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MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br /> October 23, 2024 <br /> Ms. Phillips-Weiner reminded the board that this report is not a public-facing resource but is <br /> intended to assist board of health members in committee work and committee planning, both to <br /> identify opportunities for collaboration and to help steer initiatives based on what work is already <br /> being done. <br /> Dr. Stuebe asked how this report was generated, to which Ms. Phillips-Weiner explained that <br /> the HPES team log their board activities in a spreadsheet over the course of a six-month period, <br /> which she then uses to create a word document/PDF. <br /> In response to Dr. Jonnal's question about her opinion of the lay of the land for committees and <br /> boards working in Orange County, Ms. Phillips-Weiner said that there may be some <br /> redundancies within the existing boards, but she wouldn't say that this is the case for most <br /> boards or that this has been her personal experience. She added that, as Board of Health <br /> Strategic Plan Manager, she can be a bit more selective about which boards she joins and that <br /> someone like McKayla Creed, Healthy Carolinians Coordinator, might have a different <br /> experience. Dr. Jonnal commented that numbers are so important for advocacy, and she <br /> wonders if streamlining and combining some of the boards might result in better outcomes. <br /> Dr. Royce observed that the level of work completed by the boards varies a lot, with some <br /> working with individual patients and others working at a broader population level. Ms. Phillips- <br /> Weiner agreed and added that a lot of the boards are still in a planning phase post-pandemic. <br /> B. Media Items <br /> Libbie Hough, Communications Manager, presented the media packet to the board. Topics <br /> included: the recent measles case in Mecklenburg County, updates on the Formerly <br /> Incarcerated Transitions (FIT) program, an update on the COVID bridge program, recent threats <br /> against the Orange County School (OCS) and Chapel Hill/Carrboro City School (CHCCS) <br /> systems, and recent rabies cases. <br /> Ms. Hough added that she is working to update the health department website, particularly to <br /> update the content and to make it more accessible, as it is federally mandated to be compliant <br /> with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She shared that there are limitations related to <br /> the software and the templates available. <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 /> C. Health Directors Report <br /> Ms. Stewart presented her report to the Board. Below are brief highlights of her report. <br /> • The annual All-Staff Meeting was held on Friday October 18th and was attended by Mr. <br /> Bagby. Ms. Stewart highlighted several service milestones celebrated at the picnic, <br /> including twenty years of service by Ms. Julian. <br /> • McKayla Creed, Healthy Carolinians Coordinator, and Marcy Williams, Health Promotion <br /> and Education Services Manager, attended the 2024 Fall Community Health <br /> Assessment (CHA) Institute and were honored for their excellent work on the 2023 CHA. <br /> Additionally, the statewide CHA Guidebook was recently updated, and Orange County is <br /> noted in it as an example of best practices for use of secondary data. <br /> • Seven OCHD staff members have been deployed as part of the emergency response to <br /> Hurricane Helene. Environmental Health staff assisted with onsite wastewater <br /> S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agendas &Abstracts\2024 Agenda and Abstracts/ <br /> October Page 8 <br />