Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: November 18, 2008 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. -~=-~- <br />SUBJECT: Orange County Preparedness Agreement with Person County Health <br />Department <br />DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Services Agreement with Person County Rosemary Summers, 245-2411 <br />PURPOSE: To execute an agreement with Person County Health Department for the provision <br />of public health preparedness services for Orange County. <br />BACKGROUND: Since 2002 the State of North Carolina has received federal funds from the <br />Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure North Carolina is prepared in the <br />event of a public health emergency. Each year an amount is allocated to each local health <br />department to meet deliverables as required by the federal and state government to ensure <br />local health departments and counties are prepared in the event of a local or state public health <br />emergency. Orange County has employed afull-time public health preparedness coordinator <br />(Public Health Nurse II) since 2003. There have been sufficient state and/or federal funds <br />available to support afull-time position. Beginning in FY2007-2008, as federal funds were not <br />allocated at previous levels to the CDC, there was a corresponding reduction in funds to the <br />state and in turn the state began passing along those reductions to the local level. In addition, <br />supplemental funding such as the pandemic flu supplements are no longer available for the <br />local level. <br />In FY 2007-2008, the staff member serving as the Preparedness Coordinator for the Health <br />Department received a promotion internally. After three unsuccessful attempts to recruit, the <br />position was filled on July 1, 2008 with an internal transfer of a public health nurse that was <br />available due to a reduction-in-force from the loss of grant funds for the Help 4 Kids Project <br />(Smart Start funding). This nurse recently resigned to accept another position leaving the <br />position vacant again. The current allocation from the state of $51,836 annually is not sufficient <br />to support the salary and benefits of a full-time Public Health Nurse II position. The <br />requirements this position fulfills are mandated through the agreement addenda between the <br />NC Division of Public Health and the Health Department. <br />