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Home My WebLink About12-13-2001 Board of Health MinutesPLAINVIEW —HALE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING DECEMBER 13, 2001 Board Chairman, Dr. Kit Linton, called the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Health Directors of Plainview -Hale County Health Department to order at approximately 12:30 P.M. at the Plainview Country Club, on December 13, 2001. Those in attendance were: Dr. Kit Linton, Dr. Michael Hinze, Dr. Stephen Turner, Mayor Lloyd Woods, Jim Jeffers, Margaret Kay, John Peck, Neal Burnett, Sally Meeks, RN., Ron Miller, Rey Rosas, John Castro, Ericka Jathan, and Nancy Cornett. Guests that attended the meeting were Wally Hatch, Elizabeth Regner, Richard Orr, and Virginia Esparza. After Dr. Hinze gave the invocation., Dr. Linton asked if there were any corrections or comments on the minutes of the meeting. John Peck made an addition to the minutes, stating that Dr. Turner requested an increase in his salary at the last meeting. The minutes were approved as presented, as were the expenditures for September and October. Dr. Turner gave an update on communicable -diseases in Hale- County. Ile mentioned the precautions the government was taking on small pox and what effect it would have on the world if there were an outbreak. He -said that the -government has around 14 to- 15 million doses of small pox vaccine in storage ready to administer if an outbreak was to occur. He also mentioned that the government has started the process of manufacturing small pox vaccine and has ordered a quarter of a billion doses. Dr. Turner gave his report on- sexually transmitted diseases in Hale -County. He mentioned that for the month of September there were 25 people tested and the numbers were average, but for the month of October only 10 people were tested. The reaso&i for that was the health department was short an employee and during the influenza months, was not able to schedule many appointments. He said that the City has now posted the position and hopefully will be filled soon. Dr. Turner then felt it might be appropriate to- outline his duties for the Health Department, being that he requested an increase in his salary at the last meeting. He gave a brief breakdown of what exactly he does for the Health Department. He started by mentioning that the Health Department is required to operate under the physician's license to practice in the state of Texas. He said, "1 directly supervise the three soon to be four nurses at the Health Department and the duties that they perforni, they perform under my license. 1 review their work, charts, and policy/procedure manuals." He went on to discuss the Vaccine for Children Program and how it is under his direct responsibility and supervision. He mentioned that Texas distributes vaccine to the counties and it is done under his license. He -completes the paperwork annually to make sure that the Health Department stays eligible to participate in the program. He then mentioned being responsible for the Class -D Pharmacy. He said that it is primarily for dispensing medications that are given for sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis. He -saki when a patient comes in and is tested for a sexually transmitted disease they are given the medication on sight, by one of the nurses. This is so the Health Department can dispense the medication legally and keep the medication in stock for when it is needed. Dr. Turner also mentioned that he reviews every chart for every prisoner seen at the jail clinic. He also reviews every case of STD that is reported in Hale County. Dr. Turner then stated that the Influenza and Pneumonia Vaccine Program is ordered and done under his license, as well as the Hepatitis B and Hepatitis A Vaccine. He went on to -discuss the county's Rabies Control Program. He said, when there is a rabies case the Health Department gets the persons weight. He then calculates the dose, writes up an order, and contacts the state: The state then sends the vaccine to the -Health Department where a nurse administers the vaccine to the infected person. Lastly, he mentioned supervising the -Tuberculosis Program. He said that he reviews all the lab work on the patients that have tests done periodically. Dr. Turner ended by saying that he -has worked for the Health Department since 1984. He began by doing well children's clinics and sick children's clinics. He has served on the Board- of Health as a voting member for a number of years, was Chairman for 3 or 4 years and has been the Medical Authority for 6 years. Dr. Turner continued to mention how he has learned ser much about public health since beginning at the Health Department in 1984. He said, "1 would be absolutely honored to continue to serve as health authority for the -Plainview -Hale County Health Department for as long as you would allow me to serve." Due to some budget considerations, he mentioned how he -wanted to withdraw his request for an increase- in salary and -would continue -to serve -at his current salary $1404 a month. John Castro briefly discussed the review of Dr. Turner's salary. He said that after Dr. Turner requested an increase in his salary, he was told to look into other options. He said that he began the- process by talking to Dr. Nick Curry from the Texas Department of Health in Lubbock. Mr. Castro. stated, "I am not re -appointing Dr. Turner as the medical authority at this time, until I have reviewed all options." He ended by saying that once he reviewed all of his options, then he would make an appointment or reappointment. John Peek then asked that if Mr. Castro is the only one that can make the decisions for the Health Department, then "why are the board members attending the meetings?" He then said he had some motions to make before the board. The first motion is to leave the Health Authority's salary the same as it is at the present time and let Dr. Turner continue to serve until the matter is resolved. The next one is that the matter be tabled for the time being. Research the legal terms of offices for members and appointments and research and present the legal mandate of authority for the medical authority and who has the responsibility for hiring and dismissing and setting the- salary and can this be done in an executive session. The last motion Mr. Peck made, was that a special meeting be called, with only this item on the agenda to resolve the above mentioned in a timely manner. Wally Hatch then commented toward Mr. Peck's motions. He mentioned that the research had already been completed. He said that the research shows that the director can appoint the medical authority and without the board members approval. Dr. Turner replied by stating that in the statute it says, "the department director shall appoint a physician as health authority in the local health department's jurisdiction, subject to the -approval of the governing body." He then asked if the board members were the governing body for the health department. Wally Hatch stated that in the minutes Karen McBeth swore in Dr. Turner on October 1995. He said that there were no documents after this date. Mr. Hatch continued by saying that the medical authority does not have -to- reappoint every 2 years and if not addressed automatically assumes the position for another 2 years. He later went onto say that Dr. Turner did sign some papers in March 200-1. One of those papers was the Conflicts Provision and the other was the Oath of Office. However, he said the Oath of Office -was never turned inter the state- secretary's office. Therefore, due to legal issues, there was no reappointment and it would bring it back to October 1995 as the correct date.