given the current source of funding limits flexibility and the ability to be
responsive or to easily pivot to other important public health issues. An example is a
lack of funding from federal, state and local government sources for mounting a public
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2021 Departmental Abstract
Jefferson County Public Health
health response to reducing chronic diseases which are now the leading causes of
morbidity and mortality.
2. Proactively and collectively addressing the housing crisis and other social determinants
of health critical to supporting healthy individuals, families, and communities.
Key Opportunities for Department in 2021:
1. Continued opportunity for breaking down any barriers that create inequity and
providing staff with the tools to view all of our services through an equity lens.
2. Along with addressing equity, being sure that efficiency and cost containment doesn't
get in the way of effectiveness and equity — focus on balance.
3. Potential to leverage increased awareness of public health resulting from the pandemic
to greater support for ensuring that public health has the tools and resources needed to
effectively protect the public's health both in emergencies as well as all other times.
4. Recruitment for a new Public Health Director.
Key Challenges Facing the Department in 2021:
1. Continued demands upon staff and diversion of some staff from other jobs in response
to COVID-19 pandemic while still trying to ensure grant deliverables are met and clinical
services continue to keep revenues coming in.
2. Continuous work to improve the effectiveness of COVID-19 related communications
with the public — particularly when vaccine availability cannot meet the demand for it.
3. As the pandemic continues and vaccine planning and implementation has been added
on top of public health's responsibility for continued case investigation and contact
tracing, response staff and department management are at risk for burnout and chronic
stress related to not being able to meet our own or others expectations (including DOH
and the Governor) of an adequate COVID response plus the expectation to maintain
services to the community.
4. Implementation of Munis and the inordinate amount of time finance staff need to
engage interrupting regular work during a pandemic and the next two year budget
development process occurring this year.
5. Recruitment for a new Public Health Director.
Any Topics You'd Like to Workshop With The Board in 2021?
1. Together with the HR Manager, recruitment and retention of employees.
2. With DEM, a post COVID discussion about what is needed to be adequately prepared to
respond to an emergency — while this one is fresh in everyone's mind
Other Comments:
(not required)
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