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Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 939
La Marque, TX 77568
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GCHD Monthly
Executive Report
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Phone: 409-938-2401
Fax: 409-938-2243
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| The Executive Report is a monthly summary of key activities and
significant happenings in the Health District overall. This summary of
activities and/or happenings may involve: one of many different
public health
programs, the
Galveston Area
Ambulance Authority (GAAA), the
4C's
federally-funded community health clinics (CHC's), and/or
collaborate efforts among community health partners.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Pisa Lewis , Executive Assistant,
at 409 938-2401, by email:plewis@gchd.org;
or Kurt Koopmann, Public Information Officer,
at 409-938-2211,
by email:kkoopman@gchd.org.
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February 26, 2004 |
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Strategic
Health Plan to be Presented at National Local Board of
Health Annual Meeting |
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Joint Board
Committee on Access to Care |
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Health District
Brings Together Public Health - Hospitals – Emergency
Mgmt |
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News Releases
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4C’s
Clinic Updates |
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4C’s
Medical Director |
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West-Central Cluster Diabetes II Collaborative
meeting |
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Office of Community Health
Programs Updates |
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National Infant Immunization Week |
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Community diabetes classes scheduled |
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STD/HIV staff distributed
packets containing educational materials |
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Office
of Environmental Health Services Updates |
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Organizational Structure |
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Animal Services Manager |
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Operational Updates |
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Director of Environmental
Health Programs |
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Public health preparedness |
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HOPWA (Housing Opportunities
for People with Aids) |
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| Strategic Health Plan to be
Presented at National Local Board of Health Annual Meeting
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In November the Health
District was invited to submit a presentation for the
National Local Board of Health Annual Conference in
July 2004. This conference will address the issues of
prevention, preparedness and power for local board of
health members. The goal of NALBOH’s Annual Conference
is to provide current public health information and
training to local board of health members from across
the United States. We are pleased to announce that the
District Strategic Health Plan was chosen to be included
in this Annual Conference. Health District staff members
and a board member will travel to Denver in July to
participate in this annual conference. For more information,
please contact Brian Rutherford, Health District Planner,
at brutherford@gchd.org
or at 409.938.2275
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| Joint Board Committee on Access
to Care |
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On Friday,
February 20, Governing Board members and United Board
of Health members as well as Health District staff met
to discuss the County Indigent Health Care Program (CIHCP).
Dr. Guidry moderated a PowerPoint overview of the program
including, roles and responsibilities of all entities
involved, data limitations, and known issues. After
a brainstorming session, the participants identified
several themes that need to be addressed in order to
provide better access to care and management of the
program. The themes included recommended improvements
in local policy, finance, and data management systems.
The participants agreed to schedule a Commissioners’
Court workshop in the future to discuss these issues.
For more information, please contact Gay Lane, Executive
Assistant, at glane@gchd.org,
or 409-938-2401
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| Health District Brings
Together Public Health - Hospitals – Emergency Management
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On February 24th, the
health district hosted a meeting with four area hospitals
(Devereux, Mainland Medical, Shriner's, and UTMB), county
emergency management, and a representative from the
Sheriff's Department, to discuss how we can collaborate
on emergency planning activities. The Health District
was represented with staff from Administration, Community
Health Nursing, EMS, Epidemiology, and the Public Health
Preparedness program. Participants shared what actions
each of their agencies were taking to prepare for emergencies
then discussed ways to work together in planning and
conducting exercises. The group expressed an interest
in meeting on a regular basis to build on the ideas
discussed. For more information, please contact Brian
Rutherford, Public Health Planner, at brutherford@gchd.org,
or 409.938.2275. |
News Releases
and Press Stories
For more information on any news release or press story,
please contact Kurt Koopmann, Public Information Officer,
at 409. 938.2211 or email kkoopman@gchd.org
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On January 25, 2004, the
Galveston County Daily News published a story promoting
the introduction of a new community initiative to increase
childhood immunization rates in Galveston. Chuck Chambers,
District Epidemiologist was quoted in the story and data
collected by his department was used in the story. The
story can be viewed at
http://www.gchd.org/press/2004/01ImmPush.htm |
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A community forum titled
“Empowerment through Health: A forum on HIV in
the Black Community” was held on February 3, 2004
in observance of National Black History Month and National
HIV Awareness and Information Day. The event sponsored
by UTMB’s Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity.
Jim Hilton, Director of the District’s Sexually
Transmitted Diseases Control and Prevention Department
was a featured speaker at the forum. To view the information
printed in the Galveston County Daily News please utilize
the following link http://www.gchd.org/press/2004/01HIVForum.htm
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February 2, 2004 the
Galveston County Daily News ran a story on the challenges
many women in the community face when attempting to
access health care. Susan Studebaker, Director of Community
Programs was quoted in the story providing statistics
and other information. Members of the Galveston County
United Board of Health, Dr. Ben Raimer, and Scott Bentley
were also quoted in the story along with Rosie Morales
a member of the 4 C’s Governing Board. The story
can be viewed
http://www.gchd.org/press/2004/01AreaWomen.htm |
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Dr. Mark Guidry, Executive
Director was quoted in a story published in the Galveston
County Daily News on February 8, 2004. The story profiled
the need for workplace health initiatives and weight
loss programs and some area organizations with such
programs. The story can be viewed
http://www.gchd.org/press/2004/01Obesity.htm
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Adoption of the District’s
“Strategic Health Plan” was the subject
of a press release issued on February 6th and published
in the Galveston County Daily News on February 9, 2004.
In the information published the priorities as developed
were outlined. The story can be viewed
http://www.gchd.org/press/2004/02Strategy.htm |
| 4C’s Clinic
Updates |
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Abdul-Aziz Alhassan MD
has been appointed to the position of 4C’s
Medical Director. Dr. Alhassan completed his medical
education in Mexico (1988) and his family practice residency
at Baylor University in Houston (1996). He is a board-certified
family physician with a comprehensive scope of practice
from prenatal, to newborn, to geriatrics. He has experience
as the medical director of a clinic in Houston and as
the supervising physician of midlevels at the VA. He
has experience with chronic disease management modules
and quality of care management. He speaks in favor of
open access to care, productivity, and quality of care.
He has experience working with clinic board members
and local elected officials to whom he has given reports.
For more information, please contact Mike Carr, 4C’s
Business Manager at mcarr@gchd.org,
or 409.949.3406. |
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4C's staff members attended
the West-Central Cluster Diabetes II Collaborative
meeting in Denver, Colorado during the week of February
16th. They were Terri Huey, RN, Nurse Manager, 4C's
Texas City clinic; Melba Williams-Taylor, LVN, Quality
Assurance Nurse; Darlene Cass, RN, Diabetes Coordinator-Educator,
Beverly Foster, DDS, Dental Director; Ruth Salas, LVN,
Diabetes Educator. The attendees shared ideas and information
about managing diabetes with other healthcare providers
and Community Health Centers from all over the southwest
United States. For more information please contact Mike
Carr, 4C’s Business Manager at mcarr@gchd.org,
or 409.949.3406. |
| Office of Community
Health Programs Updates |
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The Immunization staff
is planning traditional activities for National Infant
Immunization Week. These activities include continuation
of regular Immunization Clinic hours with an expansion
of hours to include Saturdays at each of our three (3)
clinic sites. In addition, immunizations will be given
at one outreach community location each day during that
week. For more information, please contact June Gonzales,
Immunization Nurse Manager at jgonzales@gchd.org,
or 409.938.2201. |
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Through the Robert Wood
Johnson Community Supports for Diabetes Care, the first
three (3) community diabetes classes are scheduled
to begin in late February 2004 at two (2) local churches
and a senior citizen center. For more information, please
contact Susan Studebaker, Director of Community Health
Programs, at sstudebaker@gchd.org,
or 409.938.2456. |
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STD/HIV
staff distributed packets containing educational materials
and condoms at Mardi Gras and plan to do the same
during Beach Party Weekend. Last week, they received
a technical assistance visit from TDH and were informed
that GCHD's Evidence Based Program ranks second in the
state. Staff have noticed an increase in the number
of early syphilis cases and are working with Houston
HIV programs to address this problem as many of these
clients report frequenting Bath Houses in Houston. For
more information, please contact Jim Hilton, Director
of STD/HIV, at jhilton@gchd.org,
or 409.765.2529.
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| Office of Environmental
Health Services Updates |
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The Office of Environmental
Programs organizational structure has been drafted
and currently under review by Health District staff.
Air and Water Pollution Services, Animal Services, Consumer
Health and Nuisance Abatement Services are now part
of the new office. In addition, an Administrative Support
Services program has been added by combining all of
the administrative support personnel under one. This
functional re-alignment of administrative support staff
allows for better cross-training opportunities, increased
flexibility to shift personnel to high priority areas
and allows for better administrative coverage during
periods when staff takes leave. |
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The Animal Services Manager
resigned effective February 13, 2004. The Animal
Services Manager position has been posted and we
are continuing to receive applications and resumes.
Interviews will begin next week. In the interim, Garret
Foskit, Nuisance Abatement Officer, and Michael Phillips,
Animal Control Officer, have taken on assisting in the
management aspects of shelter and field services. Both
will be working with Ron Schultz in handling the day-to-day
activities of the shelter. For more information, please
contact Ron Schultz, Director of Environmental Health
Programs, at rschultz@gchd.org,
or 409.938.2314. |
| Operational
Updates |
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Ronnie Schultz has been
appointed to the position of Director of Environmental
Health Programs effective Monday, February 9, 2004.
Ronnie will continue to oversee air and water pollution
activities and will assume new responsibilities towards
the goals in the Health District's Strategic Health
Plan. Ronnie's new role will focus on strengthening
the environmental public services by efficiently and
effectively integrating activities, cross training,
planning, standardizing, and managing staff to assure
compliance with laws and regulations applicable to a
variety of local, state and federal contracts/agreements.
In addition to air and water pollution, Ronnie will
provide direction to managers in the following programs:
Consumer Health Inspections, Animal Shelter and Field
Services, Nuisance Abatement, and Public Health Laboratory.
Ronnie is a recent recipient of the 2003 Star Performer
Award. His combined 18 years of Health District experience
as manager of a federally funded program and as an inspector
will be an asset. For additional information, please
contact Ronnie Schultz, Director of Environmental Health
Programs, at rschultz@gchd.org,
or 409. 938.2314. |
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Public health preparedness
staff has been working with area schools to establish
potential sites for distribution of medications and vaccinations
in the event of a public health emergency. Staff met with
or spoke to school district representatives from Hitchcock,
La Marque, Santa Fe, Dickinson, Texas City, and Clear
Creek ISDs to establish memorandums of understanding.
Staff also met with Texas City representatives from the
Mayors office, Emergency Management, and the Parks and
Recreation Departments to discuss the use of facilities
for public health response activities. Patricia (Trish)
McIntosh, Epidemiologist, represented the Health District
at the National BioWatch Conference in Washington D.C.
where she shared health district perspectives on the BioWatch
program and protocols. Health District staff met with
representatives of the UTMB Healthcare Epidemiology and
Public Affairs Departments to discuss ways we could collaborate
in communications with the media in the event the county
experiences cases of emerging infectious diseases such
as SARS or avian flu. For more information, please contact
Brian Rutherford, Public Health Planner, at brutherford@gchd.org,
or 409.938.2275. |
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TDH
renewed the HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People
with Aids) funding of $149,874. The funding period
for this project is 2/1/04- 1/31/05. For more information,
please contact Anne McMorris, HIV Administrative Services
Director, at amcmorris@gchd.org,
or 409.765.2531. |
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A contract
amendment was made to the Bioterrorism Contract for
additional funding of $9,000. This amount is compensation
for the smallpox vaccination efforts by the Health District.
For more information, please contact Brian Rutherford,
Health Planner, at brutherford@gchd.org,
or 409.938.2275.
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