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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH January 25, 2007 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 3 January 25, 2007 C. Space Study/Facility Information At the November meeting, the Board discussed the Space Study Report and Recommendations that were presented to Commissioners by County staff. There was a great deal of concern expressed by Board members about the recommendation for a single clinical site at SHSC. Since that meeting the Health Department staff has been working with state consultants on alternative scenarios for current and future clinical needs. A report was distributed to Board members detailing the assumptions and associated space and staffing needs for the personal health and dental health clinical functions if a single facility or two facilities are considered. Moses Carey, Jr. advised the Board to compare the report to the Space Needs Report that was given to the Board of County Commissioners in the fall and to advise the Commissioners of their preferences for facilities. Many Board members preferred a new single centrally located site to house both the dental and healthcare clinics. However, when the issue of accessibility to care was raised, it was felt that clients in the northern part of the county would have more difficulty accessing care than those in the southern part of the county. There was a great deal of discussion about what the county could “afford” versus what was needed for safety net services. The Board agreed that it was the Board’s responsibility to present what is needed and not to make assumptions about affordability. The consensus of the Board was that two full-time dental and personal health clinics are needed, co-located at each end of the county. However if Commissioners feel that is not possible a single, larger dental facility should be located in the northern part of the county. Medical facilities should remain at both locations. Either scenario will need additional dental staff to accommodate the needs of the population. It was felt that there existed more alternative sources for dental care in the Chapel Hill area. A single dental clinic would optimize efficiency by utilizing current staff and operating 4.5 days per week. Currently the dental clinic at Carr Mill Mall operates 2 days per week and the Hillsborough clinic operates 2.5 days per week. D. Proposal for Loan Repayment Program The Health Department has had difficulty recruiting and retaining dental and medical professionals over the years. The difficulties can be attributed to salary level, professional shortage, and private market conditions. The most recent difficulties that the department experienced were in recruiting a dentist and a dental assistant. The department recruited multiple times for nearly a year before being able to make an offer to a dentist. The dentist accepted another offer made locally that assured a higher salary and a loan repayment option. North Carolina has some additional recruitment barriers for dentists in the limited availability of licensure by credentials for dentists with valid licenses in other states. In an effort to offer a more attractive package, the Department explored the