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Health Director’s Report September 20, 2017 • Suicide Prevention Activities September is Suicide Prevention Month. Healthy Carolinians has organized a series of community events to promote the “Be the 1 to….” message, including a Suicide Prevention Awareness Walk which will begin and end at “The Pit” on UNC campus on September 22 at 6 pm. Gently used, good condition shoes will be collected in advance of the vigil in memory of those “lost” to suicide. Collected shoes will be donated after the walk to Club NOVA Thrift Shop. To donate shoes, contact Kiana Redd at kredd@orangecountync.gov or call (919) 24-2379.5 • Family Success Alliance On September 5, Coby Austin presented an update on the Family Success Alliance to the Board of County Commissioners, including highlights from the recently released Impact Report, current activities, and a preview of the strategic planning process that is planned for this spring. The only feedback was approval of FSA's intention to pilot expansion into early childhood this fiscal year and a question about possible expansion to other geographic areas of the county. Coby will begin her maternity leave by the end of October, at the latest, at which time Meredith McMonigle will become Interim Director for FSA. • Ann Wolfe Mini-Grant The Health Department has been awarded an Ann Wolfe Mini-Grant for $8000 which will be presented at the NCPHA Awards Dinner on Sept. 28 in Asheville. With the funding, we will provide baby boxes that provide a safe sleep space for infants in addition to education on positive parenting behaviors and information to connect parents with community resources for newborns and young children. This is a pilot initiative to provide baby boxes to all health department prenatal clients to reduce the need for co-sleeping which has been shown to increase risk of SIDS. Distribution will be integrated into our OB Care Management services (for mothers who are not using the health department for prenatal services) and the Family Success Alliance initiative. Baby box implementation is based on a successful model from Finland. • EH Staffing Alan Clapp, Environmental Health (EH) Director, announced his retirement effective September 30, 2017. John Kase, EH Program Supervisor, will assume the Interim EH Director position effective October 2, 2017. We are grateful to Alan for his long-term service to Orange County Health Department and appreciate John’s willingness to assume this leadership role on an interim basis. The EH Director position will be posted following the appointment of a permanent Local Health Director. • Norovirus Outbreak