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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH May 20, 1999 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Patsy L. Bateman 3 May 20, 1999 Tamara Norris of the OCPYC presented an overhead show to the Board of Health. She also distributed copies of the report. Focus group results showed that clients were satisfied with the child health care received at Piedmont Health Clinic and Carrboro Community Health Clinic. Clients feel they are well treated where doctors and nurses speak Spanish. Clients expressed less satisfaction with experiences at UNC Hospital and the Health Department Clinic in Hillsborough, where bilingual staff or interpreters are not always available. Many have not heard of NC Health Choice. Some who have applied have been denied because the family income was too high, or chose not to drop the child from other coverage for 6 months to qualify. Preventive dental care is a problem because it is expensive and not readily available. As of April first, the 6 month time frame has been changed to 2 months. Los Ninos recommendations: 1. Spanish speaking liaisons to help parents/children transition to child care. 2. Expand eligibility spaces and transportation for head start. 3. Broaden Health Choice coverage to non U.S.- born children. 4. Provide therapists to help children adjust to life in the US. 5. Provide bilingual health services in northern Orange County. 6. Develop a Hispanic resource. 7. The need for more ESL classes accessible to parents to include parenting and life skill content. 8. More bilingual resource coordinators. 9. Develop a network of translators/interpreters for parents and agencies. 10. Encourage bilingual hiring practices in agencies. The Board of Directors of OCPYC has allocated $85,000 to address these issues in the next few months. Proposals will be sent out. The Health Department may be looking at sending in a request for proposal. Rosemary Summers reported that there has been extensive outreach from the Health Department and other agencies informing the communities about NC Health Choice. The Department of Social Services reports that 5 Latino families were turned down for NC Health Choice because they were not US citizens. This is a federal government issue, not state or local. The Health Department has one bilingual person, a social worker in the Intensive Home Visiting Program. Latino clients that qualify for the program are referred to her. She has been asked to do translation but is often not available due to being in the community with the Intensive Home Visiting Program. The Health Department has 3 contract translators. The staff does not always feel comfortable using them due to a lack of medical terminology. The Health Department is looking into sending the translators to Spanish medical terminology classes. B. BOARD RECRUITMENT Included in the Board packet was an appointment process to the Orange County Board of Health, which was approved in June 1997. As of June 30, 1999, the Board of Health will have 3 vacancies. Included as a handout to board members was a memo from the County Attorney to the Board of County Commissioners reviewing the statutory authority for board appointments. This memo stated that board members are eligible to serve three 3-year terms; but nothing prohibits the Commissioners from limiting the terms to two.