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Home My WebLink About12 December COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING VITAL STATISTICS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HEALTH EDUCATION JEFFERSON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT 802 SHERIDAN PORT TOWNSEND, WASH. 98368 (206) 385.()722 HEALTH BOARD Minutes: December 15, 1987 BOARD MEMBERS: STAFF MEMBERS: B.G. Brown, Chairman Larry W. Dennison, Member George C. Brown, Member Rick Miklich, Director of Environmental Health Mary Catlin, Administrator - Director of Nurses J. Peter Geerlofs, M.D. Health Officer CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND REPRESENTATIVE: Glenn Ison *********************************************************************** ******************************************************************** The meeting was called to order by Chairman B. G. Brown. at the appointed time. Commissioner Larry W. Dennison and Commissioner George C. Brown were present as well as Mary Catlin, Rick Miklich, Dr. Geerlofs and Glen Ison. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The Minutes of the November 17, 1987 meeting were approved as read by motion of Commissioner Dennison, seconded by Commissioner George Brown. The motion carried by a unanimously. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR'S REPORT: Rick Miklich reported the following environmental health activities for the previous month: Food Handler Permit Fees: The State has authorized raising the fee for food handler permits from $3.00 to $5.00. The Board recommended that all of the health department fees be Board of Health Meeting Minutes: December 15, 1987 Page: 2 reviewed at one time after which a public hearing would have to be scheduled for any proposed changes. Household Hazardous Waste Day: The Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day held on December 12, 1987 was a success. Thirteen barrels of hazardous wastes were collected over a five hour period. Joint Training Session with Clallam County for on-site system designers and installers: On January 28, 1988 a joint training session for Clallam and Jefferson County septic system designers and installers will be held, Rick Miklich reported. A joint training session will also be held on soils on a date to be determined later. Radon: The State Department of Social and Health Services will be issuing a press release in February regarding the possibility of Radon in residences around the State. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which can cause the same health problems as exposure to radioactive materials. The highest levels of Radon in this State occur in Eastern Washington. The State will have a test kit available for homeowners. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT: Administrator Mary Catlin reported on the following: Retreat Follow-up: A half day retreat follow up meeting has been scheduled for January 26, 1988 starting at 1:30 p.m. Staff Retreat: The Health Department staff will have a retreat on January 6, 1988 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Fort Worden, Mary Catlin advised. A receptionist will be at the offices to take phone calls, but the office would be closed for that day. The Board expressed concern about the office being closed. Mary Catlin stated that she would look into alternatives to keep the office open that day. Staffinq: A revised budget request was submitted and discussed which would allow the department to hire a full time Public Health Nurse, assuming one could be hired at a rate of $11.00 per hour, with an impact of only $600 on the budget. Letter from James P. McCarron, M.D.: Mary Catlin explained that Dr. McCarron had tried to talk to a Public Health Nurse the day before Thanksgiving when she was out of the office, about a welfare patient he felt might possibly have a sexually transmitted disease. Dr. McCarron was put in touch with Dr. Geerlofs, that day however. Dr. Geerlofs added that Board of Health Meeting Minutes: December 15, 1987 Page: 3 this situation brings into focus the following issues: 1) The need to have a person in the office full time to answer clinical questions and 2) the need to have someone in the office full time who is qualified to dispense medications. The discussion continued regarding the issues presented and the best way to remedy the problems in the future. West End Contract: This contract was signed by the Board of County Commissioner at their last business meeting. Consolidated Contract: Mary Catlin presented a sample copy of the State consolidated contract with the Health Department for the Board's information. Being no further business the meeting was adjourned. JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH ~) B. G. Brown, Chairman Commissioner George C. Brown, Member SURGERY 8nd GYNECOLOGY JAMES P. McCARRON, M.D., INC., P.S. 1136 Water Street Port Townsend, Washington 98368 Office: 385-2947 Home: 385-2846 November 25, IS87 ~{~~~~\Vl~~ l~--. ::.- (, ...~ '1,1~4l ..t~_ u .0 I_~... Peter Geerlofs, M.D. Director Jefferson County Health Dept. S02 Sheridan Ave. Port Townsend, WA S8368 jEFFERSON COUNI Y BOARD QF COMMISSIONERS Dear Dr. Geerlofs, The date is 11-25-87 at 3'00 p.m., I had an emergent situation of Pub I ic Heal th ec-...<P.rI'-. Bas icall y, I had a young femal e with a pelvic infection, most liKely a sexually transmitted disease that I wished to consult with the Public Health Department from the point of view of treating contacts and more specifically, from the point of view of treating this patient. The telephone was answered and I was referred.to a person who was not a nurse and really was not in any way able to help me with the problem for which I was seeKing assistance. This being Wednesday at 3=00 p.m., it's a ridiculous situation to have to wait until next Monday before it would be possible to even talK to a nur~e at the Health Department. The recurring problem of course, with these young females, is the difficulty getting them adequate medication for treatment of their infections. Even when they have coupons, the Department of Social and Health Services in it's wisdom, does not cover Vibramvcin. Of course when they don't have coupons 01" anything else, there is no way, other than the generosity of our sample provider, of getting them appropriate medications and then of course it's impossible to get them enough to treat their contacts, etc. As you are aware, the problem of untreated 01" inadequately treated venereal disease is a real problem and I thinK the Health Department has a real duty to address this obstacle of provision of adequate medication for these people on some Kind of a sliding scale basis. I do not Know what the department's schedule is, something that is another deficiency, doctors offices are not told when they may 01" maY not be able to contact somebody up there. It certainly a ridiculous situation if we can go 5 01" 6 days with nObody available in a profeSSional capacity at the Health Department. 'I wou I dapprec ia€"L~!'oW ing whethe,r'; U.e problem is inade<\uate funds, inade<\uate persOnl'llll(or mbd ire.cUon of funds, but whatever it is, I th inK there is a.:I',_r ious def ic ie",:l' that needs to be addressed. I .. ., would appreciat'Ctour earll' 'attention to this recurring problem that ',- has aggravated meUnany"t ilTles . in the past but at last I had a few . ,minutes to sp"r.~o get I't dow,io'l paper, my frustraUon with the e prob I em. '."., , t~~L.>t,;. .' ~ ~.' '.'."'Sl~."'" ",t;>.. . . '-\ "." .;i:~'~" , (.c. c~ l~~' lJ~ ~o-v--- ,^ '<, i~ :,t :p i'" ~' rl ;,a ~,~ '!fj[ ~ '5 -r._ ," ~~@~~W~\D) ['F' (' -" lca."! d ~V (J.I'W ..._ . _J.~ COWII'Y MiAL1M DIPt all . -, - ,., rvn .. 1 d...... _ a._.>>"" JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS To: Board of Commissioners From: Mary Catlin ~ Administrator Date: Dec. 9. 1987 Subject: Response to Dr. McCarron's letter of 11/25/87. We have attached our response which was written and mailed 11/27/87. Other points to note: we agree with Dr. McCarron that the current level of staffing is unacceptable. We have done inservices with the medical staff twice in the last year telling them about the diagnostic and treatment facilities that are available, and about reporting STD's. Patient must make an apt" however. Our only way of knwowing if M.D.s are seeing STD patients is if they report cases (which they are all supposed to do.) We had never gotten any reports from Dr. McCarron. So did not know he was having this problem. Dr. McCarron was referred to and talked with Dr. Geerlofs on 11/25/87. ..... . COMMUNICABLE OISEASE CONTROL PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING VITAL STATISTICS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HEALTH EDUCATION 802 SHERIDAN PORT TOWNSEND. WASH. 98368 (206) 385-0722 James P. McCarron 1136 Water St. Port Townsend, WA 98368 Dear Dr. McCarron, I understand that you called on Wednesday November 25 and were not able to reach a public health nurse. Because of the nature of the work that we do, we agree that it is important to have a nurse on duty at all times. Unfortunately our 'budget does not allow us to have always a nurse on duty. (Our 1987 STD budget was $1200. We saw 65 patients in the first six months.) In 1988 the situation will be worse. We have written grants, and sought additional funding from the county as we feel as, you apparently did, that the situation is unacceptable. The commissioners are currently deciding our current budget. This of course, does not undo the inconvenience caused to you and your client. Would you like to keep a supply of a few courses of Health Department doxycycline on hand? We don't have a lot but if you would agree to use it for reportable cases of chlamydia or gonorrhea that might make it more convenient for you in the event that you needed some medication on short notice. Please accept our sincere apologies. Sincere;y,~. if /)J.L'J.../~ I; z-:r!., ";f- "'-r;1:atlin Administrator/ DNS ;',..-c,. -c~__",,-