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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 October COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING VITAL ST A TI STIes ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HEALTH EDUCATION ~ ~~ r"'~~ ~- -- JEFFERSON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT 602 SHERIDAN PORT TOWNSEND, WASH. 98368 (206) 385-0722 HEALTH BOARD Minutes: October 16, 1985 BOARD MEMBERS: STAFF MEMBERS: B.G. Brown, Chairman John L. Pitts, Member Larry W. Dennison, Member Randall M. Durant, R.S. Gretchen Gephart, D.O.N. Joseph Fischnaller, M.D. Gael Stuart, Administrator CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND REPRESENTATIVE: Glenn Ison The meeting was called to order by Chairman B.G. Brown in the presence of all members except Commissioner Larry W. Dennison and Health Department Administrator, Gael Stuart. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The Minutes of the September 18, 1985 meeting were approved as read by motion of Commissioner Pitts, seconded by Chairman Brown. DIRECTOR OF NURSING REPORT: September was a very busy month with 2,269 people given service. ThTs is about 1,200 more people than a usual month, Gretchen Gephart reported. The staff had to average 40.8 flu shots per day to meet the number of shots given in September. Other activities of the Nursing staff during the month of September: * Pediculosis is up again with the start of school. 22 cases were seen at the Health Department. * Flu shot clinics were done at the Marine Plaza, Quilcene Community Center, Tri Area Community Center, Gardiner Community Center, Port Townsend Senior Center, Brinnon Senior Center, the Schools, Paradise Bay Community Hall, the Community Action Council and the Courthouse. * Staff members attended an AIDS workshop. There are three cases of AIDS on the Olympic Peninsula (one in the Port Townsend area) and 169 cases in the State. In 1982 there were 2 cases of AIDS in the State with 14 cases in 1983, 69 new cases in 1984 and 84 new cases in 1985. The possibility of doing the blood draw for AIDS is being discussed. This is being done for free in Clallam County. These tests are costly and have to be mailed in to the State. A charge could be made for this test if the Health Department offers it. Minutes, Health Board, October 16, 1985 Page 2: Director of Nursing Report (Continued): * The last half of the "Growing Younger" Program was presented for 24 Senior Citizens at the Tri-Area Community Center. * 50 Adult Protective service workers attended a workshop on the aging process. * A training session for caregivers was presented at the Kah Tai Care Center. * Participated in the following groups: Youth Group, Child Abuse Council, Senior Provider Council and the Senior Coordinating Council. * School rescreenings have been done on 1,089 children so far. ,~ The Kiwanis have issued a check to purchase two '!Buckle Up" signs and the Public Works Department will work with the Kiwanis to install the signswhen they arrive. * The Cancer Society has asked that a brochure about the "Smoke Out" in November be included in the County employees payroll checks. The Port Townsend Paper Company, Safeway and the City of Port Townsend as well as Mark It Foods are being asked to do this for their employee~also. HEALTH OFFICER REPORT: Dr. Fischnaller reported that a Mexican tree planter in the Clearwater area was diagnosed as having Tuberculosis and has been hospitalized for the past week at Olympic Memorial Hospital in Port Angeles. The man will be released from the hospital tomorrow and will return to the Forks area where he has a place to stay. Jefferson County is responsible for his hospitalization and care since he was found in this County. Emergency medical funds are being sought for the payment of the hospital bill. The medication he will need will cost about $100 every three months. The people who are in contact with him (a group of about 10 are living together), are all being checked for TB. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR: During the month of September, Randy Durant reported, there were 34 septic tank permits compared to 28 for the same period last year and 23 site evaluations compared to 15 in 1984. There was alot of work done in September on the sewage program. Some of the other activities for the month were: * Thirteen food program inspections were performed. Four of them were for temporary food booths for the Quilcene Fair and seven were for Wooden Boat Festival. Nine final inspections were done on septic tank installations. Of the fourteen follow ups made, the majority ,were for the Port Townsend Paper Company sludge project. Environmental Health revenue is about $11,000 above what was anticipated as of the end of September. Randy Durant attended the fifth Northwest On-site Wastewater Treatment Short Course at the University of Washington. Improvemen~in mound systems and standard sand filter systems were discussed. Other matters discussed were: general design criteria, pumps, ground water contamination, syphons, and financing problem sites. * * * * Minutes, Health Board, October 16, 1985 Page 3: Randy then gave the following report on two mound systems in the County. There are currently four mounds systems in the County, with two new mound systems installed last month for a total of six. One of the new mound systems was installed on 8.89 acres on Marrowstone Island for a two bedroom home. The system was designed by Clark and Associates out of Port Angeles with the help of John Eliasson of the Health Department. This mound is approximately 30 x 40 feet long and took about two weeks to install. Randy further reported that mound systems are pressurized systems with a tank and pump being required outside of the septic tank which doses the mound several times a day. The mound size is determined by the number of bedrooms and size of the house it is serving. A siphon was used on the Marrowstone Island mound in an attempt to get away from using an electric devise. This is the first mound system in the County to use a siphon. The State is now requiring that the County do more monitoring of mound syste~and reporting to the State so that more information will be available about these systems. The second new mound system installed was for a two bedroom home at Tala Shores. The lot is a waterfront lot which is narrow and quite long on a high bluff. A neighbors well encumbers a good portion of the lot and since a mound system takes up less area than a standard system, the mound system was utilized. The other determining factor for use of a mound system on this lot was minimum soil depth. The cost of installation of one of these mound systems was about $5,500 which is about double the cost of a standard system. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT: The financial report is at the bottom of the second page of the Agenda. Commissioner Pitts moved to approve the inclusion of $1,000.00 for the Family Planning Service in the Health Department preliminary budget for 1986. Chairman Brown seconded the motion. West End Nursin Yolanda Hein: Gretchen Gephart rea a etter rom 0 an e~n express~ng concern or the contin- uation of the West End Nursing Services in the absence of Hanna Singhose. The West End Nursing Services are provided by contract through the Clallam County Health Department, and the services will be continued by whatever nurse Clallam County uses. The Board will answer Mrs. Hein's letter and advise her of this situation. Letter of Resignation; John Eliasson, Environmental Health Specialist: Commissioner Pitts moved to accept the resignation ot John Eliasson, Environmental Health Specialist. Chairman Brown seconded the motion. Minutes, Health board, October 16, 1985 Page 1-[ Quilcene Assembly of God Church extension of Building Permit waiver: The Quilcene Assembly ot God Church was given a second 90 day extension of the building permit waiver at the June 19, 1985 Board of Health meeting, which expires today. The water system approval for the church building in Quilcene was received today. Randy Durant asked that the waiver be extended for another six months to give the Church a chance to proceed with their new church building. The water samples from their present location have been satisfactory. Commissioner Pitts moved to approve an extension of the building permit waiver for six months. Chairman Brown seconded the motion. Bedroom Policy: Randy Durant reported that the Building Department intormed him that they have stopped applying the square foot portion of the bedroom policy that was adopted for use by County departments, and asked for a clarification of this policy. The Board advised that they had not made any determination on this policy. Randy Durant advised that he will meet with the Planning/ Building Department to rewrite the policy. Environmental Health Specialist: ,Employment Interviews: Commissioner Pitts will sit in on the interviews tor the Environmental Health Specialist on October 29 and 30 if he is available. MEETING ADJOURNED JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH B.~rman John L. Pitts, Member OISEA:::lt. CON IHOL NUHSlt'>ju STAll$liCS ht:AUH t:OUCAT ION JEFFERSON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT 802 SHERIDAN PORT TOWNSEND. WASH. 98368 (206) 385.0722 October 16, 1985 John E1iasson 116 Hirschback Heights Aberdeen WA 98520 Dear John: Your letter of resignation was presented to the Jefferson County Board of Health at today's regular meeting and was accepted with regret. The Board has been pleased with your work performance in the field of Environmental Health. We realize the difficulty of enforcing regulations that affect the general public. You have been able to meet the require- ments of the position with fairness and tact. Public acceptance of the position is testimoney to your competence. If you ever have need of recommendations the Board will be pleased to provide them for you. Thank you for your service to the County. We are sorry to see you leave and wish you well in your new endeavor. Sincerely yours, of Health BGB! sa i., , i'