2023-05-18-minutes-board-of-health

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o EH Supervisor funding support to offset the need for supervisor to be conducting inspections or billing to administration to pay for position time. Allows supervisor to focus on supervision of programs, policy, workforce development, administrator tasks. o Funding to support childhood immunization outreach and education. o EM funding will be approved but negotiating at what level. o Thanked leadership staff for participating in SME groups. • Final proposals for FPHS funding will be provided at the June BOH NASH leadership training • The department is looking into leadership training in collaboration with Grant, Chelan/Douglas, and Okanogan Health Districts. The training emphasizes leadership development skills, team building internally and with regional partners. Training is paid for through FPHS. Program Updates Chelsey Loeffers attended the LBOH and leadership training in Blaine. o Presentation from CDC on PH law and risk communication o Region will be inviting CDC to provide training locally in the fall. Environmental Health o Five staff attended the annual Washington State Environmental Health Association (WSEAHA) Conference. • Jesse participated on a WSEAHA panel highlighting our EH FPHS work and how is supported the transition from a specialist to generalist model. o Dan Suggs received his Designer's License- Congratulations. Health Promotion o Rebekah Moon was invited to present at the Washington State Environmental Health Association conference by the Washington State DOH team to present on her Clean Air Room project that she has worked on over the last year. She presented two times during the conference along with Seattle King County and Pierce County. She did an amazing job representing Kittitas County Public Health. Health Officer Report Mark Larson M.D gave a brief update on COVID-19. • Reducing masking in public and health care offices. • Federal Emergency Declaration removed this last week. • Still to report positive COVID tests/outbreaks to state. • Oregon has made COVID no longer a reportable condition- Washington State Health Officers may make the same recommendation. • Still have antivirals for those who are in need- soon patients will have to pay for this or insurance companies will need to be billed. • It is unknown how much COVID there is currently due to home testing and no mandatory reporting measures. • Working on communicable disease wastewater tracking. Will attend a conference in June. Dr. Larson also reported that the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory has stated that Loneliness has become an epidemic in U.S. and will send the report to the BOH. Dr. Larson reported on the new drug xylazine that is now being mixed with fentanyl. Xylazine is not reactive to Narcan. The issue is on the rise and the drug could be a factor in possible increase in overdose deaths. Governor Jay Inslee announced a new law that would make drug possession a gross misdemeanor in the hopes that help could be sought for those being charged with those kinds of possessions. Dr. Larson also noted that Narcan could be available over the counter soon. This could be a good thing as it will be accessible to the public, but with this change comes a fee and not all will be able to afford this. Insurance companies will not pay for something that is over the counter and could be a barrier in the future. CHA CHIP Update Chesley Loeffers introduced Mackenzie Carter and Lianne Bradshaw and acknowledged their hard work and the importance of the work for the community. Ms. Carter and Ms. Bradshaw presented the following update on the Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan: • What is CHA/CHIP. • Kittitas County 2023 CHA/CHIP timeline.