Board of Health

Skokie Board of Health Thursday, May 12, 2022 7:00 pm Board of Health Members Police Department Training Room 7300 Niles Center Rd, Skokie, IL 60077 MINUTES Present: BOH Chair: Dr. Edward Linn; BOH Members: Dr. Bruce Gaynes, Maureen Hanlon; Dr. Rohit Pandya, Dr. Jeremy Scwartz, Dr. Kyungran Shim, Patricia Urbanus, Irtaza Usman, Sibyl Yau; Staff: Mike Charley; Absent: BOH Members: Dr. Swapna Dave, Juliet Haido, Margaret Keeler, Dr. Girija Kalyan Kumar, Heidi Nickisch Duggan, Dr. Romil Sood, Ruth Varma, Dr. Michael Vernon, Dr. Larry Williams, Dr. William Werner, Emeritus Member: Dr. Michael Drachler, Staff: Sue Reisberg; Trustee Liaison James Johnson, Trustee Liaison Keith Robinson MEETING WAS CANCELLED DUE TO NO QUORUM. No official business was conducted at this meeting. The following notes are for informational purposes only. I. Call to Order II. Approval of Agenda: Not approved. No quorum. III. Approval of Minutes from March’s meeting: Not approved. No quorum. IV. Chair’s Report, Dr. Linn: Dr. Linn communicated that he presented to the Village’s Board of Trustee budget committee; at that time the mayor and trustees extended their gratitude to the members of the BOH and MRC members. The Village Board also recognized all the efforts associated with the vaccination efforts. COVID rates are increasing. Dr. Linn communicated that there hasn’t been a big jump in hospitalizations, but more admissions are being seen. COVID rates are actually going down, except the Americas and South Africa. Dr. Linn asked rhetorically “What should the BOH be focusing on in the near future?”. Dr. Linn communicated two public health issues include gun control and women’s reproductive rights. V. IPLAN Community Health Needs Assessment Process Overview, Liz Nelson, Skokie HHS Public Health Program Coordinator/Analyst: Liz Nelson provided an overview of the IPLAN process that the HHS Department is planning on embarking on soon. Liz shared that the process will include all community stakeholders and should include a diverse stakeholder group. Liz’s goal is to focus on social inequities, institutional inequities and things like an individual’s living conditions to make the biggest impact (systemic lasting changes) on meeting our public health priorities. VI. Director’s Monthly Report, Mike Charley: Mike presented on the following. Public Health Partners in Excellence Awards, COVID-19 news since the last BOH meeting, shared that the HHS Department shares news weekly in weekly SkokieNews and encouraged members to register for the newsletter, provided vaccine updates, presented Skokie covid-19 rates (increasing), HHS has two PH interns starting next week and beekeeping applications are open. At the next BOH meeting Mike will not be in attendance, Sue Reisberg will be the staff liaison and present information on communicable disease surveillance & control. VII. Old/New Items of Business A. Skokie Police Department: National Bike Safety Month Event @ Oakton Park, May 14, 2022: Dr. Linn  and Dr. Kumar will be participating at this event and their focus will be helmet safety. B. Environmental Sustainability Team: BOH Member Participants: Mike Charley communicated that two BOH members will participate on this team, Jeremy Schwartz & Sybil Yau VIII. Public Comments: No public comments. IX. Adjournment. Meeting ended at 7:10 pm Next Meeting: June 9, 2022, 7:00 p.m.