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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-09-21 Board of Health Minutes rtmA Town of Reading RECEIVED TO';:'N CLERKMeeting Minutes Rr r , A(�21,90Cf22 AM 8: 42 Board - committee - commission - Council: Board of Health Date: 2020-09-21 Time: 9:00 AM Building: Location: Address: Session: Open Session Purpose: Public Meeting Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Vice Chair Kerry Dunnell, Paula Curren, Associate Member Richard Lopez Members - Not Present: Associate Member Kevin Sexton Others Present: Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios, Health Agent Laura Vlasuk, Public Health Nurse Kristine Harris, Christine Griffin, Andy Hawthorne, Richard Robbins, Natasha Wheaton Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde Topics of Discussion: This meeting was held remotely via Zoom. Acting Chair Kerry Dunnell called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Public Comment: There was no public comment, but the Board welcomed members of the public who were in attendance. Health Agent Flu Clinic Plan for 2020: Health Agent Laura Vlasuk reviewed upcoming scheduled Flu Clinics. Most are not open to the public, except one scheduled at the Coolidge Middle School on September 29"'. Ms. Vlasuk asked the Board to consider allowing a flu clinic at the Senior Center. Historically, the center has hosted a flu clinic every year. People who frequent the center are a target demographic for receiving the flu vaccine and are familiar and comfortable with the site, making it a preferable location to host an additional clinic. There are 11 events scheduled so far, and additional ones can be scheduled depending on how much vaccine is left. The Town will be offering Fluzone High Dose for residents aged 65 and older, and Quadrivalent vaccines for residents between ages 18 and 65. Natasha Waden, a resident, asked if there would be vaccine available for those under age 18. Ms. Vlasuk explained that the Town has not provided vaccines for people under age 18 in the past, and that because the vaccines have to be ordered a year in advance, it was too late to order any after the flu vaccine was made mandatory for students. People under agel8 are advised to receive their vaccine from their pediatrician, or from a local pharmacy. On a motion by Ms. Curren, and seconded by Ms. Dunnell, the Board of Health voted 2-0-0 to use the Senior Center for a flu clinic this season. Page 1 1 rvA Town of Reading 4 Meeting Minutes Roll call vote Paula Curren —Yes, Kerry Dunnell—Yes. Publie Health Nursing Update: Public Health Nurse Kristine Harris thanked the group of nurses who have been assisting with COVID positive cases. The number of positive cases has decreased significantly, and the focus has been on contact tracing and making sure clusters do not develop. Ms. Harris has established a point of contact at the Community Tracing Collaborative (CTC) at the Department of Public Health (DPH), Sandra Aaronson, who has worked with the Town's group of Public Health and School nurses to develop a protocol should clusters form. In addition to COVID, Ms. Hams noted that she is also planning to restart B-12 injections at home as well as blood pressure clinics once things open back up. Covid-19 Updates: Command 911412020 Ms. Dunnell reviewed some discussions from the Command meeting of September W regarding the library reopening and the schools working hard. The Board had received a draft of the notes from the meeting and agreed that they were very clear. Coordination with Schools Ms. Harris explained that the nurses from the schools were nice enough to assist with the COVID positive cases over the summer, but with the return of school, only one nurse is able to continue to help on Saturdays. If a case comes in through MAVEN, she contacts Mary Giuliana, Director of Nursing at RMHS. They have established a protocol of involving the CTC if there becomes a cluster of cases. Positive cases can be very time consuming and take approximately an hour per active case to work with the resident, conduct contact tracing, and work with other health care providers. CTC can be called upon for contact tracing if there grows to be an overwhelming number of cases. CTC also has resources available to the Town if needed including: providing food, mental and psychological support, mobile testing, and free testing. Civic Function and Recreation Permits Ms. Dunnell expressed her concerns with the process of reviewing applications for Civic Function Permits and Recreation Permits. She wants to ensure that people are following the proper protocols and still being able to hold their event. However, deadlines are coming close or getting missed with the current workflow. The Board discussed a better way to track requests. Ms. Curren volunteered to work with Ms. Vlasuk on the reviews going forward. Ms. Vlasuk will setup a tracking spreadsheet and schedule a weekly status check-in for applications and requests. Other Items Some complaints had been received about Reading Youth Hockey activities at the ice arena regarding social distancing, spectators, whether masks were being used properly, and distance on the bench. There was also a positive case, and the arena needed to be professionally cleaned. Ms. Vlasuk stated that she inspected the arena following the cleaning, and provided the guidance to both the arena and the Reading Youth Hockey organizers, as both are responsible for following the rules. Page 1 2 Town of Reading rrA, Meeting Minutes le The Board also discussed reports regarding people encouraging others to"fill the stands" at baseball games. They are concerned that people are tired of the rules and are beginning to let their guard down, which could lead to an increase in active cases. They agreed that the Board should provide a reminder on the website reiterating the need for mask wearing, social distancing, and handwashing. Ms. Curren will work with Jayne Wellman on ways to communicate the information to the community. Trainings: The Massachusetts Association of Health Boards (MAHB) are planning to arrange virtual trainings which will be open to BOH members as well as staff. Ms. Dunnell stated that she will monitor the website for the schedule and will share the information with the Board when it is available. Other upcoming trainings include a Massachusetts Health Officers Association (MHOA) virtual training series that includes a session hosted by the Environmental Health Bureau about food inspections with a focus on COVID protocols. Board of Health Vacancy—Select Board Appointment/Process Schedule: Ms. Dunnell stated that she spoke with Anne Landry, the Select Board Liaison to the Board of Health. The Volunteer Appointment Subcommittee (VASC) is meeting with applicants this evening and the full Select Board will vote on appointments at their meeting tomorrow evening. Meeting Schedule: The Board is continuing with meetings on the first and third Thursdays of the month. Command meetings are scheduled for the Mondays preceding. Ms. Dunnell stated that she is happy to continue to be BOH representative at the Command meetings, but is happy to share the responsibility with other members. Because Ms. Dunnell is unable to attend the meeting schedule for September 28t', Ms. Curren volunteered to represent the BOH at that meeting. Public Health Needs Assessment: The Board agreed at the last meeting that an internal assessment was needed. Ms. Dunnell found strategic plans conducted by Nantucket and Plymouth, which had been done in-house by those communities' Health Directors, and shared a scope that roughly matches the assessment Reading wants to conduct. She identified four individuals who are experienced in the Public Health field and have conducted this kind of assessment: Dan Ottenheimer, Michael Coughlin, Steve Ward, and Deb Rosati. Procurement will send the request for quotes to those individuals and the Board is bound to choose the lowest quote. The Board added some desired qualifications including: experience managing multiple MA Health Depts/Health & Human Services Depts, and experience providing Health Department operations assessments. They would also like the candidate to reference the Blueprint for Excellence and Ten Essential Services, and the ability to achieve accreditation pursuant to Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) national standards. The goal of the assessment is to assess the internal operations needs and current assets.. The document will be reviewed by Procurement and modifications will be shared with the Board. Page 1 3 j � Town of Reading Meeting Minutes On a motion by Ms. Curren, and seconded by Ms. Dunnell, the Board of Health voted 2-0-0 to use revolving funds up to $10,000 to support a Health Department internal assessment Roll call vote Kerry Dunnell—Yes, Paula Curren —Yes. Minutes: The Board discussed catching up on meeting minutes. It has been challenging because some outstanding minutes are from before current members were on the Board. Ms. Delios will review the recordings for clarification for some meetings including April 24, 2020 and June 4, 2020. The minutes from June 15"were already reviewed. On a motion by Ms. Curren, and seconded by Ms. Dunnell, the Board of Health voted 2-0-0 to approve the meeting minutes of June 15, 2020. Roll call vote Kerry Dunnell—Yes, Paula Curren —Yes. The Board continued to discuss the need for one concise version for each set of minutes. Staff will compile all changes into one document for each set of minutes for the Board to review. Members agreed to schedule a separate meeting on October 8, 2020 solely to review and approve outstanding meeting minutes. On a motion by Ms. Curren, and seconded by Ms. Dunnell, the Board of Health voted 2-0-0 to adjourn at 9:21 pm. Roll call vote Kerry Dunnell —Yes, Paula Curren—Yes. Page 1 4