BOH Final Minutes of August 25, 2021

Browse Search

MINUTES - Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 25, 2021 conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Referrals are received from medical providers within and outside of the OCHD. The RDN conducts a review of the medical history, medications, diet, and lifestyle patterns and together with the referred client or a family member, if it's a young child. A personalized plan is developed to help them meet their nutrition goals. There were 856 encounters in FY 2020-21. There was a 10% increase in primary care clients. The payment type for the 856 encounters were: ➢ Insurance at 34% (290 ppl), Medicaid at 26% (224 ppl) and self-pay at 40% (342 ppl). • Diabetes Self-Management Education Services (DSME) o Clients receive 10 hours of education on the basics of diabetes prevention and management in this American Diabetes Association recognized program. There's an initial health assessment and sign up for 2 of the group education classes on the basics of diabetes care. Clients will then return in 3 months for a follow-up appointment where knowledge is measured as well as any change in blood sugar management. Nutrition Services have collaborated with local experts in the different areas of diabetes management including partnering with Walgreens to provide the medications and the utilization of a nurse, health educator and an exercise physiologist. o NCDiabetesSmart featured OCHD's DSME program in a video for a statewide marketing initiative. Some OCHD staff participated in the video. o All services were provided last year via telehealth. Telehealth appointments have been very successful. There was an 11% decrease in the no-show rate. Group education sessions are held using the Zoom meeting format as it possesses a simultaneous interpretation feature to offer Spanish classes. Telehealth materials such as appointment reminders and pre-appointment connectivity meetings ensure a smooth log in process. Scales, self-management/behavior change tools, and education materials were mailed to clients. • Community Health Grant (CHG) o In 2017, the CHG was awarded by the Office of Rural Health. The grant was renewed for FY 21-22. The purpose of this award is to increase access to primary care and self-management support services for residents with chronic disease. Groups specifically targeted include adults who are uninsured, on Medicaid or Medicare. The focus is on the chronic conditions of obesity, pre-diabetes and diabetes abnormal lipids, which is cholesterol and hypertension. • There is a voucher program that waives the fee to those clients in which the $20 fee is a barrier. Diabetes tests and supplies are offered at no cost to help clients manage their diabetes. • Some of the specific objectives and outcomes of the CHG include: o Working on increasing accessibility of interpretation services for the L.E.P. clients of the MNT and DSME programs o Offering behavior change incentives by providing water bottles, calories tracking books, and step trackers • There was a transportation assistance program for adults and pregnant women in which 45 rides were provided pre-COVID-19. Those funds have since been reallocated for telehealth services. They are also being used to create primary care bags that include items such as those that assist with at-home blood pressure self-checks and diabetes testing supplies. S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda &Abstracts\2021 Agenda &Abstracts/ August Page 3