Approved Minutes of January 24, 2024

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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH January 24, 2024 Tony Whitaker Mr. Whitaker introduced himself as the engineering representative and stated that he has done multiple tenures on the Board of Health, as he feels it is a great board doing important work. He also mentioned an article he recently listened to from WUNC, "Wastewater surveillance could be a new way to track trends for illnesses like COVID," which discusses how COVID-19 wastewater monitoring has predictive power related to hospitalization trends and peaks. He expressed that he would like to see Orange County Health Department establish partnerships with organizations that monitor wastewater. Dr. Bruce Baldwin Dr. Baldwin welcomed Commissioner Fowler to the board and shared that he is the optometrist representative and that he has only three years left before his tenure on the board expires. Dr. Rachel Royce Dr. Royce introduced herself as an at-large representative in her first full term and is an epidemiologist by training. Dr. Royce added that public health has degraded over time and that while OWASA in Chapel Hill is still measuring COVID-19 in the wastewater, there is not a surveillance location in Northern Orange, making it harder to initiate protective measures to reduce the spread of infection. She also expressed dismay that North Carolina has reduced the amount of COVID- related data available, with only deaths, hospitalizations, and wastewater still widely available. Dr. Brian Crandell Dr. Crandell shared that he is the pharmacist representative working at the UNC Hillsborough Cancer Hospital. He expressed that the cost of medication bothers him, and that this is a complicated and difficult issue. He said that it is difficult for him to witness patients who cannot afford their monthly Chemo pills despite having a fairly normal income. Commissioner Amy Fowler Commissioner Fowler introduced herself and expressed that she is both a County Commissioner and a pediatrician with a history in biomedical engineering and a Masters in Public Health and Maternal and Child Health. She also said her husband has an epidemiology background and that she is very excited to have the opportunity to serve on the board of health. She added that she is inspired by the vape ban ordinances that have recently been passed in some surrounding counties and plans to petition Orange County to prohibit vape shops from opening within 1,000 feet of schools and to work with local municipalities to enact similar measures, as the county only controls non-municipalities. She also said that as a pediatrician, addressing social determinants of health is meaningful to her. S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda&Abstracts\2024 Agenda&Abstracts/ January Page 3