Bloomfield Board of Health meeting, December 10, 2020
4:10PM Dec 11, 2020
Speakers:
Keywords:
radon
questions
board
meeting
vaccine
cases
comments
resolution
motion
vulnerable population
health
accreditation
home
december
numbers
public health
year
contact
health department
october november
Cuz he's in on a secret
they know I'm lucky.
We'll see this magic moment through
should really less ever more. Oh,
just another dream in the morning.
All right, good evening everyone. It is December 10 2020, and the time is 6:30pm. Eastern time. It's December 10 2020. regular meetings of Bluefield poor health is called to order. public notice of this meeting and compliance with the open public meetings act was given by public notice appearing in the independent press and posted on public bulletin board in this little building. informal discussion by board members will proceed each item on the agenda any board member wishing to comment for the record may do so after the item has been properly moved and seconded. No new business may be brought forward by board members after 10:30pm. This meeting will adjourn no later than 11:30pm. This meeting may include any other business that may be brought to the attention of the Board of Health. Oral action may be taken by the board is this meeting public matters public health any item on the agenda shall be called by the president prior to public commentary on alluded to one our individual comment will be limited to five minutes first, systems desire to address the board's more detailed comment or as to do some writing when we can advance to allow the board to come familiar with the subject. publish them not be recognized and other times knows called for hearing roll call please.
Gil Elkins presence after madam. Antonio Rodriguez absent a nice survey. Sarah Bonilla, present counselees Davis also present Mike Fitzpatrick health officer.
I believe Tony is actually joining us even now. Alex
Hello.
Hi, Tony. How are you? Good. Thank you.
Okay, Tony Rodriguez, present.
Thank you. All right. Welcome, everyone. Okay, first up is the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting of October 15 2014. I have a motion please. Okay, thank you, Tony. By the way, I'm going to ask everybody because we're on zoom and slight delay as possible. And when you motion your second in addition to responding verbally appreciate, just hold your hand up so I can actually get a visual check. And second, please. Thank you. Nice. Okay. Questions or comments regarding the October 2020. meeting notes. Okay, same thing. I'm voting by the way, hold in your hand. All those in favor? Aye.
I'm trying to get on hold on. I don't know why I can't get my picture.
We have a voice we have audio. Okay, so moving on. Okay, public comment. We did not have anyone submit any public comment in advance? Is that correct? and correct. Thank you. So the public comments. Okay, first up is licenses pending approval for October November 2020. Motion please.
Thank you for the second please. Thank you, Doc. Okay, questions regarding those licenses. Okay, all those in favor? Aye. Tony, I thank you. Those done. Okay review of october november 2020. Communications motion please. Motion. Thank you, Denise. Second, please. Thanks, Doc.
Questions or comments regarding october november 2020? communications? All right, none. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? No? Okay, October November 2020. Financial Report motion. Please. Give me a second. Please. Doc. Questions or comments regarding the crash reports for October November 2020. Okay, all those in favor of accepting, aye. Aye. Opposed, not? directors October and November 2020. Report notion please. Like us in a second, please. Thanks, Doc. You're up.
evening, everyone. Nice to see you. Yes, we're back to zoom mic, we'll go into some of the numbers in Bloomfield and situation with COVID. I don't have a lot. Tonight, I did want to inform you that we are very happy that we have completed all of our accreditation domains. We're in the process of review now. And we are on schedule to submit the application by the end of the year. So it's been a long haul, everybody's worked very hard to get us to this point with everything that's going on. So the next step will be the Accreditation Board will schedule a site review, which we're anticipating that it will be virtual. And in the interim, you know, we're just making sure that we have all of our T's crossed and I's dotted. So the team's been working extremely hard. So we're happy to have gotten to this point to hopefully have a successful reaccreditation. Also, as you know, the health department has been doing the COVID testing on Saturday, we did pause on that testing for a couple of weeks. And we have worked out another us schedule, scheduled testing. And that will be held on Wednesday on 16th. And we're finalizing the details of that. But it will be for community testing. And once the information just as available, we'll be posting had to sign up for and register for the testing on Wednesday. So that will be posted tomorrow at the latest date. And then lastly, as you all know, from the reporting on TV that we're anticipating the approval of the Pfizer vaccine, been in contact with the county as well as Mike their plans for the vaccine distribution. And right now it looks like it's going to be a regional distribution that is run out of the county. The initial doses that we will be receiving is unknown. But the priority will be to first vaccinate acute healthcare, and then first responders and central workers. And depending on the number of vaccine, they'll be tearing down to the general public. So right now where the request is that we provide support staff to the regional location. So we will be assigning nurses to do that in any other assistance that's needed for successful vaccination of as many people as we can. So things are rapidly moving forward. And we're hoping that going to continue to see enough vaccine. We're also going to be doing an education program to inform residents on the vaccine and urging them to be vaccinated once it becomes available. In terms of the other activities, we've been continuing with all the contact tracing, the numbers have been, as you know, from reporting on the news, it's pretty consistent what we're seeing In Broomfield, we still haven't fully experienced what the surge will be. Mike will talk more about those numbers in his report. But staff is maintaining old protocols. We've been fortunate that the staff has remained healthy and very compliant with everything that we need to do. So it's been a long haul. But we're hoping that we're 2020. One's going to bring this to some clothes on.
We'll be logged on to this year.
And that's all I have for my report tonight. All right.
Thank you.
Anyone have any questions? Hi, Karen, quick
question about the education in regards to the vaccine. I know that you mentioned it will be first rolled out to acute health care workers as well as first responders and then eventually it will trickle trickle down into the community with education program, has there been thought about discussing the cultural kind of the mistrust that exists around the vaccine among communities of colors? Only because there's been such a disconnect with that for a very long time. So just something to think about in creating that space, aside from how the vaccine works. But how can we trust the vaccine
now that is coming?
Yes, thank you, Sarah. That's a really important issue. And one that we are very concerned that what the state has done is that they have put a grant out for vulnerable outreach, vulnerable population outreach coordinator. A number of the health department's have been recipients of grants, we did apply, and we did receive the grant. So on the agenda, we have a resolution to move forward with putting that in place. And we're hoping once we have that vulnerable outreach coordinator, that that's going to help drive that message to the groups that that need to hear it. And we'll be developing a whole process and plan to make sure we target target those residents and do the outreach that's necessary because yeah, we do want to make sure we have as much participation as possible.
Okay.
Any other questions? I have one. So along those lines, as we trickle down from first responders, to the general public, etc. How are we going to manage this? Is this going to be something done by appointment? Is this going to be first come first serve based on some timeframe? Do you have any ideas yet? are still TBD?
Yeah, I think it's, you know, it's we're still kind of getting information. There's a tentative plan now is to have the regional sites in the county. And we're anticipating that once there is enough supply of vaccine, that more and more sites will be up. And we're hoping that we'll be operating and distributing the vaccine locally. We did recently, with the cares funding, purchase our COVID. I want to say trailer, but it's it's it's a it's an outside is it is a trailer where we can actually do testing, as the weather gets colder. And then we're hoping to also use that to do the vaccine distribution at that site. You may have seen it when you came into the parking lot tonight. Well, you didn't come into the parking lot. You're on zoom. But if you've ever been in town hall, and recently it's it's parked in the back of the municipal building, and you can see it there.
All right. Um, any other questions or comments? All right. All those in favor of accepting the directors october november 2020. Report. I? Any opposed? None. All right. Next up is the Health Officers September. That's supposed to be October, November.
October, November, correct? Yes. It's a September I noticed that visit with that
figure. Okay. All right. Health Officers, October November 2020. Report motion please. Thank you for the second please. Okay. Thank you, Doc. Okay.
Good evening, everyone.
The most. Most time we've spent over the last six or eight weeks has really been on COVID. As you can imagine, because of the increased cases and numbers, so let's give an idea. Presently, Bluefield has 382 active cases, active cases mean, we look over a two week timeframe as to how many individuals at that time would be, let's call them current cases also, compared to a total from last February of 200, or 2368 total cases. So active cases are 382. As of yesterday, we had 31 new cases. And the day before that, we had 25 new cases. So you can see we have 25 to 30 cases every day. So as cases are coming on the list of the 382, we're losing cases off of the list. So some Come on, as 14 as they as 14 days go up by then they're taken off that list. So it's always an ever flowing, ever waving up and down list. We do that list on Wednesdays, just we have kind of a weekly total, because I think if President saw that we had 202,368 cases, they might believe or infer that are active cases that people are actually working, walking around Bluefield, that are actively ill. And that's not true. So at one time, up through the summer, we did not even place how many active cases they were because it just seemed like we were accumulating cases. And as the summer came, we decided there are so few cases, it would be good to be current, if you will. So that's how we've broken down our report active and total cases. There really have not been any very many recent that's had one, one recent death.
And usually there with long term health care facilities is our general general experience and knowledge. We are contact tracing, seven days a week, we are doing what I might even call a intervention contact tracing. And let me describe that, by the time a lab sample is taken, it can take a few to several days depending upon lab is utilized before it's put into the comcare system or into the cdr SS system, which is the communicable disease system that we have in the state of New Jersey. And what occurs is you get you get a lag or delay from the time the sample is acquired to the time it's run to the time it's placed in the system for the time that's in crss. So many times we'll get this anecdotal call from a school of nursery school and employer, municipal government saying we have a staff member who just tested positive or we have a staff member that has a household family member. So we actually can find out early on what actually occurred before it's in the cdr SS. So we take the time. And the advantage to try to do that investigation and contact tracing prior to actually having it in the cdrs system. Because the early intervention is really what helps to minimize the spread. So the earlier you can attend to that the better off we are identifying cases who might be in contact or contacts who might be in touch with an actual case. So we do quite a lot of that. And then we backfill the cdrs and comcare system, as the cases fall onto are placed on those systems. And that's where we spend a lot of time and a lot of effort. It's not the only thing that we do, we're still doing food inspections, we're still doing complaints, we're still doing the rodent control program. We're still licensing and following up on boilers for the winter, to make sure that they're working properly, or regular food inspections. And but we have taken some of the resources of inspectors, health educators and using them as contact tracers. So we while we have a robust staff of workers, they're not necessarily working in original discipline that really being shared around because of the higher numbers. So we can do that investigation and contact tracing in a predominant way. We also have the ability to request help from the county, which really is receiving funds from the state. And they give us these state authorized individuals that have come through the county that can do contact tracing for us and they get assigned to our communities. They do not come into Bloomfield, they do everything virtually. And we get X number of hours per day or week of these individuals, depending upon what our caseload is, and what their availability is based upon other communities case loads. So we're requesting almost everyday help. And fortunately, we do receive a reasonable amount of help on an ongoing basis. So that's a, that's good that they had that kind of surge protection, we can use more, because the numbers are significantly higher than they were even a month ago. New Jersey, as you might know, is experiencing right around now between 50 506,000 cases a day, it fluctuates. A month ago, it was 3000 cases a day. So you can see that the numbers have significantly increased. There's a couple a couple models that say we will peak out at the end of this year, right around New Year's, another model says that we will peak out the middle of January and the third model says we will peak out around Valentine's Day. I don't know which one is correct. I guess it depends upon what algorithm you're using. But somewhere is in the next six weeks to 10 weeks, this should peak and hopefully then start going down on its own. And with immunizations coming in. That should help also. So I think we're we're still cresting. And we just don't know when we're going to have the end of that crest. But it looks like it's going to be the January February timeframe. That's essentially my report.
Okay, thank you. Any questions for all right, no questions, then? All those in favor of accepting the Health Officers october november 2020. report? Aye. Any opposed? None. All right, council liaison, present or present of the initial report. unfinished business is none new business, a resolution establishing the 2021 Board of Health meeting dates. Whereas the open public meeting law, Chapter 231 requires that notice be given on the public of the timetable location center, whereas Simplot applies the regular visa Work Health now therefore be resolved, that we set the schedule as follows. This is our usual third Thursday of the month from January through December, except of course, so. Okay, so.
motion, please. I think it's a second please. Okay. All right. Any questions or comments with regard to this?
Just clarification with that, Joe, we did move forward and combine the November December meeting and then move the December meeting up. So it's sent following the same process that we followed for this year. So if we did that update, correction just before the meeting, so I don't know if you have that in front of you.
But I got still shows November 18, and December 16. So what are the actual dates now?
So the November date is removed, and then the final date would be December
9. Okay. So clarification in case any of you are looking at the older version like I am, there will be no meeting in November. And we will have a meeting on December 9 as the last meeting of the year. Okay. roll call please.
Phil Wilkins.
Yes.
After manner does Antonio Rodriguez. Yes. Denise obey. Yes. periban Allah. Yes.
Thank you. All right. Next up is a resolution for a shared services contract into local service accounts in the chat with all Account Services. Whereas etc, establishes the public health services required local board of health for s seven has to be in compliance, the appropriate regulations are set here in and therefore be resolved. At the board authorize the president more than you agree with council chairman for the kinds of public health services and final expenditures, etc. And this is for the what time period. So, hold on. So we'll get that we get questions. Most of the discuss, please. Thank you, Denise. Second, please. Doc. Okay, so one question on that is what's the time period for signing services similar, you
know, similar to our other contracts? It's a five year contract. Sorry, similar to our other contracts. It is a five year contract.
Five Year Okay. Sorry, drop down. Okay. Excellent.
And we are presently providing services to Chatham township through the borough Madison, we will now be able to get directly so we do have experience in The community and have been essentially providing the services over the last few years. We're just going to be contacting crunch tracking directly.
directly. Right. And what's the dollar value?
I believe it's $108,000
for the five years or free per year. That's right. Any other questions? All right. Roll Call, please.
Phil Elkins,
yes. Dr.
Mehta. Yes. Antonio Rodriguez and the nice survey. Yes. They are vanilla.
Yes.
Thank you. The next document on vulnerable population. Okay. Next up is a resolution for strengthening a local public health capacity grant, or as the board as applied received the grant injures department health and tourism strengthening local public health capacity very of December 120 20 through January 30 2021. Whereas the grant requires department by personnel or is the grant requires attending a vulnerable population coordinator on unnecessary personnel results requires conducting a needs assessment. Whereas more main places personnel may be necessary and therefore resolved the board accepts the strengthening local public health capacity grant, then further resolved that address the director higher than necessary personnel, etc. etc. Motion to discuss please. Thank you. Nice. Second, please. Thank you.
There's just one correction. Yes. It's December 31 2020. to June 30 2021.
Gosh, it doesn't make more sense. Okay.
It's a seven month grant.
That is renewable. Excellent. Any questions? All right, roll call, please.
All right. Thank you. Thanks up is your resolution ratifying reservation retirement separation or termination of township employee board and commission, whereas falling employee has retired and or is no longer working for the losing part of house serleena McDonald rdhs, effective November 13 2020, as the formation of plays and notified the director, that is their desire to resign, retired or separate from their position. Now therefore be resolved that the board hereby accepts the above notices for the resolve of the board. He might just the directors with the all necessary paperwork, et cetera. Motion to discuss please. Thank you. Second, please. Thank you. Questions or comments? All right. roll call please.
Go Elkins.
Yes. Dr. Mehta.
Yes. Antonio Rodriguez. did a survey. Yes. Sara Bonilla.
Yes. Thank you.
Thank you. All right. Next up is a resolution ratifying title change on a patient of ours work or new hire Board of Health employee or as board sorry, whereas three the obligations part of the board here are the current responsibilities from the township falling personal change that are recommended, whereas before May employess personnel may deem necessary in order to maintain efficiency etc. First of all employees have demonstrated the efficiency competency licensing or skills required to perform these duties etc. and Yella Marquez Ponce RHS step two effective December 21 2020 full time and will run Rolla keyboarding clerk to step forward cember 21 2020. The shell is always to be accepted for matching personnel changes authorized the director, etc, etc. Motion to discuss please. Thank you. Second, please. Doctor doc. Karen, any comments on this?
No, these are positions that have been discussed with the township and they have been appropriate we budgeted and supported by the town.
Excellent. Any questions? numbers? All right. roll call please.
Kill Elkins.
Yes. Dr. Mehta.
Antonio Rodriguez. Yes. Then a survey. Sara Bonilla. Yes.
Trying to find this one missing document literacy support. Okay, so this is to the public health Accreditation Board known as the fab, and I'm sure they are fabulous. I'm happy for Thelma electrophoresis. Stress the pourcel sport and applying for national recrimination with the public health Accreditation Board and the TV show that bleeds accreditation events quality performance, many health department that makes the fabs rigorous standards. Additionally, applying for reaccreditation during the sports and boards adoption of the EA Play really better going to be partnerships the shared vision of creating healthy, safe and thriving communities. We are pleased that the millfields department helps users to seek and reproduce to continually improve protect health for residents and are committed to becoming a nationally accredited organization. Motion to discuss please. Thank you for the second please. Questions or comments?
Is kicks off the process for the accreditation in terms of authorizing fab to come in and you in the refund credit ation? So
thank you. Thank you. Emerson. Any questions? or comments? All right, roll call, please.
Phil Elkins.
Yes. Dr. meadow.
Antonio Rodriguez. Yes. Any survey? Yeah. Sarah vanilla.
Yes.
All right. Next up is a local resolution for the Bloomfield municipal Alliance stipend. People feel this way Alliance committees allocate $2,000 in Bluefield municipal Alliance budget retroactively, the period of July 120 20 to June 30 2021. For the following segments to be paid quarterly at $250 quarter, Dina Pressel and Paul Ficus for $1,000 each motion to discuss please. Thank you. The second please. Okay. Dark, Karen.
Hi. Yes, this is the Bloomfield municipal alliance that the health department has been overseen. And this is the the resolution that authorizes the continuation of the stipend set up in existence for those employees who oversee that particular program.
Thank you. Members, any questions? All right, roll call, please.
Oh, Elkins,
yes.
Dr. Madden.
Antonio Rodriguez as the new survey. Yes. Sara Bonilla.
Yes.
All right, thank you. Next up is a resolution on radon Awareness Month, or is an environmental health conditions at home complacent to control the well being of its occupants especially vulnerable populations, for as many environmental factors contribute to health homes should be addressed. Whereas elevator made on Gasman host but a good fight is a significant public health concern. Whereas radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer causing as many as 500 lung cancer deaths annually in New Jersey, and whereas elevated radon levels are found in 115 homes across the US and pose a serious home for families residing in these homes. And whereas any home they have high levels of radon unit neighboring homes do not. And whereas radon testing is easy to expensive and all data levels radon inspection reduces costs typical home repair Whereas a measurable number of Rosenbluth accounts you're likely to have elevated levels right on razzball New Jersey on the screen concentrates at or above for deca curious. Curious Oh, thank you been a while. We're mitigated by the less we save per year for as soon as good public policy to guide residents toward a healthy home environment. Where is the temperature for the Bluefield we call upon a residence of value it says it tester hopes radios to reduce radon levels, elevated levels and found etc an overview yourself before declares the month of January 21 as radon awareness on and as follows. After that motion, please. Thank you, Danny second place dark questions or comments regarding resolution for radon Awareness Month.
Would you like me to explain a little bit?
Anyone have any questions or have trouble with radon? I think we're good, Michael. Thank you. All right. roll call please.
Go Elkins.
Yes.
Oscar meadow.
Antonia Right. Right,
Rodriguez.
Yes. And he survey. Yes. And Sara Bonilla.
Thank you. All right. We don't need to go over to go into closed session. Therefore, there's no closed session resolution. There's of course, no approval of closed session minutes with prior meetings when you go into closed. there any other business to be discussed this evening?
Yeah. Okay. Thank
you. upcoming meeting dates, we approve the schedule. So our first meeting for January will be the third Thursday. Please know that that will be two meetings. That will of course be our annual reorganization meeting, where we will nominate and elect the officers for 2021 followed by our regular January meeting. Any questions or comments regarding that? Alrighty, then. Anything else?
Well, I would just like to take an opportunity to thank you all for your service this year, it's been a challenging year. And to have this supportable of you, in helping us get through this year has has been really important. And I really appreciate it. So I wish you a Happy New Year. And hope that next year, we continue to stay well. And we continue to do our work and hopefully get back to business as we normally do. I look forward to seeing you in person in the new year. So thank you.
And I would like to echo that. Karen, Mike, please express the appreciation of myself and all the other board members, to all the employees of the department health and human services. Our people are awesome. Everybody does a terrific job in any normal given year, this year, especially we know that it's been incredibly challenging for people working in the public health environment. So greatly appreciate even more than normal, everything that you and all replays have done this year. So please do express our heartfelt appreciation of the board members. Thank you as always, for the time you give for these meetings and 10 evenings and preparing for these meetings and voting, this means etc, reading up on all the material. I do know that it is a significant bit of time out of everybody's lives, and is greatly appreciated by myself. And I think everyone else. Happy Holidays to you all. And just one more thing before we go. Motion to adjourn, please. Thank you to me. Second, please. Thank you, doc and all those in favor of a journey. proposed. Not shockingly, this meeting is adjourned at 708 pm eastern time. Thank you everyone. Happy Holidays.
