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Health Director’s Report <br />September 2019 <br /> <br />• Orange County Opioid Task Force - Via request from Commissioner Price, I will Co-Chair the Orange <br />County Opioid Task Force with UNC Director of Emergency Services, Christian Lawson. There is a <br />meeting planned for Monday, September 30th for task force members. Lawson and I have met to discuss <br />the overall mission of the task force, potential stakeholders and partners and time/resource needs for our <br />work. I will provide further updates as the group is formalized and we solidify plans for our work. <br />• Board of Health Veterinarian Member - The nomination committee interviewed Dr. Lee Pickett for the <br />Veterinarian seat. The committee unanimously agreed to forward an official recommendation for Dr. <br />Pickett to the Board of County Commissioners. BOH appointment is tentatively listed on BOCC Agenda <br />for the September 17, 2019 meeting. <br />• Medicaid Transformation Update: On Monday, September 3, 2019, the Department of Health & Human <br />Services announced that we will move to a statewide transition to managed care on February 1, 2020. <br />The timeline has been adjusted because DHHS could not implement critical actions to go-live November <br />1st with managed care under the unresolved budget. This means Managed care will now launch in one <br />phase instead of two. Open enrollment will be extended for beneficiaries in our region until December <br />13, 2019. We will continue to work towards the February 1, 2020 implementation date by working with <br />stakeholders and PHPs to finalize contracts. <br />• Diabetes Program Award: Our Diabetes Self-Management Education Program has been selected for the <br />2019 John Bowdish Community Award from the Division of Public Health for the North Carolina <br />Diabetes Advisory Council. This award focuses on the innovative ways our program has addressed <br />community needs for improving diabetes management (voucher program, transportation, marketing, <br />Spanish LEP needs). We will accept the award at the NC Diabetes Council Meeting on November 8th. <br />• Vaping /E-cigarettes – The Trump Administration announced plans to ban flavored e-cigarettes. <br />(https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/11/trump-to-consider-e-cigarette-policy-amid-outbreak-of-lung- <br />disease.html) . <br />The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 380 confirmed and probable cases of vaping- <br />related lung illnesses in 36 states. Six people so far have died. <br />(https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/09/11/vaping-lung-illness-what-we-know-spate-cases- <br />and-deaths/2264610001/).