Board of Health

Board of Health Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Due to the COVID 19 health emergency this meeting was conducted virtually or by phone. 

Members of the public can access this meeting by either choice by the options listed below:

VIDEO: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6584133318951897614   and meeting ID:  208-670-731

PHONE:  (1) 213-929-4232  meeting ID: 985-458-509

REGULAR MEETING

 

Members Present:  Donna Stehling, Glen Johnson, John Miller, Scott Von Asten, Ken Carlson,      

                                    Diane Reinfeldt, Kiana Beaudin

Members Absent:   None

Others present:      Tim Lawther, Cathy Warwick, Amy Elizabeth Merwin, Shayna Dye,

                                       Pat Rego, Tom Kriegl, Charles Spencer, Valerie McAuliffe, Tim Reppen

Public:                        Bill Stehling

 

The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by Donna Stehling.Certification of the open meeting law was noted.

Motion by Glen Johnson, second by John Miller to approve the Board of Health Agenda for April 14, 2020.Motion carried.

Motion by Diane Reinfeldt, second by Glen Johnson to approve the minutes for the March 10, 2020 Board of Health meeting.Motion carried.

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Emailed: March 20, 2020 – News Link from WKOW News, video regarding Sauk County Overdose Response - https://wkow.com/2020/03/19/digging-deeper-public-health-alerts-helping-combat-opioid-problem-in-wisconsin/

Old Business

Tim Lawther reported on the 2019 Annual Report, it had been postponed so Board members had an opportunity to review the document prior to approval.Motion by Scott VonAsten, second by Ken Carlson to approve the 2019 Annual Report.Motion carried.

Business Items for Discussion and/or Action:

Shayna Dye, Environmental Health Manager, presented a letter for approval regarding: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic to extend License renewal fee’s and annual fee’s due dates for all Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection etablishments (DATCP), and annual Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Water payments to August 31, 2020.  This would give establishments some time to determine their plans  Motion by Glen Johnson, second by Scott Von Asten to approve the letter regarding extending the License renewal fee’s and annual fee’s due dates for all Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection etablishments (DATCP), and annual Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Water payments to August 31, 2020.  Motion carried.

Cathy Warwick reported that the Justice, Diversion, and Support data is now in the Directors monthly report.The participants are struggling with the impact of COVID-19.There have ben a lot of changes for people who are already struggling and showing increased mental health stress and missing the human touch.John Miller suggested providing mental health paperwork to help support participants.Cathy Warwick reported that the Re-Entry Coordinator position has not been hired but will be in the future.

Tim Lawther provided a Monthly Directors report

COVID-19 Update

The Role of the Health Department.Public Health started monitoring Covid19 in early February 2020. February 28, 2020 we activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Tim became the Incident Comander of this structure.Staff have been assigned duties based on priorities.The Health department is managing the community wide response and followup every positive and/or presumed positive COVID19 case in Sauk County. The Health department nursesare on the front line and connect with every contactthat an infected person has had exposure to in the last two weeks to notify them of possible exposure and the need to quarantine themselves for 14 days.We collect data locally and conduct global surveillence and look at the number of cases, deaths, and notify community partners via Nixle, Website, Webinars for Community Partners on a daily and weekly basis to convey consistent information.We are currently working on a data dashboard to look at the data as a whole and use it to identify trends.This will give us a better sense of how to control it locally.There are several conference calls being conducted with various sectors of the community to ensure the message is consistent.

Ken Carlson asked how you can get on the list to be in these sector meetings.  Amy Merwin will contact Tracy Hameau and have her add all Board of Health members to the Weekly call and email list.

There is limited capacity for testing, so the numbers are not indicative to what the actual Covid19 risk is.  Federal government is ditributing to “hotspots”, mostly urban areas.  In Sauk County there are currently 31 positive cases, up 6 from yesterday, and 3 deaths, up one from yesterday. 1.19 Million cases worldwide. Only go outside for essential services.

Assume that Covid is everywhere and maintain social distancing.  Social distancing is the number 1 preventative measure to assist in slowing the spread of COVID19.  Everyone should be monitoring your symptoms everyday.

We continue to advocate that the Govenor  be more aggressive in the support of social distancing.  Tim just wrote a letter to the Legislature to be more assertive for social distancing requirements.

2 cases – Hiawatha Residence Halls (HRH) in Lake Delton that house 182 J1Visa students – 1st positive on april 6. Public Health nurses responded immediately. 2nd positive was on April 7.  By April 8 we identified HRH as the center of a Public Health Threat and sent in a rapid response team on the morning of April 9th to interview and talk to every resident in that housing facility.  Identified their contacts. Sorted students into 3 categories; Exposed no symptons were quarantined, those with symptoms are isolated and everyone else is in”other” category or asymptomatic.  On Good Friday, April 10 we sent another rapid response team in and provided simple english and spanish education material and delivered food. Saturday, April 11, 2020 a 3rd rapid response team was sent to find the students who had not come forward.  Worked together with Lake Delton Police, Emergency Response, and community members to make some headway.

At 8:00 pm on April 11, 2020 Tim issued a Quarantine and Isolation Order, due to non-compliance of isolation and social distancing regulations put in place.  This basically shut the entire facility down.  6:00am Easter monring Lake Delton police locked the gate to prevent students form entering or leaving the facility.  Lake Delton police are currently providing security to this facility. Sauk County is providing meals and essential items, toiletries etc, to students in Quarantine and Isolation. We are currently working on a release protocol. Our goal is to start moving healthy people out of the facility, but we must be careful in how this release is processed.

Currently have a state defined outbreak in a long term care facility in Spring Green.  The state defines an outbreak as 1 case in a long-term care facility.  This resident has since passed away, making them the 3rd Covid related death in Sauk County. 3 other residents and 7 staff have been tested and only 1 was positive.  Currently only testing those with symptoms. 

Priority testing is currenlty only symptomatic in Hospitals, Long term care facilities, jails and first responders.

If there are more positives popping up we will be there to assist.

Diane Reinfeldt asked how are the other services that Public Health were providing, how is that continuing.  Tim responded that overall, it’s not.  Only essential service programs are being provided, including Nurse Family Partnership.

Pat Rego asked about Hazard pay.  There has not been anything resolved on that topic yet.

All current models of “Peak Surges of Covid” are based on current social distance practices. If those social distancing requirements change the models are no longer viable.  Tim anticipates a Covid surge in the summer and again this fall.  Covid will be with us for a long time.

Ken Carlson – all small hospitals had to prepare for big numbers and really busy preparing for patients they hope they don’t get. Smaller Hospitals will suffer financially for a long time.  Communities need to prepare for Covid and how to re-open businesses.

Tim Reppen asked if the food for Hiawatha group being paid by Sauk County.  Tim responded that initially it is being paid for by the county but will be reimbursed by the state via a grant.

Cloth face coverings are currently recommended for everyone leaving their house.  The masks/ face coverings will not protect you from getting Covid.  The intention of the cloth face covering is to prevent you unknowingly spreading Covid to others.  It is vital to maintain 6 feet social distancing. Don’t let the mask/face covering give you a false sense of security.

People can get mask supplies from the Emergency Operation Center (EOC).

Environmental Health (EH) staff are conducting compliance checks to businesses in Sauk County. Making sure essential businesses are following the rules and making sure non-essential businesses are closed.  EH has conducted over 400 compliance checks already.

Two Big Projects – 1. Behavior Health Services – access and need.  We are finding that the need for mental health services has increased.  Crisis services is ok.  Where we lack are services that are “pre-crisis.”  2. Food Insecurity – we are working with Food Pantry partners to work together on food insecurities. There was a lot pre-Covid and now more with Covid.  We are currently working with the state to try and secure some funding to bring help to those who need it.  We are hoping to create the system to how to address the root system of these issues, post-Covid.

Ken Carlson inquired about isolation locations. We currently have two isolation has two locations on hold.  The Cedarbury Inn in Sauk would house the providers to take care of patients.  The Clarion Hotel in Baraboo would serve as a backup Quarantine location for patients who are diagnosed with Covid who can’t stay home.  The only isolation center is currently the Hiawatha location in Lake Delton.

Kiana Beaudin informed the Board of Health that Ho-Chunk has acquired a rapid test analyzer with 48 tests but his is for their service population but may impact the numbers in Sauk County but theirs is for their 15 county service area in the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Program Updates and numbers was provided to the Board via Granicus.Tim highlighted a few programs:reported that due to Covid-19 the Justice, Diversion, and Support program has had to change the way they are doing visits and providing support for their participants. Under the leadership of Cathy Warwick, the programs have grown in referrals and are doing well.

Communicable disease has gone up significantly.

Seal-A-Smile has lowered numbers as schools have closed.

Foot Clinic’s have been cancelled.

Nurse Family Partnership is a prioritiy program, so we continue those services.  They are providing all services via telehealth.  Nurses do an amazing job responding to their clients needs. 

All Public Health Nurses including NFP nurses are doing COVID related duties. Many nurses have not had any days off in quite a long time.

DATCP (grocery stores, hotels, restaurants licensing and inspections) are down.  Has completed over 400 compliance checks on community businesses.

WIC continues to conduct services via telehealth.  They will be starting to step in on Food Security issues.

PreBooking program has revamped the entire process and are seeing huge growth in referrals and programing.  Tim stated that with Cathy’s leadership and Ben Miller’s drive they are making great progress in this program.  Cathy expressed concern over the lack of reflective practice in this program and would really like to see that begin and work on self care.

Diane Reinfeldt asked if staff are working remotely?  Tim reported that the County building is essentially closed, and most staff are working from home.  In the Health department there are approximately 5-6 staff members in the building on any given day.

There will be a significant budget impact with Covid and Cathy, Tim and Amy are putting a report together that will be presented at the May 12, 2020 Board of Health meeting.Scott VonAsten reported that the County has a huge rainy day fund and he encourages Board members to not to be bullied in to cutting any Public Health programs.

Department Updates

Amy Merwin gave the monthly financial reports for March 2020

Amy Merwin presented the revised 2019 Carry over report.Motion by Scott Von Asten, second by John Miller to approve the 2019 Carryover Report in the amount of $613,604.00.Motion carried.

Amy Merwin reported on the March 2020 invoices Warrant 041720. Motion by Donna Stehling, second by Scott Von Asten to approve the March 2020 invoices in the amount of $42,108.30. Motion carried

 

Agenda Items for next meeting

Covid Budget Impact Report

Next Meeting Date:May 12, 2020

Call for Adjournment:  Motion to adjourn the meeting by Scott Von Asten, second by Scott Von Asten. Motion carried.

The time was 6:58 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted by:

 

 

John Miller

Secretary