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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH November 20, 2008 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 5 November 20, 2008 Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that North Carolina is prepared in the event of a public health emergency. Each year an amount is allocated to each local health department to meet deliverables as required by the federal and state government to ensure that local health departments and counties are prepared in the event of a local or state public health emergency. Orange County has employed a full-time position public health preparedness coordinator (Public Health Nurse II) since 2003. There have been sufficient state and/or federal funds available in previous years to support a full time position. Beginning in 2007-2008, as federal funds were not allocated at previous levels to the CDC there was a corresponding reduction in funds to the state and the state began passing along those reductions to the local level. In addition, supplemental funding such as the pandemic flue supplements are no longer available for the local level. Carla Julian reported that in FY 07-08, the Preparedness Coordinator for the Health Department received a promotion internally. After three unsuccessful attempts to recruit for the vacancy, the position was filled on July 1, 2008 with an internal transfer of a public health nurse that was a reduction-in-force from the loss of grant funds for the Help 4 Kids Project (Smart Start funding). This nurse recently resigned to accept another position leaving the position vacant again. The current allocation from the state of $51,836 annually is not sufficient to support the salary and benefits of a full-time public health nurse II position. The requirements that this position fulfills are mandated through the agreement addenda between the NC Division of Public Health and the Health Department. The health director made inquiries to several geographically contiguous counties to determine whether there was interest or need for a shared position in the public health preparedness area to fulfill the local requirements. Person County recently approved a full time Public Health Nurse III position funded in part by their allocation of preparedness funds and through their additional Aid to County funds. Person County Health Department is interested in an agreement between our two counties that would allow for a single person to accomplish most of the deliverables required by the State. This would also enable efficiencies in planning and executing training and required drills and exercises. Upon mutual agreement, Person County will hire and supervise the position, authorized at a higher level than the current Orange County position. The person in this position is estimated to spend at least 2 to 2 ½ days per week on-site in Orange County at the Health Department and will perform additional duties as needed to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the agreement. The agreement will begin on an annual basis if mutually agreeable and upon evaluation of completion of agreement deliverables. Funding will be prorated for this year and a new annual amount established for the next fiscal year. Chris Harlan stated that this would be a good way to share resources. Ms. Julian stated that there are several counties in the state that have successfully developed such shared arrangements between counties for the preparedness area. This arrangement will also allow Orange County to live within the allocation provided by the state and still meet its obligations. Moses Carey asked what other counties had experience in shared resources. Ms. Julian stated that they were the smaller counties because the allocation is based in part on population and square miles. She pointed out that larger counties with a denser population would have needs greater than a