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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-10-1966 Board of Health MinutesFebruary 1966 The Plainview Hale County Board of Health met February 10, 1966 at Wayne's Restaurant, Chairman Kirk presiding. Mr. Kirk welcomed guest, Dr. Charles Dunn, Hospital Consultant -Dallas, Texas, enviting his comments on work done with the Migrant Health program. Dr. Dunn explain- ed, that although his survey was incomplete, there was a definate need for migrant out-patient treatment. His estimate of $100,000.00 donated locally by physicians and hospitals in Hale County thus creating a need, for the Migrant Health Grant. Ray D. Blair moved that the Board authorize Dr. Weidenback to make application for an extended, migrant program..second Edgar Brown..motion carried. Dr. Weidenback noted that approval of the migrant program had been given at a recent meeting of the Uounty Medical Society. Judge Abernethy and Mayor Hood suggested that the Board present,the migrant program as planned to the Commissioners Court and City Council and obtain thier endorsement also. Dr. Weidenback advised that the Migrant personel was complete with the hiring of a full time sanitarian. Current bills were presented. Dr. Heye moved bills be approved for payment..second Edgar Brown4_;motion carried. Mayor Hood stated, after examination of the contract with John Speck, that the Health Department was respon- sible for replacing the plate glass that had, been bro- ken. Ray Blair moved that the bill be approved for pay- ment..seeond Dr. Heye..motion carried. Mr. Blair also moved that Dr. Weidenback be authorized to secure nec- essary insurance coverage for the Health Unit, as of this day -February 10,1966..second Edgar Brown..motion carried. Meeting adjourned. Members attending: Mike Krk, Dr. Randall Heye, Judge Abernethy, Edgar Brown, Ray Blair, Dr. Weidenback, Mayor Hood and guest. Signed, 14\0._A WeLcIr. Mary Wadzeck,secretary HISTORY OF PLAIN -,HALE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT Plainview -Hale County Health Department begin operation in ,august of 1962 when a director was hired at a salary of $15,400.00. At that time, it was stated that the Director of the Health District shall be the local health authority in the . following govermental City of Plainview, City of Hale Center, City of Abernathy, City off Peterale s - burg, The Director is to use the facilities of his orgainzatian for the prevention of morbidity and mortality. The first budget arily asked for in 1962-63 was $34,366.00. In 1963-63, these two $36,585.00 was asked for. For years I do not have the actual dollars spent. In 1964-65 the Health Department actually spent $37,879.49* In 1965-66 actual*y spent. In 1966=67, $34,006.00 was actually spent�34'51..1., 3 was PERSONNEL Tieualifications of the Director of the Plainview -Hale County Health District. The Director of the Health District shall be a physician, licensed or eligible to be licensed by. the Texas State Board of Medical examiners, certification by the Commissioner of Health as qualified for the minimum qualifications as established by the. State Board of Health. Thewe qualifications require a masters degree in Public Health. The present Director is designated as an Acting Director. The title Acting Director means that he has all the responsibilities and, duties of . a Director but lacks some qualifications of a Director. The Director fulfills all the qualifications ror .a Director withrthent Acting exception Of a masters in Public Health. A masters in Public Health degree requires two semesters of education following receipt of the M.D. degree. During this extra year of study the physician is chooled in sanitation procedures, diseases of animals transmitted to man, entomology, co non vector control, mita? statistics and ecology. The present Acting Director has earned the degree Doctor of Veterinary Medicine which encompasses almost all of these requirements for a masters of Public Health. The Director supervises all personnelwithin the Health Department, reviews nursing procedures, consults with sanitarians and nurses on an which. they may encounter, investigates disease outbreaks, and dproblems decides any policies needed to prevent epidemics from occurin , He isbetween the local medical society, the local Health Departments© and the state Health Department. His duties require that he ..keep informed on disease outbreaks in various areas and in touch with the state Health Department for advance information of epidemics throughout the state and nation. The purpose of the Health Department is to prevent disease in the general public. Personnel paid ,from loca]. heglth Department funds include a Public Health Nurse I a Sanitarian I, and a Janitor. These are the only individuals besides the Director who receive budget. The nurses conduct clinics within the HealthaDeparment tment the local various locations throughout the county. The phent and at nics is to consul with individuals with regards top health ccare, these immunizations and general sanitation in order to prevent illness. They assist the school nurses with the tuberculin testing program for school children and assist Page 2 - History of Plainview -Hale Couhty Health De par the Cdummunicable Disease Division of the U. D. Public Health Setvice with enc phalities research. The sanitarian has a multtiude of duties in that he inspects dairies within the counties so that the various Grade levels of milk are maintained, inspects the dairy plant within the city of see that the milk is processed properly, inspects food establishments, nursing homes, hospitals, and motels to see that sanitation conditions are satisfactory and disease is not being spread by food or contamination. The te complaints, take water samples and assist people who ©are having problems nuscience with contaimented wells. They also assist in planning septic tanks and help prevent the contamination of water supplies. They also assist the U. S. Public Health Service with the encephalitis reseatch and aid in mosquito control. The local Health Department is set up on an agreement with the state Health Department in which the state will furnish 40% of the budget. The state presently pays the salaries of three personnel , in the Health thDepartment- A Public Health Nurse III, who is a supervisor of nurses, and helps to co-ordinate work of the various nurses within the Health Department. The state also supplies another Sanitarian I, who shares duties with the locally paid Sanitarian; a Clerk -Typist I is also employed by the state to help with the necessary filing and paper work involved in _the Health Department, The state pays $1,549.00 per month in salaries to the local Health Department, The salaries paid by the City -County funds total $2,402,00 RESPONSIBILITIES In 1966, 1,45$ different people were reached through the local Health Department which is an increase from 138 in 1962 when the unit first. started and up from 620 during the year 1964. During from October, 1966 through September of 1967, a. totathe of10,88612 nhometh erioa visits or clinic visits were made by the nursing personnel of the local Health Department. This Health Department is truly a county wide Health Department. Of this 10,886 total visits, 2 1 and 2 ' � 97 were made.. in the Hale Center area, 2,750 were made in. the Abernathy area and 2,2776 were made in the Petersburg area. The remaining visits were made in the Plainview- Edmonson. area. There are four Well Child Clinics held in Hale County. One of these meets the first four Mondays of the month in Plainview at the local Health Department headquarters at 11:00 A.M. Another meets in Hale Center on the fourth Tuesday at 12 noon each month. One meets in Abernathy on the third Thursday of each montha st 12 noon, and another at Petersburg meets on the third Tuesday at 12 noon. There are five immunization Clinics held; one in Plainview on each Thursday from 2 to 4; one at Hale Center on the third Wednesday from 1 to 3; one at Abernathy on the second Tuesday of each month from 1 to 3; and in Petersburg on the last FAiday of each month at Itto 3; and another in Cotton Center on the second -Friday of each month 10:00 A.M. Children's Diagnostic Clinic is held ontOle second and ourth Tuesdays for diagnosis of difficult cases or cases requiring xtensive pediatric workup. This Clinic is a doctor referral clinic and wo pediatricians, Dr. Dorothy Long and Dr. Gerald Wagner, staff this Page 3 - History of Plainview -Hale County Health Department clinic. The Chest Clinic is held on the second Thursday of each month at 12 noon. This clinic is primarily for patients who have tuberculosis or who are suspected of having tuberculosis although other chest diseases are also cared for. A Maternity Clinic has been held the second and fourth Wednesdays from 12 noon and 11:00 A.M. A Family Planning Clinic is held at 10:00 A.M. on the first Wednesday of each month. A Sick Children's Clinic is held in the Health Department facilities efery Tuesday at 11:00A.M. This clinic is a community sponsored clinic for sick children through ten years of age. There is a 75¢ charge for each child to help pay for the medications. It is staffed by local volunteers and physicians who donate their services as do the community volunteers who run the clinic. Immunization material for Plainview and Hale Center schools are furnished through the Health Department. In Petersburg the school nurse brings the children requiring immunizations to the Immunization Clinic held in Petersburg. If a large number of children need immunizations, a special session is set up at the school and the local public health nurse gives the children their immunications at the Petersburg shhool. This is a bried summary of what the Health Department does. However, this could not be accomplished through the budget furnished by thecity, county, and state governing bodies. The Health Department is primarily established to help residents of Hale County and municipalities within Hale County. However, no one is actually turned away from the Health Department because of lack of the residency requirement of cityor state. Hale County is unique as it is one of the highest producing agricultuaal pies within the United States. With this agricultural production is a need for migratory farm workers within Hale County during certain of ,the year. A migratory farm worker is defined as a person who ;arily employed as a farm laborer and who moves from area to area for out. There are only eight counties within the total United States age more migratory farm workers pass through their counties than does Hale County. It is estimated that Hale County has a peak of 5,000 workers and 7,500 persons during the peak employment season which in November. These migratory farm laborers are of the Iow income ever and since they often times are neither residents of the state or of the county, they are not eligible for help from local welfare agencies. While these workers are a necessity to the welfare of Hale County with regards to the extensive farming operations in this area, they are also a health hazard and pose a financial burden upon the residents of Hale County Not included in the above mentioned gigures are the migratory workers who make Hale County their home base and migrate from Hale County to other areasand return to Hale County when seasonal word is not available. These people are also classified as migrants but would under these circumstances be eligible for any local or state resources which are available to any other citizen of Texas and Hale County. Since these people have no one to rely on when they are migrating from area to area, the federal government has made available; throught the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, migrant health project Grants ro give personal health services; usually including medical, nursing, health education, and limited dental care for these people. These grants Page 4 - History o ainvie v -Ha le County Health Department also include sanitation services including housing inspedtion and follow-up vare plus working with owners and occupants for improvement of the general enviroment. Statewide consultation is also included with general assistance and program planning relevant to co-ordination with the local Health Department. A Migrant Health Project including personal health services and sanitation services has been in operation in Hale Count since 1964. MIGRANT HEALTH PROJECT This Grant is a large part of the local Health Department and is actually bigger than the combination of the state and local budget, and it is actually larger in scope than the local Health Department as discussed. The Migrant Grant employs three Public Health Nurses I, one Sanitarian I, one Clerk -Typist I, and a Migrant Health Aide. The salaries for migrant employees totals $2,921.00 a month. These public health nurses and sanitarian travel to the.. migrant workers wherever they live and work with them in providing them with immunizations for their children, correc- tingd.arrhea, discussing sanitation methods for their children, and the family as a whole and provide immunizaion records for these families to carry with them from place to pace so that their immunizations will be maintained. This is, of course, primary to the public health as when migratory workers such as these move into a community they can introduce disease and epidemics if they and the local population are not properly cared for. Through these services epidemics such as diphtheria and whooping cough are prevented. By teaching basic sanitgti on methods the health of these people is improved, and with their health improvement, an tautamatic improvement in their financial condition occurs. This Grant includes monies for payment of drug bills and hospiliza- tion. , It also includes funds for physician's services. In the past years these migratory people have required hospilization for various illnesses, which of course, with their limited income, they were not able to afford. This left the hospitals with an unpaid bill and a loss for drugs and services which has to be supported from local resource. The present Migratory Grant from the Department of Health Education, and Welfare to the Plainview -Male County Health District totals $93,163.©0. This grant is for a ten months period from March 1 through December 31, 196. On August 1, 1967 a grant of $45,602.00 was added to our Grant which made the _ total of $93,163,00„ During the fiscial year 1966 through dune, 1967 actual dollars spent within the Health Department from local funds meaning the city and county budgets was a total of _$24,006.00. This was $17,003.00 from the city and 17,003.00 from the county. The state of Texas provided $24,127.46 and the Migrant Grant during thisperiod was $57,309.75. The city of Plainview and Hale County are contributing a small part of the total budget of the Page 5 - History of Plainview -Hale County Health Department local Ilealth Department, including the Migrant Grant, The Federal Migrant Grant stipulates that local participation is required before the Migrant Grant will be anwarded or continued. Whilde the Migrant Grant is tax money, and a portion of that is certainly paid by residents of flale County, the perculiar situation of Hale County, in that it has such a lagge influx of migratory farm labor as well as a laige percentage of home based migrants justifies the need for this Grant. Without migratory farm labor Hale County's economy would be adversly effected because certain crops s could not be planted or harvested. As long as these workers are within an area, they are going to add a tax burden to the local population because of low income. With'their type of seasonal work it would be difficult to raise their income sub- stantially and thus there is need for special help. The presence of this type of grant within an area also helps bring in other types of migrant farm labor as does good housing facilities which is not present at this time. Hale county stands an excellent chance of losing this Grant because of lack of local support on the part of the Commissioners Court of Hale County. The Grant itself states that no funds from Migratory Federal Grant will be used to replace any funds which were already being used for health care of migratory f farm workers. It is also stated that the local people are expected to aupplement the Migratory Grant. These Migratory Grants are audited with Federal auditors to see that the funds are properly used. For the year 19,58 an application for a Grant totaling $ 158,000.00 has been requested from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The need for this size Grant is substantiated by past experience with Migratory Grants in Hale County and with figures from the three hospitals in Hale County. With the recent cut in the buget for the local Health Department made by the Commissioners Court, it is unlikely that the Department of Health, Education and Welfare will renew this applicat4on. However, if local support were strong for this type of service, Hale County would stand an excellent chance of having this application approved*