The District will be hosting the 2007 Texas Public Health Association convention in Galveston and Public Information staff developed a flyer promoting the event.  It will be distributed this month at TPHA’s convention in Plano.  To view the flyers please visit http://www.gchd.org/bt/tpha02071.pdf.

The District’s Joe Vickery Animal Shelter recently received a donation from the Whiskerville Animal Sanctuary of a microchip scanner.  The scanner will be used to help reunite lost animals with their owners.  A photograph of Ronnie Schultz receiving the donation was issued to local media on April 13^th and can be seen at http://www.gchd.org/press/2006/04Whiskrville.htm.

With a change in the seasons we are beginning to see some of the years first advisories posted under the Beach Watch program.  When advisories are posted staff notifies community leaders and posts them on the District’s web site at http://www.gchd.org/pollution/BeachAdvisory.htm.

Staff attended a City of Galveston workshop to address the ongoing assessment of water quality in Lake Madeline on April 13^th.  Information was presented to council members and public in attendance.  The Galveston Daily News ran a story on the Lake which can be found at http://www.gchd.org/press/2006/04LakeMadelineDNews.htm.

Galveston Daily News reporter Kelly Hawes interviewed Dr. Mark Guidry, Dr. Abdul-Aziz Alhasson, and Governing Board member Mr. Willie Tolliver for an upcoming series on the health care challenges faced by the uninsured and underinsured.  The series is scheduled to run during National Cover the Uninsured Week in May.  After the interviews the reporter and a photographer were escorted to the Texas City 4C’s clinic where two patients agreed to speak with them concerning challenges they personally faced and how the 4C’s clinic help them meet their healthcare needs.  

Senior Health:  At the April 11 Senior Health Advisory Council meeting, it was announced that the Galveston County Commissioner’s Court proclaimed May as Older American’s Month.  The council is currently working on three projects: the 50+ Expo at Mall of the Mainland on 5/4/06, Walk Across Texas, and GCHD Volunteer Recognition Week events.  Walk Across Texas will kick-off with the Senior Health Walk at Carbide Park on 5/31/09 and conclude with the Recognition Ceremony at the Doyle Convention Center on 8/8/06.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC):  WIC had and seized the opportunity to apply for childhood obesity prevention funding from DSHS. The proposal is to implement a series of childhood obesity prevention sessions to inform/educate the Galveston community and WIC participants about this issue.  As part of this project, WIC staff would provide obesity prevention educational sessions that focuses specifically on making healthy food choices and forming new coalitions with schools to assist in creating a school environment that promotes healthy nutrition and encourage physical activity habits.  There is an additional proposal to implement a series of yoga demonstrations and yoga health education sessions.  If funded, both programs would begin mid-May 2006 and end September 30, 2006.

Gold Ribbon Awards - On April 5 our Gold Ribbon Awards for 2006 were presented at the Wayne Johnson Community Center in La Marque. This year, 62 establishments were recognized for their cooperation in maintaining high sanitation standards in these establishments. County Judge Jim Yarbrough and Harlan “Mark” Guidry, MD, MPH, CEO, presented the awards. The function was well attended and a good time was had by all.

Electronic Medical Records (EMR/CMS) - An evaluation team as been assembled to review & assess clinic needs.  The EMR Evaluation Team is drafting and preparing a functional packet to present for future contract bids.  Electronic Medical Records will aid continued efforts to provide the best possible service to Galveston County Residents.

Medical Records Pilot Project:  Preliminary construction is in progress.  The projected target date is early May to implement project completion. The Medical Records Pilot Project will include redesigning the flow of medical records and centralizing the location of records and data entry clerks. 

Texas City Renovations – The next step with architectural contractors are to finalize drawings, evaluate contractors and construction timelines.  The Electronic Medical Records System will follow soon after the completion of the clinic renovation.    

TACHC Credentialing Web cast – Texas Association of Community Health Centers presented a web cast on credentialing & privileging medical providers. Credentialing Coordinators & Human Resources were in attendance for the broadcast.  The Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC) is a private, non-profit membership association that represents safety-net health care providers in the state of Texas.

Grant Award – On March 26, 2006, the 4C’s Clinics received its Notice of Grant Award (NGA) for the period 4/01/06 to 3/31/07.  The award of $1,609,268, a reduction on 1% from FY05, is a result of a reduction in Congressional appropriations.  The good news is that the Clinics have been redeemed under the Federal Tort Claims Act and there are no conditions associated with the Notice of Grant Award. 

How Understanding Culture Can Reduce Health Disparities –  In an effort to improve communications with Healthcare Providers and 4C’S Patients, TMF Health Quality Institute provided our Medical and Administrative staff with training to better understand diverse cultures and how health disparities can be reduced.  One of the benefits of cultural competency training is to improve the quality of service as well as responding to current and projected demographic changes.  Cultural competency adds awareness, knowledge and skills to better treat our increasingly diverse patient population. To providers attending the training session, 1.2 contact hours were given for CME credit.

EMS expansion update – Expanded EMS operations continue on the mainland.  In addition to current emergency operations, an additional transfer unit (Medic 12) has been placed in service on a 24 hour basis, as of April 1, 2006.  This unit is dedicated to mainland transfers and is operated from the vicinity of Mainland Medical Center during the day and housed in our Bacliff EMS facility at night.  An additional daytime transfer unit is planned for deployment as soon as staff can be acquired and trained.  Three new Type II transfer ambulances have been received in the last two weeks along with a Type I Ambulance that will be stationed in the Bacliff area as soon as it is commissioned and ready for service.  Two new Cardiac monitors and four Semi-automatic External Defibrillators have been received and made ready for use in the expansion.

West End Tele-health – On April 17, 2006 Michael Carr, EMS Director and Russell K. Miller, MD, EMS Medical Director, met with representatives of the City of Jamaica Beach, the Pirates Beach Homeowner’s Association, the West Island Resident’s Association, and UTMB, to discuss a proposed pilot program implementing a Tele-health Clinic to be located in the Jamaica Beach municipal facility.  As proposed the clinic would operate for four hours each Saturday and Sunday and Holiday from May 27, 2006 to September 4, 2006.  The participants agreed that they would seek funding for the pilot from their respective organizations.  These meetings are scheduled for early May, and if successful, the group will meet to determine the details of putting the pilot in operation on the Memorial Day weekend.

On April 6th, the Public Health Preparedness Program hosted a satellite broadcast on conducting time studies of mass antibiotic or antiviral dispensing clinics. The purpose of these studies is to evaluate through exercises a community’s ability to rapidly dispense needed medications to their residents. The goal is to use this information to improve performance and efficiency of a mass dispensing operation. Community Health Nursing and Public Health Preparedness staff viewed the broadcast.  

On Friday, April 7^th, the Galveston County Animal Issues Committee consisting of Health District staff along with representatives from the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, League City Animal Control, the Texas Agricultural Extension Office in Galveston, City of Galveston Animal Control, and Habitat for Horses, met to identify possible resources to address animal needs in the event of a hurricane. Committee members will be working to develop a resource list to assist livestock and pet owners and emergency responders to prepare for and respond to animal issues that might arise as a result of a disaster in Galveston County.  

On Saturday, April 8^th, The Senior Health Coordinator, Public Health Planner, as well as staff from the Case Management Program participated in an event at the Island Community Center to educate and register seniors in the new Medicare Part D prescription benefit. 130 seniors were provided assistance. The event was organized by the Galveston Community Network; an organization consisting of the Health District, churches, social service organizations and local agencies that provide services to Galveston Island residents. Besides providing assistance on the day of the event, the Health District also provided support by printing flyers and signage for the event.

Also on April 13^th there was a meeting of the Galveston County Medical Reserve Corps. Members were provided a brief overview about pandemic flu planning in the county and possible roles of the Medical Reserve Corps in a SNS deployment in Galveston County.  From April 18^th to April 21^st the Public Health Planner, who also functions as the Galveston County Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator, attended the National Medical Reserve Corps Conference in Dallas. The purpose of the conference was to share best practices on volunteer recruitment, retention, training, and community collaboration. Approximately 500 local and regional coordinators from throughout the country attended the conference.  

Meetings - Epidemiology staff attended the “Bugs, Drugs and Vaccine:  Securing our Future symposium on April 5 and 6 designed to attract young investigators to interact with their peers and Texas science community.  On April 5, 2006, staff attended an Environmental Health for Public Health Department Epidemiologists Training at The University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston and represented the Health District at a meeting about Texas Pandemic Influenza Supplemental Funds meeting to explore ways all areas of their region will become prepared to address a pandemic influenza.  The Health District anticipated additional funding specific to pandemic fund planning.

Contract with Laboratory Corporation of America for specimen processor services agreement for a full time employee in our lab to process only LabCorp paperwork.