Minutes 02-15-2024 - Work Session

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5 Chair Bedford invited the commission to make suggestions for the scoring rubric and send it to the County Manager's Office. Colin Austin of the Advisory Board on Aging said the board is continuing to work on the Master Aging Plan and he is interested in how their work will connect with and support the county's strategic plan. He said the work at the senior centers is amazing. He said that Project EngAGE recently completed its first session since the pandemic began. He said that many older adults are isolated in the community and the Advisory Board on Aging would like to improve transportation issues. Chair Bedford said that at the next meeting the Board would have the opportunity to approve three new vans, and this will help in getting seniors directly from point A to point B. She said the county's Master Aging Plan was used as a model for what the commissioners wanted to see in the strategic plan. Colin Austin said there is nothing else like it in the state. Jacqulyn Podger and Shade Little of the Adult Care Home and Nursing Home CAC presented jointly to the Board. Jacqulyn Podger said they are in their second quarter of the merged committees. She said that they have rich discussions and have come together as a group. She said that they hope to have as many as 14 members soon. She said they act as the eyes and ears by visiting the facilities. Shade Little said they are the group that reaches out to the nursing homes and assisted living centers in the community. He said that they want to be more involved with the nursing homes, such as creating gardens and buying holiday gifts for seniors. Commissioner Hamilton thanked them for their work. She asked if the training bottleneck at the state has been resolved. Jacqulyn Podger said yes and that was another success of 2023. Commissioner Hamilton asked if the reports they make are public. Jacqulyn Podger said that they are. Tara May said she would send that information to all of the commissioners. Chair Bedford said that they are considering an amendment to the term requirements for the boards so that they can have some continuity in the committee. Dr. Aparna Jonnal of the Board of Health said they accomplished several items in 2023. She said they adopted T21, which is legislation limiting tobacco to anyone under 21. She said that in September 2023 the NC Local Health Department Accreditation Board awarded the Orange County Board reaccreditation with honors. She said the Orange County Health Department was awarded the Child Health and Local Health Department award and the Dr. Sara Mayer Award for best Health Department of the year for the Gateway Village project. She said they received a joint grant to wo reduce inequities in modern maternity care. She said they are looking forward to the dispatch of the mobile dental clinic and completion of the community health assessment. She said that the expansion of Medicaid may result in needing more providers in the community. She said that one of her projects is looking into the data to determine what healthy screen usage is for kids because children's mental health is declining, and it is almost to the point of an epidemic. Chair Bedford said that people do not have to have Medicaid or Medicare to use the public health department. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how the Board of Health will get information about screen usage out to the community. Aparna Jonnal said the first step is to understand what the data is telling us, and then to understand what is happening in Orange County, and then what means to start to establish healthy guidelines for schools and public places. Jane Garrett of the Board of Social Services said they served an average of 5,933 families per month in food and nutrition services and 2186 per month in Medicaid. She said they are