Lake County Board of Health met Feb. 26.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
1. Call to Order
President Sashko called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m.
Present 11 - Member Johnson Jones Ed.D., Member Cesnovar, Member Maine, President Sashko, Member Carlson, Member Mittl Pollina Psy.D., Member Rheault Ph.D., Member Hagstrom D.D.S., Member Ehrlich M.D., Member Belmonte D.O. and Member Schultz
Absent 1 - Member DeVaux R.N.
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Approval of Minutes
3.1 January 15, 2020 Meeting Minutes
A motion was made by Member Maine, seconded by Member Belmonte, that this item be approved. Motion carried unanimously.
Aye: 11 - Member Johnson Jones Ed.D., Member Cesnovar, Member Maine, President Sashko, Member Carlson, Member Mittl Pollina Psy.D., Member Rheault Ph.D., Member Hagstrom D.D.S., Member Ehrlich M.D., Member Belmonte D.O. and Member Schultz
Absent: 1 - Member DeVaux R.N.
4. Public Comment to the Board
None
5. Awards, Recognitions, Appointments and Reappointments
5.1AHIMA Apprenticeship Program Participation - Riley
Pam Riley, Director of Finance, presented this item as outlined in the agenda packet. Staff present for recognition were: Teri Torkelson, Stacy Keating, Courtney Morrison, and Tamara Mahan.
5.2
Organization of the Year 2019 Award - Pfister
Mark Pfister, Executive Director, presented this item as outlined in the agenda packet.
6. Presentations
6.1 2019 Novel Coronavirus Update - Kritz
Attachments: Coronavirus Presentation
Dr. Sana Ahmed, Medical Epidemiologist, and Lisa Kritz, Director of Prevention, presented this item as outlined in the agenda packet. After her portion of the presentation, Lisa Kritz, asked Dr. Ahmed, Patti Corn, Emergency Response Coordinator, and Hannah Goering, Marketing and Communications Manager, to join her at the front of the room to respond to questions.
- Member Carlson asked if there is potential for transmission when a patient is asymptomatic. Dr. Ahmed stated that some evidence in the literature indicates there is a possibility, however the CDC states the burden of transmission is occuring in symptomatic individuals and that if there is any possiblity of asymptomatic transmission, it is very low. It is being recommended that asymptomatic individuals voluntarily quarantine for 14 days to eliminate any risk of transmission.
- President Sashko asked how long it is going to take to onboard staff slated to assist if there is an influx of incoming calls. Dr. Ahmed explained that staff with the necessary skillset have already been identified within several programs and they will be quickly trained using the materials provided by CDC. Dr. Ahmed and her staff will also be available for questions.
- President Sashko asked if the amount of traffic going to and through the Health Department's coronavirus web page is being tracked. Hannah stated that there are analytics showing which links have been clicked on and which resources are being utilized. Also, any email communications sent through the Gov delivery system, which is the same system agencies like the CDC use, can be tracked for how many messages have been opened and how many links have been clicked on. Dr. Ahmed added that she has been working closely with Hannah to provide any updates she and her staff receive along with any items they develop, and they are also referring the public, partner agencies, and school systems to the Health Department's coronavirus web page.
- Member Carlson asked what treatment preparations are being made if the disease gets out-of-hand, where are patients going to be placed. Dr. Ahmed stated that there is currently no treatment for COVID-19. If there is an increase in community transmission and a lot of people are getting sick, the recommendation is for them to stay at home to limit the transmission spread, along with anyone living with them who have been exposed. Patti Corn added that the regional healthcare coalitions are in aggressive planning stage and meeting regularly, and there are medical stations ready to be deployed within six hours of notification.
- President Sashko asked about the inventory of supplies. Patti stated that the Health Department currently has a cache of N-95 masks and a cache of syringes, and that supplies are also available through the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). Member Belmonte added that hospitals and other health systems are also currently stockpiling. Mark Pfister noted that the message to the general public is that these supplies are for healthcare personnel working with the individuals who are sick and infectious. That masks in general are ineffective because people are always touching their mask and face giving greater potential to transmit the virus to themselves, and that a lot of the masks available for purchase are ill-fitting.
- Member Carlson asked about a vaccine. Dr. Ahmed stated that development and production of a vaccine is not expected for at least 18 months.
President Sashko asked if there were any other questions. A member of the audience, Karen Thortensen, who works for Zebra Technologies, a global technology company headquartered in Lincolnshire, asked if a process has been developed for Lake County businesses who may have an employee who they suspect of being sick or who tests positive. Dr. Ahmed stated that a positive test result would very quickly be reported to the proper authorities and agencies, including the Lake County Health Department. The Health Department's Communicable Disease team can also be directly contacted for any questions and concerns. The company's occupational health provider can also be contacted. Hannah added that the Health Department's coronavius web page, which is updated as soon as new information is received, also has resources and information for businesses.
At this point in the meeting, Member Carlson had to leave (6:49 p.m.).
7. President’s Report
President Sashko reported on the following:
- A belated happy birthday to Member Maine, her birthday was Tuesday, February 25.
- The wake for Member DeVaux's son was Friday, February 21, 2020. He, Mark Pfister, Lisa Kroeger, and Lisa Kritz attended. This was a tragic loss for the family. Member DeVaux appreciates the outreach from the Board in support of her family.
- Another great holiday luncheon was held on January 17, 2020. He thanked those Board members able to attend.
- He was able to connect with those Board members not present for Mark Pfister's annual evaluation at the January 15, 2020 meeting. He also attended the Governing Council meeting on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, where he reviewed those final evaluation documents in executive session. All Council members present concurred with the final documents and voted to approve. He then congratulated Mark on a great 2019 with many sucessful outcomes as the team continues to improve operations and service.
- On January 29, 2020, he met with the new County Administrator, Gary Gibson, and will be connecting with him regularly to build a strong relationship between County and Health Department administration.
- The regular meeting with Lake Behavorial Health Hospital took place on February 10, 2020. They are on schedule to complete construction in April 2020. Once construction is complete, they will go through regulatory review and hope to be open in June/July. They are looking at adding adolescent programs that may include eating disorders, other substance abuse, etc., and 20 of their 141 beds would be for adolescents.
- Mark Pfister will be on vacation beginning February 28, 2020, and returning March 16, 2020.
- He and Member Carlson now serve on the UWLC Advisory Board. The kick- off meeting was February 11, 2020. To date, 2-1-1 has gone very well with hundreds of county residents receiving assistance. He continues to Chair the Disaster Planning Committee and will continue to develop better lines of communication and planning for large scale events and how 2-1-1 supports those.
- He and Sam Johnson-Maurello attended a meeting with a portion of the Lake County Fire Chiefs Association to discuss impact on EMS with BHS patients and where the real burden is with navigating patient care and access to care in the county. In the recent COAST (Crisis Outreach and Support Team) report, which only identifies contacts with the Lake County Sheriff, they handled less than 1.5% of calls for service for behavioral health patients while fire/EMS handled over 475 transports to ER’s. Data gathering as well as legislation is being worked on and a pilot program is being launched in the Wauconda area covering Mobile Integrated Healthcare, which Director McMillan-Wilhoit and team are already engaged in and is part of the overall big picture of managing BHS patients. Additionally, we are working with Senator Melinda Bush on SB 3451, which will provide alternate locations for EMS to transport patients. Currently, by law, they can only go to emergency rooms, ergo, recidivism of patients and lack of actual care. The continuity between the LCHD and EMS is going to be a very important part of the discussion as we navigate the real story of managing BHS patients.
- On February 24, 2020, he sent an email to Board members listing those bills currently in need of their support or monitoring, as provided by Laura Schneider, Policy Analyst, and provided an update on the status of those bills.
- As of Monday, February 24, 2020, the Public Charge rule went in to effect in Illinois and across the country. He then asked Mark Pfister to explain. Mark stated that the Public Charge rule is part of the federal immigration policy under which someone can be denied a visa or greencard if Federal officials determine that the person is likely to rely on government assistance. As a result the Health Department has developed guidelines for staff to remind patients and clients that all who live, work, and play in Lake County are welcome here, inform them that the Health Department will not disclose to any law enforcement entity unless we are required to do so by court order, explain what HIPAA is and that the Health Department is covered by it, and provide reliable resources for refugee and immigrant support. Staff have also been informed that if law enforcement present looking for a specific patient, they are not required to answer immediately, they are not to confirm or deny that the named person is a patient or client of LCHD, they are to ask for the official's name and court documents or records release forms, they are then to contact their manager, and the manager is to contact either Mark or Jerry Nordstrom before any further action is taken.
8. Action Items
8.1 Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, $157,506 in Additional Funding - Grant Approval - Zun
Attachments: IBCCP $157K
A motion was made by Member Belmonte, seconded by Member Johnson Jones, that this item be approved. Motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Aye: 10 - Member Johnson Jones Ed.D., Member Cesnovar, Member Maine, President Sashko, Member Mittl Pollina Psy.D., Member Rheault Ph.D., Member Hagstrom D.D.S., Member Ehrlich M.D., Member Belmonte D.O. and Member Schultz
Absent: 1 - Member DeVaux R.N.
Not Present: 1 - Member Carbon
8.2 Illinois Department of Public Health, Local Health Department Overdoses Surveillance and Response, Additional $105,000 - Kritz
Lisa Kritz, Director of Prevention, reviewed agenda items 8.2 and 8.3 as provided in the agenda packet.
President Sashko called for a motion to approve agenda items 8.2 and 8.3 as presented. A motion was made by Member Johnson Jones, seconded by Member Belmonte, to approve agenda items 8.2 and 8.3. Motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Aye: 10 - Member Johnson Jones Ed.D., Member Cesnovar, Member Maine, President Sashko, Member Mittl Pollina Psy.D., Member Rheault Ph.D., Member Hagstrom D.D.S., Member Ehrlich M.D., Member Belmonte D.O. and Member Schultz
Absent: 1 - Member DeVaux R.N.
Not Present: 1 - Member Carlson
8.3 Illinois Department of Public Health, Harm Reduction Community Linkages, Additional $70,000 - Kritz
This matter was approved
8.4 Revisions to Lake County Ordinance to Restrict Groundwater Use as a Potable Source Near the Hoffelder Closed Landfill Site - Mackey
Larry Mackey, Director of Environmental Health, reviewed agenda items 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, and 8.7 as provided in the agenda packet.
President Sashko called for a motion to approve agenda items 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, and 8.7 as presented. A motion was made by Member Rheault, seconded by Member Cesnovar, that agenda items 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, and 8.7 be approved. Motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Aye: 10 - Member Johnson Jones Ed.D., Member Cesnovar, Member Maine, President Sashko, Member Mittl Pollina Psy.D., Member Rheault Ph.D., Member Hagstrom D.D.S., Member Ehrlich M.D., Member Belmonte D.O. and Member Schultz
Absent: 1 - Member DeVaux R.N.
Not Present: 1 - Member Carlson
8.5 Proposed Revisions to Lake County Code of Ordinances Chapter 177, Tobacco Regulations - Mackey
This matter was approved
8.6 Proposed Revisions to the Lake County Health Department Environmental Health Fees Schedule (as authorized in Lake County Code of Ordinances Chapter 178) - Mackey
This matter was approved
8.7 Proposed Revisions to the Lake County Health Department Water Well Program Administrative Procedures and Policies (as authorized in Lake County Code of Ordinances Chapter 170) - Mackey
8.8 Proposed Revisions to Health Department Employee Policies and Procedures - Hagstrom
A motion was made by Member Hagstrom, seconded by Member Schultz, that this item be approved. Motion carried unanimously.
Aye: 10 - Member Johnson Jones Ed.D., Member Cesnovar, Member Maine, President Sashko, Member Mittl Pollina Psy.D., Member Rheault Ph.D., Member Hagstrom D.D.S., Member Ehrlich M.D., Member Belmonte D.O. and Member Schultz
Absent: 1 - Member DeVaux R.N.
Not Present: 1 - Member Carlson
8.9 Cooperative Operational Agreement - Pfister
A motion was made by Member Belmonte, seconded by Member Johnson Jones, that this item be approved. Motion carried unanimously.
Aye: 10 - Member Johnson Jones Ed.D., Member Cesnovar, Member Maine, President Sashko, Member Mittl Pollina Psy.D., Member Rheault Ph.D., Member Hagstrom D.D.S., Member Ehrlich M.D., Member Belmonte D.O. and Member Schultz
Absent: 1 - Member DeVaux R.N.
Not Present: 1 - Member Carlson
8.10 Annual Compliance Work Plan Review and Approval - Nordstrom
A motion was made by Member Pollina, seconded by Member Belmonte, that this item be approved. Motion carried unanimously.
Aye: 10 - A motion was made by Member Maine, seconded by Member Pollina, that this item be approved. Motion carried unanimously.
Aye: 10 - Member Johnson Jones Ed.D., Member Cesnovar, Member Maine, President Sashko, Member Mittl Pollina Psy.D., Member Rheault Ph.D., Member Hagstrom D.D.S., Member Ehrlich M.D., Member Belmonte D.O. and Member Schultz
Absent: 1 - Member DeVaux R.N.
Not Present: 1 - Member Carlson
9. Discussion Items
None
10. Attachments for Board Review
10.1 Media Placement Highlights - Nordstrom
This matter was presented
11. Lake County Community Health Center Governing Council Update
Mark reminded the Board that 51% of the Governing Council membership has to be consumers and HRSA also wants them to be representative of our patient population, of which 60% are latinas. At their February 11, 2020 meeting the Council approved an additional latina consumer member, Miriam Argueta. FQHC patient concerns continue to be time to next appointment and maintaining their provider. We're working on the concept of empanelment, the act of assigning individual patients to individual primary care providers (PCP) and care teams with sensitivity to patient and family preference, and that we can offer a more stable workforce. We are also getting away from the flex provider workforce by going with flex full-time, so while they may move around the patients have a greater opportunity to see and work with the same provider.
12. Lake County Tuberculosis Board Update
Lisa Kritz informed the Board that there is one confirmed TB case, 13 latent cases have been evaluated, 94 latent cases for follow-up, and nine suspect cases. In regard to influenza, there have been 10 long-term care facility outbreaks, 36 ICU admissions, no pediatric deaths, and an increase in flu cases at the FQHC's. For the legionnaires in the senior living facility in Vernon Hills, there are five confirmed cases, of which one was a death, and one probable case. There have been no new cases.
13. Added to Agenda Items
None
14. Old Business
None
15. New Business
None
16. Executive Session
17. Adjournment
A motion was made by Member Maine, seconded by Member Belmonte, that this meeting be adjourned. Motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 7:21 p.m.
Aye: 10 - Member Johnson Jones Ed.D., Member Cesnovar, Member Maine, President Sashko, Member Mittl Pollina Psy.D., Member Rheault Ph.D., Member Hagstrom D.D.S., Member Ehrlich M.D., Member Belmonte D.O. and Member Schultz
Absent: 1 - Member DeVaux R.N.
Not Present: 1 - Member Carlson
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