 |
Pertussis
(whooping cough) |
|
|
Health care
for indigent population in southern Brazoria & Matagorda
Counties |
|
|
County Indigent
Health Care Program (CIHCP) |
|
|
Animal Services
Manager |
|
|
Other News Releases
and Press Stories |
| |
|
|
|
4C’s Clinic Updates |
| |
Pediatric Open Access |
| |
County Indigent Health Care Program |
| |
New Physician |
| |
4C's Medical Provider and Supervisor's
Retreat |
| |
Dental Clinic |
| |
|
|
|
Office of
Environmental Health Services Updates |
| |
Air Inspector’s Workshop |
| |
Earth Day Activities |
| |
Pool School |
| |
Public Nuisance Abatement |
| |
|
|
|
Office of Community Health
Programs Updates |
| |
Outcome of National Infant Immunization
Week |
| |
Senior Nutrition/Cooking Schools |
| |
|
|
|
Office of Emergency Medical
Services |
| |
Major Accident involving a Bus |
| |
|
|
|
Operational Updates |
| |
Galveston County Medical
Response Collaborative |
| |
SNS planning meeting |
| |
Kiwanis meeting |
| |
Mary desVignes-Kendrick,
MD, MPH offered SPH resources |
| |
|
| |
|
| Pertussis (whooping
cough) |
| |
On April 28, 2004, the most
recent case of Pertussis (whooping cough) was reported
to the Health District. A League City infant had numerous
close contacts that received recommended preventive therapy
through the 4Cs Clinic. Six pertussis cases were reported
to the Health District during February, March, and April.
Only two were reported in all of 2003. Pertussis (whooping
cough) is a vaccine-preventable infection that is often
severe when acquired by unimmunized or incompletely-immunized
infants. Pertussis occurs in all age groups. Adolescents
and adults generally have moderate symptoms but can pass
the infection to infants. The new method of testing recommended
by Texas Department of Health is PCR (polymerase chain
reaction), and it seems more sensitive than older methods
including culture and DFA. Health care providers should
consider pertussis for patients with cough illnesses lasting
over two weeks for which there is not a better diagnosis,
and request PCR testing on nasopharyngeal specimens. For
more information, please contact Chuck Chambers, Epidemiologist,
at 409-938-2399
or email dbeckham@gchd.org.
|
| Health care
for the indigent population in southern Brazoria and Matagorda
Counties |
| |
On May 5,
2004 Dr. Guidry, Jay Holland and Brian Maxwell, 4C’s
Governing Board met with Father Mike Gemgnani, Executive
Director of the Brazosport Medical Center (BMC), Joe
Gardzina, Brazoria County United Way, several BMC staff,
City Manager of Freeport, 2 Brazoria County Commissioners
and several other individuals interested in health
care for the indigent population in southern Brazoria
and Matagorda Counties. They were interested in
affiliating with Galveston 4C’s in order to become
an FQHC. During the meeting we determined that now would
not be a good time to pursue this venture because of
a pending FQHC federal grant application. However, we
did leave open the option of a future affiliation should
the grant not be approved. For additional information
please contact W. Jay Holland, III, Chief Operating
Officer, 409-938-2401 or by email at jholland@gchd.org |
| County Indigent Health
Care Program (CIHCP) |
| |
On May 19, 2004, Dr. Guidry
and several staff met with Judge Jim Yarbrough, Commissioner
Holmes, Curtis Brown and representatives of HAS to review
the status of the County Indigent Health Care Program
(CIHCP). HAS reviewed the capabilities of its tracking
and claims payment system including such items as claims
dollars incurred/paid in the current year, number of
claims transactions, number and type of denials, patients
seen and number of visits by month, billed charges by
provider, claims paid by provider, etc. Also discussed
by Health District staff was the budget shortfall from
FY 03 and projected deficit for FY 04. This meeting
was designed to bring Judge Yarbrough up to speed prior
to a workshop on CIHCP with Commissioners Court on June
7, 2004. For additional information please contact W.
Jay Holland, III, Chief Operating Officer, 409-938-2401
or by email at jholland@gchd.org
|
| Animal Services Manager
|
| |
Michele Reynolds joined
the Health District's Animal Services department
as the Manager on Friday, May 14, 2004. Michele
has several years of animal service, management, and
human resource experience. Michele will be working out
of the Texas City Animal Shelter. For more information,
contact Ronnie Schultz, Air and Water Pollution Services,
at 409.938.2314 or by email at rschultz@gchd.org |
| 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
|
|
|
On April 27, 2004 the
District issued the first West Nile Virus press
release of the season. The release outlined the “4
D’s” that citizens can follow to reduce
the chance of becoming infected. These include: dusk
to dawn, dress, DEET, and draining of standing water.
The press release can be read at
(http://www.gchd.org/press/2004/04UseRpelnt4WNV.htm).
|
|
|
On Thursday April, 29, 2004
the District submitted a clarification on immunization
rates to three area media outlets; the Galveston Daily
News, the Texas City Sun, and the Houston Chronicle. All
three had printed quotes in articles promoting the Galveston
island immunization drive that District officials felt
incorrectly represented the number of children adequately
immunized. Each had quoted sources stating the District
estimates that 60% of children in Galveston have not been
immunized. The correction submitted clarified the information
with the District’s most recent assessment showing
that in actuality 40%, a much lower number, of children
are inadequately immunized in Galveston County. |
|
|
On May 6, 2004, the Houston
Chronicle reported “Mexico authorities say immunization
rates make Americans a health risk to Mexicans”,
then on May 14, 2004, TDH issued a Health Alert Network
Measles Advisory about a measles outbreak in Mexico and
advised American travelers to Mexico to be fully vaccinated
(http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/news/b_new520.htm)
|
| 4C’s Clinic
Updates |
|
|
Pediatric Open Access
- The 4C's Texas City site began a pilot project offering
Open Access for Pediatric patients on Monday May 3,
2004. In the pilot pediatric patients are encouraged
to come in to the clinic and are seen on a walk-in basis.
Initial results are encouraging, Dr. Dharani, our Pediatrician
is very happy with the process and patients have been
positive in their comments to clinic staff. For more
information contact Mike Carr, 4C's Clinic Business
Manager at 409. 949.3406 or mcarr@gchd.org.
|
|
|
County Indigent Health
Care Program - GCHD staff visited the indigent health
care program in Liberty County to review their implementation
of the state mandated program. Dr. Guidry, CEO; Dr. Alhassan,
4C's Medical Director; Mike Carr, 4C's Business Manager;
and Wendy Jones, 4C's Registration Supervisor made the
review. Lessons learned in Liberty County can be applied
to the Galveston County program to make it more efficient
and effective. For more information contact Mike Carr,
4C's Clinic Business Manager at 409. 949.3406 or mcarr@gchd.org.
|
|
|
New Physician - The
4C's clinic Medical Staff is at full force following the
addition of Titus Venyah, MD as a physician provider.
Dr. Venyah is currently orienting to operations in the
clinic sites and is seeing patients on a walk-in basis.
For more information contact Abdul-Aziz Alhassan, MD at
409. 949.3406 or aalhassan@gchd.org.
|
|
|
4C's Medical Provider
and Supervisor's Retreat - 4C's provider staff and
4C's department supervisors attended a retreat on May
5, 2004. The retreat, held at the City of La Marque,
Community Room, was a great success. Participants teamed
up to discuss challenges and opportunities for the Clinic.
The ideas developed in the brainstorming sessions are
being distilled to use as a basis for meeting the goals
in the District Strategic Health Plan. For more information
contact Mike Carr, 4C's Clinic Business Manager at 409.
949.3406 or mcarr@gchd.org.
|
|
|
Dental Clinic - The
dental receptionist positions have been filled and will
start on June 7th, in the Texas City clinic and on June
21st in the Galveston clinic. The dental assistant position
closed on May 13, 2004. We will be interviewing to fill
this position immediately. Our contract dentist to help
out the Texas City clinic on Fridays only will start on
June 4th. Appointments and scheduling will show improvement
with these new additions. For more information, please
contact Beverly Foster, DDS, Dental Director, at 409.949.3445
or email bfoster@gchd.org |
| Office
of Environmental Health Services Updates |
|
|
Air Inspector’s
Workshop - The 7th Annual U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), State and Local Air Inspector's Workshop
was held on April 27-29 in San Antonio. This was the
only EPA workshop of its kind in the nation. This year
for the first time in the workshop's history, a person
from a Texas local air pollution control program was
asked to sit on the planning committee. Air & Water
Pollution Services Division staff member, Ms. Diana
Stevens, was honored to be a member of this planning
committee. The Galveston County Health District was
also honored to announce that Ms. Carrie Thomas of the
Air and Water Pollution Services Division was invited
and lectured to a crowd of 80 air pollution investigators
on “How to Conduct a Comprehensive Air Compliance
Inspection at an Industrial Facility”. This one-hour
lecture covered topics such as inspection techniques,
rule interpretation, data gathering, and proper documentation.
Attendees at the lecture were from EPA Region 6 that
includes Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Louisiana.
We are very proud of Ms. Thomas and excited about the
recognition that our Air & Water Pollution Services
Division received. For more information, contact Diane
Stevens, Air and Water Pollution Control Services, at
409.938.2313 or by email dstevens@gchd.org |
|
|
Earth Day Activities
– The Air and Water Pollution Services staff demonstrated
the effects of water pollution on the environment for
students attending Parker Elementary School in Galveston
as part of that school’s earth day celebration.
This annual event was an opportunity for staff to teach
hundreds of school aged children how they effect the quality
of water in their community. For more information, contact
Ronnie Schultz, Air and Water Pollution Services, at 409.938.2314
or by email rschultz@gchd.org |
|
|
Pool School –
The swimming pool sanitation program at the Health District
is designed to protect the health and safety of the general
public who swim in public pools. The program includes
the inspecting and permitting of all these public and
also semi-public pools. All operators of public pools
must attend and pass a test to become a certified pool
operator. This certification is required under the county
“Rules on Swimming Pool Sanitation” and applicable
Texas Department of Health rules. The Consumer Health
Services Division sponsors several “pool schools”
where local pool operators are taught how to safely operate
a pool. The division has certified over 135 pool operators
this spring alone. For more information, contact Marty
Entringer, Consumer Health Services, at 409.938.2458 or
by email mentringer@gchd.org |
|
|
Public Nuisance Abatement
– Nine (9) structures identified as a public nuisance
under the Health District’s Neighborhood Nuisance
Abatement program will be demolished and hauled away.
The identified structures were properly noticed and
have gone through the administrative process in accordance
with Neighborhood Nuisance Abatement Act codified under
the Health and Safety Code. Many structures around Galveston
County have been demolished since1996 reducing the risk
to the general public. The nine (9) structures destined
for demolition are located on Bolivar Peninsula and
in the Bacliff/San Leon areas. For more information,
contact Garret Foskit, Nuisance Abatement Officer, at
409.938.2411 or by email gfoskit@gchd.org
|
| Office of Community
Health Programs Updates |
|
|
Outcome of National
Infant Immunization Week - GCHD celebrated NIIW
(April 26- May 1, 2004) by offering free immunizations
at a variety of sites throughout the county. During
the week, 281 children were given a total of 786 immunizations.
Volunteers from Mainland Medical Center, Coastal Area
Health Education Center, other GCHD departments, and
the community helped to entertain children by dressing
as clowns and the Tooth Fairy, face painting, and giving
children stickers, coloring books, and toothbrushes.
For more information, contact Susan Studebaker, Director,
Community Health Programs, at 409.938.2457or by email sstudebaker@gchd.org
|
|
|
Senior Nutrition/Cooking
Schools began on May 5 at Carbide Park. Twelve (12) people
attended the first class. Future schools are scheduled
for Galveston, Bacliff, and Dickinson, and Bolivar Penninsula;
over fifty (50) people have pre-registered for these classes.
These schools involve nutrition education, "hand's
on" cooking, as well as foods for seniors to take
home with them. These events are co-sponsored by Jesse
Tree and the Houston Food Bank. For more information,
please contact Charles Kelly, Senior Health Coordinator
at 409.938.2293 or by email ckelly@gchd.org.
|
| Office of Emergency
Medical Services |
|
|
On May 12, 2004, at 2:16
p.m. Galveston EMS was dispatched to a “Major
Accident involving a Bus” at the parking lot
of 1 Hope Blvd in Galveston. Upon arrival staff found
one of three full-size charter buses had struck a light
pole with a concrete base at approximately 10 mph. School
employees from Allen Elementary of Houston ISD immediately
reported that there were 56 students on board the bus
and requested that all the children should be seen at
an Emergency Department. School officials had kept all
children in their seats on the bus. GAAA activated its
mass casualty plan. Incident Command was established including
GAAA, Galveston Fire Department, Moody Gardens, Galveston
Police Department, and GoldStar EMS. 54 patients were
classified as minimal (green) by the triage system and
2 patients were classified as delayed (yellow). All other
Island EMS calls were handled in a manner without delay.
UTMB “external disaster plan” efficiently
off loaded ambulances and put them back to service in
an average of five minutes. The actions of all involved
presented a coordinated and efficient effort to mitigate
the MCI. For more information, please contact Greg Kunkel,
Chief of Operations, at (409) 621-3141or by email gkunkel@gchd.org
|
| Operational
Updates |
|
|
On May 13, 2004 the Galveston
County Medical Response Collaborative met to discuss
preparedness issues facing hospitals, public health,
emergency management, and law enforcement. Jim Billman,
with Galveston County Office of Emergency Management,
presented information on hurricane preparedness and
the incident command system in the county. Participants
decided who would be the contact persons for each entity
represented for receipt of supplies and medications
in the event the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)
is needed here. The group also discussed the emergency
and medical response to the recent bus accident involving
56 children. |
|
|
On May 14th, Carmen Castro,
SNS Coordinator, attended a SNS planning meeting
in Austin at the Texas Department of Health. In the meeting
participants decided on the minimum amount of information
needed from patients in a mass vaccination or medication
dispensing clinic. They decided also to allow family members
to pick up medications for up to 5 other family members.
Also in May, the Health District signed an agreement with
Clear Creek ISD to be able to use their school facilities
as mass vaccination or dispensing clinics in the event
of a public health emergency. For more information, contact
Brian Rutherford, Public Health Planner, at 409. 938.2275
or by email brutherford@gchd.org.
|
|
|
On May 24, 2004, Dr. Guidry
was the guest speaker at the Kiwanis meeting held
at Kelley’s restaurant. Dr. Guidry provided an overview
of the Health District’s services and the priorities
of the Strategic Health Plan. Feedback and support was
received for the improvement of animal services in the
county. For more information, contact Harlan “Mark”
Guidry, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Executive Officer, at 409-938-2401
or email mguidry@gchd.org |
|
|
On May 19th,
Dr. Guidry and Jay Holland met with former City of Houston
Health Director, Mary desVignes-Kendrick, MD, MPH,
Professor-Management, Policy and Community Health &
Deputy Director-Center for Biosecurity and Public Health
Preparedness at the UT Health Science Center’s School
of Public Health in Houston. Dr. Kendrick has offered
SPH resources to assist the Galveston County wide
system of response in planning, training, exercising and
evaluating its WMD and bioterrorism response abilities.
In addition, Dr. Kendrick has agreed to serve as a keynote
speaker for a planned Diseases and Disaster’s Conference
in September. For more information, contact Harlan “Mark”
Guidry, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Executive Officer, at 409-938-2401
or email mguidry@gchd.org
|
