Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br />March 24, 2010 <br />Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 1 March 24, 2010 <br />ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT: To enhance the quality of life, <br />promote the health, and preserve the environment for all people in the Orange County <br />community. <br /> <br />THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MET ON March 24, 2010 at the Southern Human <br />Services Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. <br /> <br />BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Anissa Vines, Chair; Chris Harlan, Vice-Chair; Jim <br />Stefanadis; Paul Chelminski; Mark Carstens; Steve Yuhasz; Tony Whitaker; Christopher Cooke <br /> <br />BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: DeWana Anderson; Jessica Lee, out of town; Michael <br />Wood <br /> <br />STAFF PRESENT: Wayne Sherman, Personal Health Services Division Director; Tom Konsler, <br />Environmental Health Services Division Director; Donna King, Health Promotion and Education <br />Services Division Director; Angela Cooke, Dental Health Services Division Director; Carla Julian, <br />Risk Management/Quality Assurance Director; Letitia Burns, Business Officer; Anne Miles <br />Cassell, Administrative Assistant; <br /> <br />GUESTS PRESENT: Emily Leazer, UNC Journalism School; Rebecca Putterman, Daily Tar Heel <br /> <br />I. County Health Rankings <br /> <br />Rosemary Summers gave a Power Point presentation of county health rankings. This <br />report was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the ranking system <br />developed by the University of Wisconsin. This system ranked approximately 3,000 <br />counties across the country, however, the ranking only compared counties to each <br />other within a state. The rankings are intended to help counties compare the multiple <br />factors that influence health so that people can see where they are doing well and <br />where they need to improve. <br /> <br />As a result of this study, the rankings show that Orange County is first in health factors <br />and second in health outcomes in the state. Nationally, another study funded by the <br />Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranked states and North Carolina ranked 37 out of <br />50. North Carolina through its four year cycle of community assessment continually <br />examines and updates some of the same data contained in the report. <br /> <br />Most of the achievements in Orange County’s health rankings can be attributed to the <br />strong partnerships that exist between the two Orange County school systems, UNC <br />Health Care, UNC, non-profit agencies, the business community and governments. <br /> <br />Despite being higher in overall rankings there are areas for improvement. The lowest <br />scores for Orange County were in physical environment factors that contribute to <br />health. These measures were ozone and particular matter days in 2005 and access to <br />healthy foods and the density of liquor stores. Work has already occurred in these <br />areas but this is an indicator that more work is needed. The availability of multiple <br />farmers’ markets across the county and the growing movement to start and foster <br />community gardens has already started to improve access to healthy foods. This also <br />may provide new opportunities for economic development of full service groceries in <br />areas of the county that have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables.