HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Health April 25 2017WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Board of Health
April 25, 2017
CALL TO ORDER
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. in the
Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Barry Buchanan, Barbara
Mann, and Carl Weimer
Absent: Rud Browne
1. PUBLIC SESSION
No one spoke.
Brenner, Todd Donovan, Satpal Sidhu, Ken
2. DIRECTOR /HEALTH OFFICER REPORT
Regina Delahunt, Health Department Director, gave a staff report on foundational
public health services funding; integrated behavioral health services funding by 2020 from
the Healthcare Authorit;, and reviewing data to improve programs, engage the community,
and promote health equity. The Health Department will present a letter for the Board of
Health chair to sign next week regarding funding. The Board also needs to decide if it wants
to adopt a behavioral health integration program by 2019. She answered questions on
community engagement through the community health assessment and community health
improvement plan, immigrant needs, and creating a broad, inclusive program scope.
Dr. Greg Stern, Health Department, reported on communicable disease programs, a
recent response to a mumps outbreak in south King County, and maintaining high
vaccination rates for communicable diseases. There were 30 incidents of possible mumps
cases, and four confirmed with 16 probable cases of pertussis recently in Whatcom County.
There is a need for more research and funding for less mainstream vaccines. He answered
questions about which vaccines are more expensive, how people would know if they've had
a mumps vaccination, whether the upswing of pertussis is a typical cyclical pattern or if it's
out of the ordinary, and the safety of the shingles vaccine and other vaccines.
3. NORTH SOUND ACCOUNTABLE COMMUNITY OF HEALTH
Regina Delahunt, Health Department Director, introduced Liz Baxter.
Liz Baxter, North Sound Accountable Community of Health (ACH) Executive Director,
described the purpose, scope, and background of the ACH, its role in the Medicaid
Demonstration Project selection, work force challenges, behavioral health integration, the
opioid problem across the state, and other projects. Each ACH has to be an independent
corporation to be a recipient of Medicaid funds, and they must marry a non - profit
organization with the five counties in the North Sound ACH. She asked that the Board of
Health nominate two councilmembers or other people to serve on the North Sound ACH
Board on behalf of the Council. A number of folks from the Whatcom County area already
sit on the Board. There is also a Program Council that will make more ground floor
decisions about what programs to pursue.
Board of Health, 4/25/2017, Page 1
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Baxter and Delahunt answered questions about models for integrating behavioral
and medical health and how that affects current Medicaid funds, how to best use Medicaid
dollars, whether there are programs in the ACH aimed at prevention as opposed to just
being reactive and responding to the sick, how to get more medical providers to accept
Medicaid patients and to buy in to the integration of behavioral health, and whether
Medicaid can cover naturopathic medicine.
Delahunt stated there needs to be a shift from measuring services rendered by
medical personnel to looking at actual improved health outcomes. Health providers need to
be trained to work as a community with mental health and other types of providers.
Baxter stated that she would like the Board to designate two people, either
councilmembers or community members, within the next month to serve on the North
Sound ACH board that meets the fourth Friday of every month.
4. CHILD AND FAMILY PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD (PHAB) AND POLICY
UPDATE
Rachel Lucy, Public Health Advisory Board Chair, gave an update and introduced
Astrid Newell, Community Health Manager.
Newell spoke about increasing community resources and commitment to young
children and families in Whatcom County, the Future Search conference planned for the late
summer, opportunities to incorporate focus on young children and families into workplace
policies, and opportunities to address key stressors for young children and families through
policy and program approaches. There is a lack of quality affordable child care and high
levels of stress experienced by immigrant families. The Health Department is working on
reclassifying a vacant position to focus on policy efforts focused on young children and
families. They must think about children and families in the context of the Accountable
Community of Health.
Councilmembers discussed whether affordable childcare and immigration stressors
are solvable at a county level, whether any one group should be singled out, and using
natural solutions such as yoga to address behavioral health.
Delahunt stated the Health Board may want to ask the Public Health Advisory Board
members to serve on the ACH Board on behalf of the Council.
ADJOURN
The mggp�pq, adjourned at 11:57 p.m.
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
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Board of Health, 4/25/2017, Page 2