Approved Minutes of September 25, 2024

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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH September 25, 2024 rule of one hour of TV per night, and that he once had a child try to continue watching TV after bedtime, so he shut down the circuit breaker to that room. • Dr. Rodgers mentioned that her daughter is outdoorsy and regularly takes her kids camping, and that other parents have offered to pay her to take their kids on camping trips, too. She noted that parents need to find a way to take control of screens again. Dr. Jonnal said that a culture shift is necessary to change things, because it's developmentally difficult for children and adolescents to feel left out and screens are so ubiquitous. Commissioner Fowler commented that during the Behavioral Health Committee meeting, Dr. Karl Johnson of UNC Gillings shared that young people said that they would pay up to $20 a month to get their friends to quit social media, so kids are ready for a culture shift too. • Dr. Stuebe commented on the systems drivers for rampant screen use — in two-parent households where both parents are working, sometimes multiple jobs, and don't live near extended family, it's difficult to avoid using screens to placate your children. She wondered what needs to change to allow people to have enough community to care for their children without needing to supplement with screens. • Dr. Jonnal commented that many young people don't know how to regulate their emotions without using screens, as it has become the norm for parents to use screens to calm toddlers during tantrums, even though tantrums are an important part of socioemotional development and allow children to learn how to self-soothe. • Ms. Stewart noted that with school phone bans, it is often parents providing the most pushback due to anxiety over school shootings and fearing not being able to reach their children in an emergency. • Dr. Jonnal concluded by saying that she would love to speak with the BOCC or the school superintendent about the impact of screens on the health of young people. Commissioner Fowler said that she could bring up the topic at the next school board meeting. B. Annual Immigrant/Refugee Health Update Chinyere Ekenna, Communicable Disease/Refugee Health Nurse, presented an update on the health status and health screening process for refugees and asylees in Orange County. Some highlights of her presentation are below: • Ms. Ekenna defined refugees and asylees — a refugee being an individual who has fled their home country due to violence or persecution, while an asylee is a refugee who has been granted legal entrance and protection (asylum) into the US. • The number of refugees arriving in Orange County has been decreasing since 2021. In FY23-24, 37 refugees were screened upon their arrival to Orange County. • Ms. Ekenna provided an overview of the refugee health screening process, which includes identifying any infections and/or chronic conditions that may affect settlement or pose a public health risk, bringing refugees up to date on any required vaccinations, screening for tuberculosis infection, and helping connect refugees to the US healthcare system for further care. The initial health screening takes place at one of the partnering Piedmont Health Centers and should take place within thirty days of arrival, but sometimes it is delayed —for example, interpreters for some languages may be difficult to find. • Data on refugee health is reported to the state quarterly. • Required tests and vaccines change frequently. Currently, Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) screening is recommended for certain high-risk populations. However, many refugees arrive in family units, which is considered low risk for STIs, and therefore S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agendas &Abstracts\2024 Agenda and Abstracts/ September Page 5