Orange County NC Website
65 <br />added that this is a continuing process, and asked what assurance do we <br />have that this Board of Health is the Board to do what we ask? <br />Discussion ensued between Commissioners Gustaveson and Walker con- <br />. cerning the different policies and the philosophy which the Board of <br />Health should have. Commissioner Walker stated that'he felt the Board <br />was pursuing the health needs of citizens, that the measure of effective- <br />ness depended an the philosophy of the Berard . <br />Commissioner Gustaveson stated that there was a feeling that this <br />body, which is a public body, is not actively involved in setting policy. <br />He added that erne of his problems was how to move from a Board which was <br />used to working one particular way in the past and which now must make <br />a change to be•active and take seriously the concerns of citizens. <br />Commissioners Walker responded that the District Board was trying <br />to do the things which had been pointed out. He added that the Orange <br />County Board must take the District Health Berard on their word. <br />Commissioner Pinney stated that as long as Orange County was getting <br />its share of programs and services, it could form its own mini-board and <br />work with this arrangement. <br />Other concerns which Mr. Gustaveson pointed out were the serious <br />problems with inter-agency coeperation, and the high turn over of per- <br />sonnel within the Health District. He said there were structural pro- <br />blems in the administration in terms of how the staff is involved in <br />carrying on programs and in staff training. <br />Commissioner Walker stated that the Board should decide if its <br />concerns were health needs, the philosophy of the Board, administrative, <br />or what. <br />Commissioner Gustaveson stated that all of these issues should be <br />concerns of the District Board. <br />Chairman Whitted stated that with the responsibility of the Cammis- <br />sioners to appropriate monies to the District Health Department on an <br />annual basis, that the local Boards should have some indication of how <br />effective programs are. He added that information of this sort is not <br />being received and the Commissioners have no way to measure the effec- <br />tiveness of health services in Orange County. The Chairman stated <br />further that with all the discussions with the District Board, they still <br />failed to see the problems. He continued that just one problem can nvt <br />be cited, there is a broader range of problems. <br />Commissioner Pinney suggested that an outside evaluation be made of <br />the programs within the District Health Department. <br />Mr. Gustaveson stated that there were State Consultant Teams available <br />to undertake studies of this type. <br />Commissioner Gustaveson summarized at this point, what problems had <br />been cited thus far by Commissioner Willhoit and the solutions: <br />1. Lack of administrative leadership. Solution - The Nixing of a <br />professional health director. <br />2. Need for an active policy making Board of Health with 35 percent <br />representation for Orange County. Solution - To adolish or re- <br />organize the present Board and establish an active Board. <br />3. The slowness of hiring a Health Director. Solution - to establish <br />a Search Committee to find a competent Health Director. <br />4. Failure to utilize available resources of UNC Schools of Public <br />Health, Medicine and Nursing. Solution - To organize a task force <br />to explore ways in which the district can utilize these resources <br />so that both the University and the District would mutually benefit. <br />Commissioner Gustaveson proceeded to add to the list the following: <br />5. The problem of Tnter-agency cooperation between Health Depart- <br />ment personnel and other service agencies within the community. <br />