Board of Health discusses board and nurse educator vacancies By SANDRA STONE The Meade County Board of Health met Nov. 27. Gretchen Lucas, providing a financial update, advised the last payment of $20,794 had been made on the health department addition. Total construction costs were $1,017,434. Lucas further advised $2,078 remained of the health department’s matching funds. That account is now to be closed out, and the funds returned to the health department’s money market account. The current balance in the money market account is $40,575, said Lucas, but that amount will increase as tax revenue comes in over the next few months. The terms of two board members are expiring, and new members – a consumer and a veterinarian – are required. Clarifying “consumer,” clinical director Kris Paul said the consumer need not necessarily be one who receives services from the health department. It can be any Meade County resident with an interest in the health department. School nurse educator Sheila Hollis retired last month after 10 years of service. Debbie Hesler remains in her full-time position as nurse educator for Meade County schools. Over the past few years, Hollis has implemented a cardiovascular health curriculum which includes lessons on nutrition, the dangers of tobacco use and the importance of exercise for a healthy cardiovascular system. With her retirement, a vacancy was opened; however, as it is in the middle of the school year, and funds are tight, Paul asked the board if they wished to fill the position at this time. Since 2001, the health department has spent over $480,000 on salaries and benefits for school nurse educators. As their titles imply, they provide education, not clinical services, to the school system as providing clinical services would be a duplication of what the health department provides and is, therefore, not allowed. At the time the programs began, there were surplus funds; at this time, however, funds are much tighter. Paul advised she and Linda Sims of the Lincoln Trail Health Department had met with the superintendent of schools to ask if the school system could contribute to this program. “If the school paid for it,” noted board member Carl Sydnor, “the nurses could do clinical services.” With that option put on the table, board member Tim Smith asked Sims for the number of districts in the region with school nurses, and she advised a majority of the schools in the Lincoln Trail area have school nurses, and approximately 60 percent of their salary costs are paid for by the school districts. Discussion ensued about the best way to broach this subject, and board member Bill Denton moved to form a committee to look into the benefits of a clinical school nurse in the Meade County school district. Sydnor seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Serving on the committee will be Denton, Sydnor, Molly Fackler, Amanda Brown and Lisa Babb. Fiscal Court approached the health department with regard to vacant space in the upper floor of the health department building. Paul advised it would be permissible to lease the space to another governmental agency such as planning and zoning or the county clerk’s office provided there are no restrictions on the grant. However, construction would have to be done to separate the space from environmental services, and questions arose about who would pay for the renovation. Currently, said Paul, the health department has no need for the space, but it is unknown what future needs may be. No decision was made. Judge Executive William Haynes advised Fiscal Court could discuss it further, and the Board of Health was in agreement they would be open to further discussions about this issue.
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