McHenry County Public Health & Community Services Committee met Feb. 24.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
1. CALL TO ORDER
Meeting called to order at: 8:31 AM by Lori Parrish.
PRESENT: Parrish, Bates (Remote), Jindrich (Remote), Meshes, Schofield, Schwartz, Von Bergen, Yensen
ABSENT:
Also present: Peter Austin, County Administrator; Scott Hartman, Deputy County Administrator; Melissa Adamson, Health Administrator; Susan Karras, Director of Nursing.
2. MINUTES APPROVAL
1. Public Health & Community Services - Public Meeting - Jan 27, 2022 8:30 AM
| RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Paula Yensen SECONDER: Jeffrey Schwartz AYES: Parrish, Bates, Jindrich, Meshes, Schofield, Schwartz, Von Bergen, Yensen |
None.
4. MEMBER COMMENTS
Paula Yensen stated the Mental Health Board is having a strategic planning session this coming Saturday and at the Mental Health Board meeting last week they're trying to figure out what they levy should be and the financials. She mentioned they have a financial forecasting software program that was showed at the Valley Hi Operating Committee and she thought it was very valuable with what the levy is for Valley Hi and how it all works together, so she asked if the finance department would come and do a presentation to the Mental Health Board to give an idea of how they need to look at the future levy and putting the budget together. Mr. Austin stated Scott Hartman is the creator of the Valley Hi financial model, but it is a different revenue stream.
5. REPORTS
1. Department of Health Pandemic Update
Melissa Adamson, Health Administrator, joined the committee to discuss the report.
• She began stating the good news is they are heading in the right direction; it is still categorized as high transmission because the County is above the 100,000 cases per 100,000 and they are seeing a decline occur.
• Test positivity is lower level and is scaled at moderate and that is likely being underestimating the actual transmission due to decreased testing, so they think incidents rate is a more accurate depiction or reflection of what they are seeing in the County in transmission.
• Incidents rates have been decreasing since mid-January and they saw a decrease of 46% between the week of 1/23-1/30 and a subsequent decrease of 41% from 1/30-2/6.
• Regarding hospitalization they have seen a decrease and the percent of emergency department visits for covid-19 symptoms have been decreasing since the beginning of January. There was a decrease of 51% between the end of January and February 6th, and a decrease of 21% from 2/6-2/13.
• Regarding in patient visits for covid-19 symptoms those have also been decreasing since January and in the most recent week a reported decrease of 31% from 2/6-2/13 and there has been the same trend for hospitalizations.
• The one thing they are continuing to see are deaths reported, there is a 2-4-week lag in death reporting data, so it is likely that they do not have the complete data for January. Generally, they see a peak in deaths shortly after the peaks in hospitalizations and cases, so they expect they are nearing their peak in death data from the omicron rate. As of the most recent reported data from February 23rd the deaths have increased by 41% from December to January.
• Vaccination is at 64.23% on fully vaccinated in the County, it is broken down by age groups. 98.59% of the 65+ population is vaccinated, 75.57% of people between 18-64, 61.71% of people between 12-17, and 35.23% of people between 5-11.
She stated that is all she has and mentioned things are looking and trending in the right direction. Mr. Austin requested if she or Ms. Karras talk about the meeting they had with the superintendents because he thought it was a good moment had and it is great information to be shared. Ms. Adamson stated they had asked the health department to look at the metrics because previously they had not developed metrics and when they were above or below certain thresholds it triggered certain actions. Due to the variability in vaccination rates within schools and other fields by schools’ terms with how many kids are in school and how they space them, they are recommending a case by case approach to the mitigations and how they watch the cases in the buildings. She stated they do flu reporting so they are shifting back to a lot of the ways they do flu reporting where they look at absenteeism, so if they start to see those thresholds go over 5% that is going to trigger a warning for the health department and the school to look a little closer. Absenteeism is categorized by flu, covid and gastrointestinal and they will be encouraging the superintendents to consult with them so they can provide some guidance, but they understand they have various mitigations and tools that they can use. Mr. Austin stated in layman's terms it will not be a statewide approach or a countywide approach it will be building by building like the flu. Ms. Adamson stated they will be still be reporting to the health department and they will be able to identify outbreaks and the consultation will be on a case by case basis individualized or tailored to the school’s needs.
6. NEW BUSINESS
1. 8:40 - Abhishek (Jay) Gulati - Board of Health
Committee members introduced themselves and interviewed Abhishek (Jay) Gulati for consideration for appointment to the Board of Health. It was noted that Mr. Gulati meets the requirements as a members of the Board of Health.
2. Deliberation and Selection of up to One Candidate for Recommendation to the County Board Chairman for the Board of Health with a term to expire on June 30, 2023.
A motion was made by Dr. Yensen, seconded by Ms. Schofield, to recommend the appointment of Abhisheki (Jay) Gulati for consideration as a member of the Board of Health with a term to expire on June 30, 2023.
3. Motion: Resolution Authorizing the Emergency Appropriation of $90,000 in Grant Funding to the Department of Health’s FY22 Budget for Local Health Department Overdoses Surveillance and Response (Not In Packet)
Melissa Adamson, Health Administrator and Susan Karras, Director of Nursing, joined the committee to discuss the resolution.
Ms. Adamson began stating this is a overdoses surveillance grant and it is something they have been working on for the past three years and it is a new grant that goes back to September, but they just receive the award so that is why there is a delay from the state. She stated the last opioid grant ended in August but it was not until January they got notified of the award, this is apart of ongoing surveillance for the opioid issue and there has been some experience in McHenry County and they do work with the substance abuse coalition where they track overdoses and the idea is to focus on risk and harm reduction by using the data to design interventions and see where they can impact the problem. It would be adding an Epidemiologist and a Health Educator, the funding for the positions are going to be tied to the grant, so if there are any changes the positions would be eliminated based on loss of funding.
Ms. Meshes wanted to confirm this is a grant and not money for the County, Ms. Adamson confirmed the resolution would be to accept the grant. She stated it is for $90,000 but they had budgeted $60,000 which was the previous grant amount so when they got the award there was an additional $90,000 so for a total of $150,000 and the additional $90,000 needs to be added to the budget, which was not anticipated.
Mr. Austin stated in Ms. Adamson's defense the document was not here from the state on Friday when the agenda was posted, so he suggested putting it on the agenda and getting the formal information out later. Dr. Yensen stated she thinks the resolution is much needed. Ms. Adamson stated they are also requesting a transfer, the $60,000 that they did budget for had initially been put in contractual and they are asking to transfer it into personnel. They have staff who have been filling in the duties until they are able to hire someone because they cannot hire them until they get the resolution passed so they will be offsetting the positions which are funded by the general fund and the state will allow them to bill back the time they have spent continuing the activities. Dr. Yensen inquired if they will be working with the Mental Health Board, Ms. Adamson confirmed yes that they are apart of the coalition. Ms. Meshes inquired if the $150,000 is all salary, Ms. Adamson stated there is a small amount of money primarily it is personnel and there are some training, phone supplies, mileage and travel costs as well. Chair Parrish wanted Ms. Adamson to extend on Dr. Yensen's question about the Mental Health Board connection. Ms. Adamson stated they are apart of a substance abuse coalition and they have been working together collaboratively with community partners around the opioid issue. Ms. Karras stated they have partnered with the substance abuse coalition for many years and there are many organizations, the issue they have struggled with is pulling everyone's data together and analyzing the data and making it useful to make those decisions to be most effective and measure those responses. The first three years was mainly about setting up a surveillance system, so they have been working very closely with the coroner on it pulling in that type of data and they still need to pull in more data and this is a continuation of building that system to be stronger and developing an action plan with the data and those community partners.
| RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Theresa Meshes, Paula Yensen SECONDER: Jeffrey Schwartz AYES: Parrish, Bates, Jindrich, Meshes, Schofield, Schwartz, Von Bergen, Yensen |
Scott Hartman, Deputy County Administrator, joined the committee to discuss the Public Health & Community Services Committee Description For Board Rules.
He stated the Administrative Services committee is working through the Board Rules and in the Board Rules is a description of each standing committee and working with Chair Gottemoller he is reaching out to each committee chair and asking for their input on how to suggest revisions to the committee descriptions. Working with Chair Parrish she indicated a discussion on the agenda so the committee could weigh in and see some of the proposed changes and make any suggestions moving forward to the Administrative Services committee and ultimately the Board Rules will go to the full County Board for final review and approval. He stated they are going to be reviewing what is currently in place with the Board Rules and the change will take effect December 2022, the first change to reflect is the change from 8 committee members to 7, which is already reflected in red. Additionally, the formation of the Valley Hi Operating Committee, takes certain duties out of this committee and moves it there, as well the removal of the TB Board which is absorbed to the Board of Health.
3.5 PUBLIC HEALTH AND & COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE
(eight seven (87) members). Agencies of the: Board of Health (Health Department); Regional Superintendent of Schools; Valley Hi; Veterans Assistance; 708 Mental Health Board, Workforce Network Board, Community Development & Housing Grant Commission and Senior Services Grant Commission.
Stewardship/liaison for matters pertaining to the budget, expenditures, and new revenues received through grants for: Board of Health, Mental Health Board, Regional Office of Education, Valley Hi Operating Board, Veterans' Assistance Commission, Community Development & Housing Grant Commission; Senior Services Grant Commission; TB Board, Workforce Network and the Workforce Network Board.
This Committee recommends appointments to the Board of Health, Mental Health Board, McHenry County Housing Authority Board, Valley Hi Operating Board, TB Board, Community Development & Housing Grant Commission, Senior Services Grant Commission and Workforce Network Board.
Members of the Public Health & Community Services Committee also serve as members of the Senior Services Grant Commission.
7. OLD BUSINESS
None.
8. PRESENTATION
None.
9. FUTURE TOPICS
Dr. Yensen stated at the Mental Health Board there was a discussion about prices services and she thinks they had a discussion in the past about possible gaps and things they were unaware of. She suggested inviting someone from the Mental Health Board to talk about prices services and if with new authorities that may change in the County. Chair Parrish stated she thinks that is a great idea and will talk with Leonetta Rizzi, Executive Director of Mental Health Board, because she believes there has been previous conversation about that. Mr. Austin stated the group will be involved in the upcoming months on an intergovernmental agreement with the Mental Health Board, the County Board and the State's Attorney's Office on the distribution of the opioid settlement.
10. EXECUTIVE SESSION (AS NECESSARY)
None.
11. ADJOURNMENT
Ms. Meshes made a motion, seconded by Mr. Schwartz to adjourn the meeting at 9:35 a.m. The motion passed on a voice vote of all members present voting aye. - TCMcKinnon
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