Approved Minutes of January 21, 2026

Browse Search

MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH January 21, 2026 early treatment drastically improves outcomes. NC is posed to lead reforms due to an existing DMD screening pilot program and scientific expertise at both Duke and UNC. • Pressure from local governments and community members influences state priorities, increasing the speed of action from state lawmakers. The sooner NC adopts MLD and DMD as a part of their newborn screening panel, the better outcomes will be for babies born with MLD and DMD. Ms. Vrinda urged the Board to consider passing a resolution in support of adding MLD and DMD to the state's newborn screening panel program as soon as possible. Dr. Jonnal asked if Ms. Vrinda would be willing to help draft a resolution for the Board to review, as she is the subject matter expert and would be able to draft the most compelling document, to which Ms. Vrinda agreed. • In response to Dr. Crandell's question, Ms. Vrinda explained that there is a lab fee of about $5 per newborn for the screening tests, but that she wasn't sure if or where insurance might come into the system. Dr. Jonnal commented that, by law, all tests on the newborn screening panel are covered by all insurance companies and Erica Pettigrew, Medical Director, added that the panel is standardized by state government and that medical and insurance providers are not allowed to choose individual tests. • In reply to Ms. Stewart's comment, Ms. Vrinda affirmed that she has been in contact with several lawmakers about this issue, including Orange County Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford, NC Representative Allen Buansi, and Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson. • Dr. Royce said that it would be nice to know the frequencies of some of the other diseases on the panel as a point of comparison, to which Ms. Vrinda explained that the majority of the diseases already on the newborn screening panel are rare and are only added to the panel if there are existing effective diagnostic tests and therapies. She added that DMD occurs in 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 9,000 births and MLD occurs in 1 in 40,000 to 1 in 160,000 births. Dr. Nickelson wondered if the rareness of MLD could be a factor in why there's a delay, as it might seem adding it to the panel won't help many babies. Dr. Jonnal said that screening ultimately benefits parents and insurance companies, as early treatment reduces the costs of long-term care for individuals with MLD and DMD. • Mr. Whitaker applauded the presentation and said that the Board would like to support the work of the Youth for Rare Diseases nonprofit in raising awareness of the importance of universal newborn screening for MLD and DMD. B. Immigrant/Refugee Health Update Chinyere "Chi" Ekenna, Public Health Nurse II, presented the annual update on immigrant/refugee health. Some highlights of her presentation are below: • Refugees are individuals who have fled their homes due to violence, religious or political strife, and fear; they are often afraid to go home and have fled to camps where they live for a long time until they receive health screening and can be resettled elsewhere. • Health screening is completed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Division of Global Migration Health. Initial health screening includes a physical exam, treatment, and vaccinations where appropriate. Once refugees arrive in the area where they are settling, local health departments finish the health screening and refer refugees to a local health provider for ongoing care. There have been some updates to the screening panel, including changes to tuberculosis (TB) screening procedures, updates to sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening procedures, and changes to vaccine requirements. All children under the age of eighteen also now have their lead levels tested. • Forty-five refugees arrived in Orange County during the 2024-2025 fiscal year; the majority were from either Syria (22) or Myanmar/Burma (15). No new refugees have S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agendas &Abstracts\2026 Agenda and Abstracts\ January Page 4