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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-31-1992 Board of Health MinutesBOARD MEETING DECEMBER 31, 1992 A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Plainview -Hale County Health District, chaired by Lanny Voss, was held on December 31, 1992, at the Golden Corral Steakhouse. The meeting was called to order at apporximately 12:30 P.M. Those attending were: Lanny Voss, Dorothy Tilson, Dr. Mary Bublas, Donna Womble, Dr. Gary Abercrombie, Dr. Kit Linton, Dr. Steve Turner, Margaret Kay, Medlin Carpenter, Don Dickson, Mayor E.V. Ridlehuber, City Manager Jim Jeffers and Director of Human Resources Terry Powers. Also present were Esther Banks, R.N., representing the Depart- ment, Ben Linton and the secretary, Billie Standefer. In reviewing the minutes of the meeting of October 29, 1992, it was determined that a correction was in order to show a motion by a voting Board member to pay the September expenditures. (The min- utes of the October meeting reflected a motion by an ex officio member, Medlin Carpenter, had been accepted for this action.) To make the action official, a motion was made by Dr. Gary Abercrom- bie and seconded by Mrs. Tilson to pay the September expenditu- res. This motion carried. A motion was made by Mrs. Womble and seconded by Dr. Abercrombie to approve payment of the expenditures for October, 1992, and November, 1992. A vote by the Board carried the motion. Chairman Voss stated that copies of the Public Health Review Re- port for the review of Plainview -Hale County Health District, req- uested by City Manager Jim Jeffers, had been sent to all Board members. He said he hoped everyone had had a chance to read the Report. Chairman Voss asked City Manager Jim Jeffers if he had any com- ments on the report from the City's point of view. Mr. Jeffers answered, "No. The TDH (Texas Departmant of Health) officials out of Lubbock were supposed to come up today, but I haven't heard from them, so they're either dead on the roadside, or decided not to come. They were to provide a verbal Summary of the Report, so if you prefer to wait for that before there's detailed comment. If anybody has had time to read it (the review) and think about it, the Board has been "on target" that the Management of the Health Department has been way too centralized, and the Board has begun to take action to correct that. But this is going to be an excellent guide, if the Board agrees with it, for a new Director to make some headway in making significant changes in making the Department better." The Chairman stated one of the things that pointed out Mr. Jeff- ers' obserivation, and what the Board had recognized, from the standpoint as to how the Department evolved, might well be the section of the Report under the heading, "Review of Public Health Nursing". He asked Board members to turn to this section of the Report, then he read aloud from that section: The administrator, (in obvious reference to Mary Lou Trues - dale) who is an experienced public health nurse, administers the nursing services. This arranagement has served the Hea- lth District well in the past, however, the District is now faced with replacing the talents of that individual. She prepares the budget for the District, schedules the clinical assignments, prepares all the employee performance evalua- tions and provides the day to day administration that makes the District function. In addition to the internal opera= tions, she also serves as the spokesperson to the govern- mental bodies, the medical community and the community in general.' He stated that what this "finding" really states is, "Mary Lou Truesdale is the Department, and that now we are replacing what not only is the person, we are replacing the Administrator with a new way to administer." He continued by saying that all of the functions (mentioned in the foregoing paragraph) cannot now be effectively placed on one person without both the deligaton and spreading of responsibility and assignments approached from a "team " standpoint. He said the "finding" in the Report also indicates " a danger of consolidating that much knowledge, that many functions and that much responsiblilty only in the mind and person of one individual." A quote from Chairman Voss was, "And that is said with all the respect I can "muster" for Mary Lou Truesdale, because when this Department began, that was the way it had to begin. It lived and survived because of her very "centeralized" kind of leader- ship. But this is another day, and we will no longer be able to function under that administrative scheme." He encouraged all Board members to read the Report, and asked if there were other observations or comments. Dr. Linton said the Review Report (Public Health Nursing Ser- vice, v. physical facilities, Findings) stated that in the Lab room at the Department, there was a Reflatron used for Cholestrol Screenings; that the screenings done on the Reflatron were not waivered according to the rules and regulations proposed in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act. (CLIA). She explained that large fines could be brought against the Department if the Lab was not in compliance with CLIA regulations. Mrs. Banks affirmed that the Lab was, indeed, not in compliance with the CLIA . There was a motion by Mrs. Womble and a second by Dr. Linton to suspend Cholesterol Screenings at the Depart- ment until in could be determined whether the Department Lab was in compliance with CLIA. A vote by the Board carried the motion. ( This verification of compliance was to be in writing.) A discussion was held about various choices for meeting places for the Board meetings. Mrs. Tilson was to check with all places and report her findings at the January Board meeting. It was decided that the meeting for January would be held at the Golden Corral Steakhouse unless otherwise notified. The Board went into Executive Session. When recording of the minutes resumed, Dr. Turner made a motion that Mr. Jim Jeffers, City Manager, be appointed interm adminis- trator of Plainview -Hale County Health District until a permanent replacement could be secured; that Mr. Jeffers be "empowered" to delegate administrative duties to any other person he felt was qualified to perform those duties. With a second to this motion and a vote by the Board, the motion carried. Chairman Voss asked Mr. Jeffers to meet with the Department person- nel, as soon as possible, to tell them of the Board's decision. To clarify a question that had been raised about the function of a Board member, the chairman stated that a Board member's func- tion was "to set Policy, act as an oversight group, moniter the activities of the Department, but did not administer the Depart- ment or instruct the Department personnel how to carry out their duties." Dr. Turner explained that if a member of the Board had a com- plaint or suggestion it should be brought before the Board in a formal manner and acted upon by the Board as a whole; there- after, the Board would instruct the administrator as to how to carry out the Board's decision. Dr. Mary Bublis stated that one of the summaries in the Review Report suggested a chance for the Board to be better informed about the function of the Department. In a report by Dr. Bublis, Board members were informed that Chicken Pox, Strep, URI's, G.E.'s, Flu, Pneumonia and Vomiting and Diarrhea were currently the most reported Communicable diseases. Mrs. Banks told the Board that, at some point (February or March),all Excel Corporation employees were to be tested for Tuberculosis. After an excused absence was extended for Dr. Loggins, the meet- ing was adjourned. Billie Standefer Secretary