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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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January 28, 2004 |
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Volunteers
and Seniors Supported by United Way |
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Public Health
Planning |
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Food Borne
Illness Outbreak |
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News Releases
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4C’s
Clinic Updates |
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Status
of Recruitment Efforts
Current 4C’s Clinic Trends |
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Operational Updates |
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Staffing Updates
TB Contract Amendment
Robert Wood Johnson Grant |
| Volunteers and Seniors Supported
by United Way |
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The United Way Proposal
discussed in a previous meeting has been funded by Mainland
United Way in the amount of $100,000. The priority goals
for this grant are to increase community awareness of
the full array of services provided by the Health District
and to assess the health needs and resources available
to the growing population of underserved seniors in our
County. The District plans on developing a quality brochure
to be distributed throughout the community indicating
that the brochures were purchased under a community impact
grant from Mainland United Way. Additional funds will
also be used to finance a Volunteer Coordinator position.
For more information, please contact Harlan "Mark"
Guidry, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer, at mguidry@gchd.org
or call 409-938-2401. |
| Public
Health Planning |
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The public health
preparedness staff has been busy working with planning
partners to establish plans to increase the Health District's
ability to effectively respond to a public health emergency.
In January, staff participated in a BioWatch after action
meeting with representatives from the City of Houston,
Harris County, the CDC, FBI, and Department of Homeland
Security to discuss improvements that can be made in response
protocols. A meeting was held with Sgt. Robert Ingram
of the Sheriff's department to discuss security arrangements
for the Strategic National Stockpile. Staff met with representatives
from High Island ISD and Galveston ISD to discuss setting
up memorandums of understanding to use school facilities
as distribution/vaccination sites in the event of an emergency.
Meetings with other ISDs are being scheduled. In addition,
the Public Health Preparedness program is working to coordinate
a meeting between the four hospitals in the county (UTMB,
Mainland Medical, Shriner's, and Devereux), county emergency
management, and GCHD staff. The purpose of this meeting
will be to discuss how hospitals, public health, and emergency
management might be able to collaborate on planning and
communications. Some of the topics we hope to discuss
are SARS protocols, quarantine, the strategic national
stockpile, disease reporting, the health alert network,
joint communications, and first responder aspects of a
medical emergency. We are shooting for late February to
conduct the meeting. For more information, please contact
Brian Rutherford, Health District Planner, at brutherford@gchd.org
or at 409.938.2275.
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| Food borne Illness
Outbreak |
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Twenty cases of gastrointestinal
illness linked to one Friendswood restaurant have been
investigated by the Environmental and Consumer Health
Department. Common symptoms were diarrhea, cramps, nausea
and vomiting with duration of illness for most cases 1-2
days. At least two cases received medical care, but no
specific pathogens have been detected yet. Two possible
food-handling problems were identified and have been corrected.
An analysis of food histories from ill and non-ill patrons
has been initiated in an attempt to identify the specific
contaminated food(s). For more information, please contact
Chuck Chambers, MPH, Epidemiologist, at cchambers@gchd.org
or call 409.765.2514 or Marty Entringer, Director of Environmental
and Consumer Health, at mentringer@gchd.org
or call 409.938-2458
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News Releases
and Press Stories
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On December 22, 2003, the
Galveston Area Ambulance Authority (GAA) issued a press
release highlighting the fact a record number of calls
had been responded to for the year. This press release
documented some of the challenges faced by the GAA and
efforts being made to meet these challenges. The release
was printed in the Galveston County Daily News. (http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=012fd4473cf7718a)
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Thursday January 8,
2004 the Galveston County Daily News published a story
regarding the death of a local dog that had been impounded
at the Joe Vickery Animal Shelter and efforts being
made to determine the cause. The story can be viewed
at (http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=25a62fb70845d51f).
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On January 23, 2004 the
Texas City Sun ran a story on the efforts being made by
district personnel to work with local school districts
in the event the Strategic National Stockpile will ever
be deployed to Galveston County. This story can be viewed
at (http://www.texascitysun.com/story.lasso?wcd=4610).
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Friday January 23, 2004
the Galveston County Daily News contacted the District
for input on a story to be published outlining new immunization
efforts in Galveston County. Executive Director, Dr.
Mark Guidry, and District Epidemiologist, Chuck Chambers
were both cited in the story.
The story can be viewed at (http://galvnews.com/story.lasso?wed=17203).
For more information, please contact Kurt Koopmann,
Public Information Officer, at 409. 938.2211 or email kkoopman@gchd.org
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| 4C’s Clinic
Updates |
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Status of Recruitment
Efforts: Since the December 2003 Board meeting, all of the vacant 4C's
provider positions have been filled. The Medical Director position has been
posted and, to date, 6 applications have been received. In the interim, Dr.
Guidry will serve as acting Medical Director and spend one half-day at each
clinic. For additional information, please contact Kathrine
Hall, Human Resources Director, at khall@gchd.org
or call 409. 938.2230
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Current 4C’s
Clinic Trends: With the continued tracking of clinic
productivity, data shows that provider productivity
was 7.9 patients seen per clinic half-day for the month
of December, compared to 8.9 in November. While this
demonstrates a decrease since November, productivity
remains higher than in previous months of the year.
The average number of patients being triaged by the
clinic nurses (combined total at both clinics) was 52
with 69% being seen on the same day (up from 61% in
November). For more information, contact Susan Studebaker,
Director of Clinical Services, at sstudebaker@gchd.org,
or call 409.949.3406.
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| Operational
Updates |
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Susan Studebaker has
been appointed to the position of Director of Community
Health Programs effective Monday, February 16, 2004,
following the retirement of Shirley Carr on January
30th. Her new role will focus on public health prevention
through integrated community outreach initiatives and
will include supervising the following programs and
activities: Immunizations, Community Health Nursing
(which include Triple Zero/Public Health Service contracted
activities), Breast Cancer Screening (BCCCP & D'Feet
contracts), Diabetes education & outreach (RWJ Diabetes
grant), Senior Health Outreach Coordination, HIV administrative
services, HIV/STD Prevention and Control, WIC, &
Tuberculosis Screening and Treatment. As a District
priority, the Director of Community Health Programs
will play a central role in improving immunization rates
in the county through integrated outreach events and
community partnership.For more information, contact
Susan Studebaker, Director of Clinical Services, at sstudebaker@gchd.org,
or call 409.949.3406. |
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Mike Carr, formerly the
IT Director, has been appointed to the position of 4C's
Business Manager effective Monday, January 26, 2004. In accordance with
local, state, and federal laws and guidelines, Mike's essential responsibilities
will include assessing, assuring, and implementing business improvements in the
Health District's two federally-funded clinic sites. The 4C's Business Manager
will report to the Chief Financial Officer and will work closely with the 4C's
Medical Director and the Clinic Leadership Team to effectively and efficiently
carry out the ambulatory healthcare mission of the 4C's Clinics. For additional
information, please contact Kathrine Hall, Human Resources Director, at khall@gchd.org
or call 409. 938.2230. |
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Pam
Jahnke, RN has been appointed to the position of Strategic
Health Plan Evaluator effective January 20, 2004.
The essential responsibilities will include evaluating
the Health District progress toward the goals and objectives
in the board-approved Strategic Health Plan. Pam will
continue to coordinate key aspects of the 4C’s
Clinic, including JCAHO, and will assume similar coordinating
and tracking functions for the entire Health District.
For additional information, please contact Kathrine
Hall, Human Resources Director, at khall@gchd.org
or call 409. 938.2230. |
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A contract amendment
was signed with Texas Department of Health for TB
Prevention and Control. This updates the contract
to include $27,591 which is funding for a position vacated
by a retirement. These funds will be used to cover travel
for DOT (Directly Observed Therapy) and salary adjustment
for the TB-RN Manager. For more information, please
contact Jay Holland, Chief Operating Officer, at jholland@gchd.org.
or call 409.938.2260. |
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An application for a
30 month, $375,000 Robert Wood Johnson Grant,
“Building Community Supports for Diabetes Self-Management”
was submitted on January 23. This grant is a continuation
of an existing Robert Wood Johnson grant. For more information,
contact Susan Studebaker, Director of Clinical Services,
at sstudebaker@gchd.org,
or call 409.949.3406. |
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