Board of Health

Agenda Village of Arlington Heights Board of Health Buechner Room-33 S. Arlington Hts. Rd., AH December 4, 2023 6:30 PM I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. September 18, 2023 Minutes IV. REPORTS A. Health and Human Services Director Update B. Nursing Services Update V. OLD BUSINESS VI. NEW BUSINESS VII. OTHER BUSINESS VIII.PUBLIC COMMENT IX. ADJOURNMENT Persons with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services, such as an American Sign Language interpreter or written materials in accessible formats, should contact Erin Mercado, at 33 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005, emercado@vah.com or (847)368-5793.  Board of Health 12/4/2023 Item: Minutes Department: HHS ATTACHMENTS: Description Type September 18, 2023 Minutes Minutes  Minutes Village of Arlington Heights Board of Health Commissions Room 33 S. Arlington Heights Rd., AH 60005 September 18, 2023 6:30 PM I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson VanLandeghem called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m. All stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. II. ROLL CALL Present Also Present Karen VanLandeghem, MPH, James McCalister, Commission Liaison Chairperson Lindsay Dohse, Nursing Superviser Kristen Brown, M.D. Kimberly Witt, Administrative Assistant William Moran, M.D. Jerome Meservey, M.D. Ashley Bae, LCSW III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Minutes from May 1, 2023 DR. MESERVEY STATED THAT THE MAY 1, 2023 MINUTES SHOULD BE CORRECTED TO REFLECT THE CORRECT SPELLING OF HIS NAME. A MOTION WAS MADE BY DR. MESERVEY TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MAY 1, 2023 MEETING, SECONDED BY DR. MORAN AND APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT. IV. REPORTS A. Director Health and Human Services Update 1 Mr. McCalister reported that the Strategic Report presentation for the next two years had been delivered to the Village Board since the previous meeting. The report was sent via email to the Board members, and Mr. McCalister inquired if anyone had any questions. Mr. McCalister explained the process for creating the Village’s Strategic Priorities. First, the Village Board receives a 10-page report from each Department, followed by a PowerPoint presentation in May. Then all Department presentations are reviewed during a retreat held by the Board in late July. Based on the presentations, the Village Board establishes the Village’s Strategic Priorities for the next two years. The 2024-2025 Village Strategic Priorities were reviewed by Mr. McCalister. Mr. McCalister explained that each Department creates its own goals that align with the Village’s goals after receiving them. He reviewed the Health & Human Services goals with the Board of Health. Mr. McCalister briefly covered the goals, starting with the Matter of Balance program. He emphasized the importance of fall prevention, citing it as a major concern for the fire Department, since a considerable number of their calls are related to it. Mr. McCalister also mentioned that Erin Mercado and Tracey Colagrossi are instructors in their Department and have recently begun teaching the Matter of Balance program. The program is an 8-week course, with a class time of two hours a week. Mr. McCalister said that he will delegate the second and third goals to Lindsay Dohse because they relate to her division. Ms. Dohse relayed that the hospital had a mother/newborn support group but it stopped during the pandemic. Unfortunately, the program was never reinstated due to staffing problems. However, Michelle Finn, with her extensive background in maternal health, is initiating a support group to provide education and assistance to new mothers. The first meeting is this Thursday and it is held at the Senior Center and will be held once a month. Ms. Dohse said that one of the most significant requests at their clinic is A1c testing. They would like to purchase an A1c machine to conduct on-the-spot A1c checks. She is hoping to purchase a machine in December. Mr. McCalister discussed the fourth goal of a special waste collection evaluation. He highlighted the successful latex paint collection and document destruction event held last year at the racetrack. Unfortunately, the racetrack is no longer available as a location for this year's events. However, Terese Biskner stepped in to brainstorm with the paint company and Groot, who provides $30,000 annually for special collection events. Together with Public Works, they have planned a series of three latex paint collection events. The first event in September is already at full capacity with 75 residents, while the October event is more than half full (comprising of overflow from the September event). Four residents have already signed up for November's event. Mr. McCalister relayed that the document destruction event is moved to the spring of 2024. Mr. McCalister highlighted the strategic goals for the Senior Center. Starting with the Age- Friendly Community Certification by continuing to host Town Halls and promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The additional goals Mr. McCalister mentioned was to Expand Outreach and Marketing Efforts of the Senior Center and Research and Develop Rebranding Strategy for the Senior Center. He shared that they plan to request $20,000 from the Village Board to evaluate the Senior Center, and to determine what they hope to achieve through the focus groups. One 2 example he gave was deciding whether to keep the current name, “Senior Center” or change it to something else. There was discussion on the rebranding of the Senior Center and James relayed they felt they wouldn’t have funding available until at least 2030. Dr. Meservey inquired about how Ms. Dohse decided on the location of the Moms Support Group class at the Senior Center. Ms. Dohse explained that there were two options available - the Buechner room at Village Hall or a room at the Senior Center. After consulting with Ms. Finn, it was determined that the Senior Center provided a brighter and more welcoming atmosphere. The meeting room, which is situated at the back of the building, is away from the usual crowd. Additionally, the moms and babies have a separate entrance to use. Ms. Dohse mentioned that this class is open to any new moms, regardless of whether they reside in Arlington Heights or not. Mr. McCalister shared that IDPH has initiated a 30-million-dollar program to distribute air purifiers in Illinois schools. The distribution of 60,000 HEPA purifiers aims to reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, including Covid-19. Mr. McCalister gave an overview of the Illinois Wastewater Program. In May 2021, The Illinois Wastewater Program was launched with 10 sites in 10 counties, as explained by Mr. McCalister. Currently, there are 78 sites in 47 counties that monitor for COVID-19, Flu and RSV. He stated that the Next Generation Sequencing Program is used to test COVID-19 samples and identify new or common variants of concern. With 350 samples being sequenced weekly, the IDPH can confidently detect emerging variants in Illinois with a 95% accuracy rate. He said that the community levels are currently at 12, which is considered within the medium range. The CDC has launched a new respiratory virus dashboard that displays COVID-19, flu, and RSV levels in each state, available for public viewing. Mr. McCalister gave an update on the West Nile virus. He said that the West Nile virus has been more severe across the country this year. In Arlington Heights, since mid-June there has been positive samples being reported every week. The latest report indicates that there are four positive pool samples in Arlington Heights. Dr. Moran inquired about the RSV vaccine for anyone under the age of ten. Dr. Brown explained that the antibody is authorized for those under eight months old at the commencement of RSV season, and it is recommended that everyone receives the antibody before leaving the hospital. Dr. Brown also mentioned the presence of a maternal vaccine, but she was unaware of any RSV vaccines for children. According to Dr. Brown, last year, RSV cases were high, starting in the fall and continuing through the winter season. Mr. McCalister shared that the Police Department’s harm reduction program has been launched since the last meeting. The program involves a Narcan machine with fentanyl strips, providing individuals access to Narcan and fentanyl strips. Additionally, SWANCC has placed a sharps container next to the drug collection box, allowing people to safely dispose of sharps. The police also held a Community Zero Harm event at the hospital. As part of the event, the police organized a gun take back program. Dozens of boxes of ammunition and 236 functional firearms were collected, and those who turned in a gun received $100 in return. The event was a success and due to popular demand, it is being discussed to be held again next year. Dr. Brown wondered how many people would use the Harm reduction 3  center due to the location in the lobby the of Police Department. Mr. McCalister has not received feedback from the Police Department. However, he will receive the numbers in time for the next meeting. Dr. Moran inquired whether the service will be extended to other locations. The group noted that the Police Department operates 24/7, while other sites are only open during regular business hours. Mr. McCalister stated that the statewide ban on indoor e-cigarette use in public spaces, HB 1540, will become effective on January 1, 2024. B. Nursing Update Ms. Dohse distributed the New Moms Support Group flyer to the Board of Health. She has recently circulated flyers for the group, targeting local pediatricians’ offices and promoting it on social media. She is enthusiastic about the response and is confident that new parents will find it to be a valuable resource. Ms. Dohse shared that she gave a talk about first aid at a Rotary meeting and talked about community service through nursing at the Senior Center. She also mentioned that there has been an increase in requests for medication box filling from patients. While this service is necessary, it also takes a significant amount of time. At Olive School's Summer Safety Day, Ms. Dohse and Ms. Finn gave a presentation on choking and poison control. Additionally, they hosted a first aid tent at Frontier Days. Ms. Dohse is excited about the implementation of a new documentation database for nursing. Their team has already had their introductory meeting with CDP, and they are confident in their software expertise. With thorough training, they aim to go live by the start of the year. Currently, all notes are handwritten and charted manually at the office. Ms. Dohse said there have been numerous crises visits for older adults. She has been working alongside Social Services and APS to assist individuals who have gone beyond the safe point. This includes those who have little to no food, living in deplorable conditions, and suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts. Many of these individuals lack support from family or friends. Their team is working hard to acquire the necessary resources to help these individuals. Dr. Moran asked about the trend, wondering if people have not saved enough for retirement. Ms. Dohse expressed her agreement, stated that the high cost of caregivers and general lack of funding make it challenging for people to find adequate care. She’s concerned about who will be responsible for taking care of everyone. Chair VanLandeghem inquired about the number of patients seen, to which Ms. Dohse responded that they perform around 60 to 80 home visits per month, in addition to 2 to 3 crisis calls. Ms. Dohse said they hosted the Municipal Nurses meeting in July. She said that a speaker from Live4Lali gave a presentation and provided Narcan. Ms. Dohse had previously been able to vaccinate everyone for COVID-19 since the government had provided the vaccines. However, now that the government isn't providing 4  them anymore, they can't bill Medicare for it. As a result, Ms. Dohse purchased 30 COVID-19 vaccines outright for homebound patients as well as 50 high dose flu shots. Ms. Dohse has been reaching out to churches and will give a presentation in October to one of the churches in town regarding their nursing services. Additionally, she has reached out to two other churches. There was discussion on volunteer services about getting churches to volunteer to visit patients along with pastoral care for seniors. Chair VanLandeghem asked if there was food insecurity with the seniors and if there are food programs. Ms. Dohse replied that there are many people who do not want to use Meals on Wheels service. Mr. McCalister replied that there are township food pantries available. Mr. McCalister recently attended the IPHA conference and they were discussions about food insecurity. It was mentioned that food pantries often distribute poor quality food, leading to the creation of a new program. Hunters bring in deer meat, which is ground and distributed with recipes. This program runs from October to January in the central part of state, providing a healthy protein source for participants. Ms. Dohse connected with Shawn, the head nurse at Arlington Pediatrics to launch a CPR class for parents and infants this winter. She mentioned that the details are not finalized yet. Ms. Dohse said there will be an employee flu shot clinic and an employee family flu shot clinic next month. Additionally, a clinic will be held at Northwest Community Dispatch for their employees. There was discussion regarding the age range of babies for the New Moms Support group. Ms. Dohse indicated that the range was 0 to 6 months, which raised some concerns from Dr. Meservey with newborns as young as two weeks old potentially attending, Dr. Brown suggested setting the minimum age at one month, with two months being a safer option. Dr. Meservey was worried about parents taking a newborn out too soon. The hospital has a support group for breastfeeding mothers, but there was no specific age range mentioned. Ms. Finn worked closely with the educator, and Ms. Dohse offered to contact the hospital to determine the appropriate age group for the New Moms Support group. C. Social Services Update Mr. McCalister presented the social services update because of Nicole Espinoza’s absence. He mentioned that the social services division spent the entire summer attending various events to reach out to the community and promote their programs and services The division also partnered with Journeys to address the issue of homelessness in the area. The Police Department, Public Works, the Village Manager, and Mr. McCalister met with the Journeys team and had productive discussions regarding parking garages and the train station to explore possible solutions. They have scheduled another meeting next month to continue the conversation. Mr. McCalister mentioned Ms. Espinoza will be attending a Youth Commission meeting this Thursday to discuss plans a for teen-oriented program at the library. 5  Mr. McCalister commented that rents are increasing and more people are in need of financial assistance. The focus is on finding ways to keep people in their units. Dr. Moran inquired about the Village Board's efforts towards attainable housing and suggested reevaluating zoning laws. This is one of the Village Board's goals, addressing housing is an issue nationwide and local efforts are often met with obstacles. There was discussion on how seniors are managing to get by with the expenses of housing, medication, food and healthcare. Chair VanLandeghem inquired about the Police Department tracking overdose deaths. It was mentioned that the county tracks overdose deaths. Mr. McCalister believes that the Police Department has some relevant data and plans to speak with the Police Chief to gain further insight. V. OLD BUSINESS Chair VanLandeghem reported that there is currently one vacancy and a potential candidate for the position, Joe Novak. Dr. Meservey, who is familiar with Dr. Novak's work, suggested that he would be a great fit for the role, particularly in matters involving mental health given his background in child psychology. Chair VanLandeghem connect with Dr. Novak and will be providing a recommendation to the Mayor. VI. NEW BUSINESS VII. OTHER BUSINESS Chair VanLandeghem reported that certain states must reenroll their Medicaid beneficiaries by 2024. Unfortunately, there have been issues with children losing their enrollment in Medicaid due to differing eligibility criteria within the same household. Families are often unaware of the need to reenroll, leading to a substantial number of children and adolescents losing their Medicaid benefits, despite being eligible. When asked about seniors, Ms. Dohse was informed by Chair VanLandeghem that they too will be required to reenroll in Medicaid. VIII. ADJOURNMENT DR. MESERVEY, SECONDED BY DR. MORAN, MOVED TO ADJOURN AT 7:58 P.M., ALL CONCURRED AND THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 6