Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br /> March 27, 2024 <br /> she could not share the specific partnerships for privacy reasons. She said that these <br /> focus groups were intended to center perspectives that are often left out of <br /> conversations about community health and well-being. <br /> • Ms. Creed mentioned that Medicaid expansion has not reached as many people as <br /> initially hoped for and told a story about a series of clinics the health department recently <br /> hosted to ensure that school-aged children were meeting school requirements for <br /> immunizations. At these clinics, many parents were concerned about how they would <br /> afford the care, as they did not have insurance. She expressed that many new residents <br /> to Orange County have not gotten connected enough to access insurance. <br /> • Dr. Stuebe said that it is heinous how difficult it is for patients to receive all the benefits <br /> that their health plans supposedly offer. She wondered if this was an issue of <br /> Connections to Community Support or Access to Care, to which Ms. Creed replied that it <br /> could be either or both, and that many of the committees are likely to have overlap. <br /> Several board members also expressed that technology is a barrier for many people, <br /> especially older adults, to accessing things like insurance and insurance benefits. Mr. <br /> Bagby suggested that family members might be able to assist older adults with <br /> enrollment. Ms. Stewart added that she has been voicing concerns about Prepaid Health <br /> Plans (PHPs) being held accountable for actually providing the services they claim to <br /> offer. <br /> • Dr. Jonnal clarified that the Healthy Carolinians of Orange County and BOH will have <br /> separate committees that will be working in parallel to achieve similar goals; Ms. Creed <br /> affirmed this to be the case and said that board members are encouraged to volunteer <br /> on the Healthy Carolinians of Orange County committees, so long as they do not form a <br /> quorum. <br /> At the conclusion of her presentation, Ms. Creed gave each of the board members in <br /> attendance a printed copy of the CHA. Copies for the three members not in attendance were <br /> given to Ms. Phillips-Weiner to distribute later. <br /> Vill. Reports and Discussion with Possible Action <br /> A. Media Items <br /> Marcy Williams, Health Promotion and Education Services Manager, briefly summarized the <br /> articles in the meeting packet. Article topics included that sports gambling is now legal and <br /> available in NC with related concerns about gambling addiction, that the first over-the-counter <br /> birth control pill, OPill, is now available at pharmacies, the launch of a peer warmline in NC to <br /> supplement the 988 suicide lifeline, and an update on Wake County Schools joining a lawsuit <br /> against social media companies due to mental health concerns in youth. <br /> In response to Commissioner Fowler's question about how to contact the warmline, Ms. <br /> Williams explained that there is a phone number, 1-855-PEERS NC (1-855-733-7762), that can <br /> be called or texted. <br /> Media items were in the packet, which focused on Orange County's events, our <br /> involvement in various efforts, and various public health topics. <br /> S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agendas &Abstracts\2024 Agenda and Abstracts/ <br /> March Page 8 <br />