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MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br />February 27, 2003 <br />Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by V. Anne Miles 3 February 27, 2003 <br />We have received letters from their family members expressing thanks for the <br />critical needs addressed by the program. <br /> <br />The issue here is that the funding is drying up for the whole program, which has <br />been operating for four years. Without funding, either from grants or the <br />County, the department will not be able to reconfigure staff to be able to cover <br />the program. <br /> <br />Small Pox Vaccination Plan – Stage 1 vaccinations will begin on March 14, 2003. <br />Initially, about 15 health department staff and about 120 UNC Hospital staff are <br />targeted to be vaccinated. These are the individuals in the hospital that might <br />be treating smallpox cases and health department staff that would identify and <br />follow up in a smallpox investigation in the community. <br /> <br />Adolescent Health Task Force – This was formed to look at adolescent health <br />issues in the community. An indicated decline in the number of adolescents <br />accessing the health department clinic is of concern. The task force goal is to <br />broaden that scope by inviting community members to the table to discuss what <br />is currently being offered in the community for adolescent’s health needs, what <br />is the history, where we are now, and where we might be going. The <br />determination has been made by the task force that we need to move forward <br />with planning for a school based health center in northern Orange County. <br />Orange County Schools has expressed a great deal of interest in this and has <br />formed a planning committee to move this process forward and research how <br />community and parental support can be garnered, sustainability funding, and to <br />find the proper location. <br /> <br />Clinical Services – A large concern is the 40% no-show rate. Open access <br />scheduling is being implemented July 1 to reduce this rate by reserving a <br />portion of each day for walk-ins. <br /> <br />Primary Care – The issue of primary care is being looked at. Health Department <br />focus has been mainly on prevention care in the past. The populations we serve <br />are child bearing age women and children. Instead of fragmenting services for <br />this vulnerable populations and low income uninsured that we serve, the <br />department is looking into providing a more comprehensive continuity of care <br />service to them on a limited basis. Our aim is to serve the whole need of the <br />individual and their family of the populations that we do serve. The department <br />will move forward with this plan now with our prenatal patients. A Carolina <br />Access I application has been submitted to become a provider within that <br />program for our prenatal patients. <br /> <br />Carolina Access programs II and III are looking at systems of care for counties <br />and multiple counties. The department feels it is important to be involved at <br />this time to ensure a place in the negotiations of how we can be a provider <br />within that system of care. <br /> <br />We will be asking for feedback from clients and talking to providers in <br />community about how they feel about the health department being a primary <br />care provider, and then doing a cost benefit analysis of this. We want to assure <br />service provision to those populations in our community.