City of Chicago Board of Health met May 17.
Here is the minutes provided by the Board:
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:08 a.m.
Approval of Minutes: No quorum.
Commissioner’s Update: Commissioner Morita provided the following updates: May 23: HC 2.0 and Gold CDPH and Mayor Emanuel are hosting a major event on May 23 at Malcolm X College at 9:00 am to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Healthy Chicago 2.0. New City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado will give the keynote, illustrating that advancing health equity involves various government agencies and partners working together to take action. We will also be celebrating that the de Beaumont Foundation’s City Health project has awarded Chicago a gold star in its assessment of our health policies, from tobacco to bike lanes to healthy food. The event is full but if you are interested in attending please let me know.
On the Table On Monday, CDPH partnered with PHIMC and United Way in hosting 'On the Table 2017 Luncheon,' where we held conversations to see how to work together to promote healthy people, healthy places, and healthy businesses.
EPA Site The EPA's climate change research was removed from the federal government websites. Mayor Emanuel had it saved and posted on the City of Chicago website on the “Climate Change Is Real” page. The new site ensures the public has ready access to information the EPA has developed over decades of research about the impact of climate change.
Psychiatrists Chicago Tonight did a story on the nationwide psychiatrist shortage, which as you know is being felt here in Chicago, from CDPH to medical centers and health providers. Health care professionals and experts point to salaries and low reimbursement rates as driving factors.
Public Health Innovation Award Last week, the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) awarded CDPH the Public Health Innovation Award for our use of informatics, applications, predictive analytics, and other strategies to engage community members and make transformational changes with Healthy Chicago 2.0. Raed Mansour will travel to New Orleans this Thursday to accept the award on my behalf.
National Prevention Week This week is National Prevention Week, which is an annual observance dedicated to increasing public awareness and action around mental and substance use disorders. Each year, communities and organizations across the country come together to raise awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health. The theme for this year is “Making Each Day Count.”
LGBTQ Prom CDPH collaborated with the CPS Office of Student Health and Wellness to provide onsite education at the 6th annual Chicago LGBTQ & Allies Prom at Alcott College Prep this past weekend. We joined over 150 students from 26 schools across CPS.
Climate Change: Atlantic Commissioner Morita joined the Atlantic Air Summit on April 20 (just before Earth Day), discussing our Healthy Chicago 2.0 efforts to reduce the impact of climate change, the good work of our environmental inspections and permitting team and the challenges that lie ahead. Environmental justice is health equity.
Food Deserts The Mayor announced Jewel-Osco is building a new grocery store in Woodlawn. Neighborhood development and the elimination of food deserts are two key steps to improving health equity.
Homelessness Mayor Emanuel announced a new program aimed at housing 100 homeless families. The new initiative to reduce homelessness tackles housing for 100 families located in at-risk communities, funded by the City's surcharge on house sharing dedicated to reducing homelessness. Ensuring housing is critical to health equity.
Seed Grants RFP Release Building on last year’s success, CDPH is again partnering with the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) to award $175,000 in City funds for up to five community-based organizations to advance Healthy Chicago 2.0. As part of our commitment to health equity, we are targeting neighborhoods of high economic hardship and low child opportunity. The proposed projects or initiatives must meet community needs identified through a resident engaged planning process. This reflects our increasing focus on place-based interventions as we work with our City and private partners to coordinate investments in the communities of greatest need.
National Infant Immunization Week April 22-29, Chicago recognized National Infant Immunization Week with free vaccinations for families with infants. We also raised awareness for whooping cough prevention.
Smart Lighting Project Dr. Allison Arwady, Chief Medical Officer, and Commissioner Morita worked with CDOT to support the Smart Lighting Project. We identified health experts to provide written testimony in favor of the project and Dr. Arwady attended the City Council meeting to address questions related to the potential and theoretical health effects of the LEDs. Through Health in All Policies, we collaborate with CDOT to determine and highlight the health benefits of their work.
STD Awareness Month April was STD Awareness Month, an annual observance to raise public awareness about the impact of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) on the lives of Americans. As part of CDPH's commitment to prevent STDs, on April 26, the STI/HIV Bureau launched the Chicago Health Information Management System (CHIMS) after two years of planning and development (Phase 1 of implementation).
Lastly, Commissioner Morita was a speaker at the UIC commencement ceremony this past Friday, and she told the story of her Japanese grandparents held in a Japanese internment camp in Idaho. They later moved to Chicago and where employed by the Edgewater Hotel. The Edgewater Hotel provided them with a job during very difficult times. Her message is that now is the time to do good when the government is not supportive.
Comments by the Board President: Dr. Lopez welcomed the students and provided an overview of the board’s history and explained the board’s advisory role in matters of infectious disease and health issues affecting public health. In addition, Dr. Lopez commented, we should maintain a strong core during these times in our country and “don’t think of an elephant.” This is a title of book, a suggested read to improve our ability to communicate with each other and learn to choose our words carefully. Lastly, her cousin passed away, she is reminded how he made a difference in everyone’s life and when she is depressed—she remembers Mike.
Presentation: “WIC and Nutrition in Chicago,” JoAnn Peso, Director of Nutrition, and Jaclyn Castellanet, Regional Nutrition Coordinator
Policy Update: Jesse Lava provided the following updates: Angelica Alfaro will start tomorrow as the legislative affairs manager at CDPH. She will be replacing Charles Watkins, who as you know went to work for the new City Clerk. She was born and raised in Humboldt Park, and she has worked in government affairs for years. We will give her a proper welcome at her first board meeting next month. An early executive order from President Trump asked for review of all federal agencies’ regulations. The EPA asked for public comment on all of its regulations but has not followed a very transparent or public process for such a large task. CDPH submitted our comments on Monday, making clear that strong EPA regulations have been crucial to protecting health in Chicago and across the nation for four decades. We must maintain and indeed build on the progress we have made. The American Health Care Act passed the U.S. House. The CBO expects to score it next week, but we already know it would be devastating to health, taking health insurance away from millions of Americans. We will continue to advocate against efforts to take health care away from anyone; we need to expand coverage rather than shrink it.
New Business: None
Old Business: Dr. Lopez mentioned, at last month’s BOH meeting, a motion was unanimously approved to draft a letter from the board to the Commissioner of Public Health and the Chicago City Council opposing the rollback of flavored tobacco restrictions. The letter was drafted and shared with the board members present for review.
Public Comment: Kendall Stagg announced Trinity Health is a breastfeeding-friendly health system. He credited the Chicago Department of Public Health’s board of health members for providing guidelines a few years back that have now gone nationwide. He suggested jury duty service have breastfeeding guidelines as well, and recommended for board of health members take steps in this matter. Kendall praised Tammy Duckworth for advocating breastfeeding friendly airport. In addition, he mentioned the tobacco flavored menthol ordinance is a national movement and Chicago led the way. Lastly, he requested that a draft letter opposing the rollback of flavored tobacco restrictions be shared with the Mayor and aldermen, that monthly update reports of this matter be provided, and that BOH members be proactive and recommend a solution.
Tameka Samson with Mercy Hospital reported their food vending status is 75% promoting healthy choices. Also, Mercy Hospital advocates and promotes their hospital as tobacco free and has signs posted in different areas of the hospital. Mercy is also a tobacco free friendly partner.
Adjourn: The meeting adjourned at 10:15 a.m.
https://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/cdph/policy_planning/Board_of_Health/BOHMinutes_May172017.pdf
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