HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-03-15 Community Health Commission Minutes
Edina Community Health Committee
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Community Room City Hall
Members Present: Richard Olson, Rob Scott, Spencer Anderson, Bill Alldredge, Tolu
Oyelowo, and Lynn Moline
Members Absent: Idelle Longman, Brad Montgomery
Guests: Karen Zelzenek, Director Bloomington Public Health; Denise
Dunn, Emegency Preparedness Coordinator; Sue Sheridan, Senior
Nursing Services; Kathy Iverson, Edina Chemical Health
Staff Present: Sherry Engelman and Solvei Wilmot Edina Health Department
CALL TO ORDER
Vice Chair, Richard Olson, called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Changes to the Agenda were made.
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
New member Rob Scott was welcomed and introductions were made.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – December 7, 2004 meeting
Ms. Oyelowo MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 7, 2004 MEETING. Ms. Moline SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED.
TOBACCO FREE
Ms. Iverson presented a short report regarding tobacco/smoke free communities. Currently, private clubs and non-profit clubs have filed a suit to keep the county from enforcing its
smoking ban. The hearing will be held March 22, 2005. In addition, Ms. Iverson encouraged Committee members to patronize restaurants that use to permit smoking but are now smoke free.
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Denise Dunn from Bloomington Public Health is Edina, Richfield and Bloomington’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. Ms. Dunn gave a brief background on emergency preparedness. This
is year three in a three-year grant. The grant is preparing for and responding to bioterrorism, emerging infections disease outbreaks and other public health threats and emergencies.
Currently, Emergency Preparedness is working on Mass Dispensing Plans, Workforce Development, Health Alert Network enhancement and ECHO (Emergency and Community Help Outreach).
Mass dispensing is the ability to dispense medication to a large number of people in a very short period of time. Edina’s mass dispensing sites are the Edina Community Center, Senior
Center, Arena and Edinborough Park. On a larger regional scale there are twenty-four metro sites that could serve one thousand people per hour. The sites would be open twenty-four
hours a day. A minimum of nine thousand staff would be needed.
In order to operate the site more staff than is available will be needed. As a result, the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) has been established. They are health volunteers who are willing
to be called up in the event of a public health crisis or natural disaster.
The Health Alert network is a twenty-four hours seven day a week exchange of key health information between the state, local public health, and community partners. It is a Fax and e-mail
based system. It is being expanded to have backup systems and include clinics, pharmacies, nursing homes, assisted living, home care agencies and residential facilities.
Emergency and Community Help Outreach (ECHO) is the use of media & technology to provide health, safety and emergency preparedness and response information to populations with limited
English skills. Public television channel 17 airs the program on the third and fourth Sundays at 8:00 p.m. The shows are currently run in six languages.
Additional activities that Emergency Preparedness has been working on is Risk Communication, local plans for quarantine/isolation response, clinic relationships and Cities Readiness
Initiative, a plan to dispense the national pharmaceutical stockpile within 24 hours of arrival.
A member inquired about food safety. Ms. Engelman responded that there is a lot going on to increase awareness, and security.
COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES CONTRACT
Ms. Zeleznak presented information regarding what Bloomington Public Health is providing since the Home Health Nursing service was cut. Currently they are providing vulnerable adult
assessments, fall prevention assessments and education, hearing screening, blood pressure screening, provide consultation input to established community groups that focus on senior
issues, the Edina resource center, participation in Edina Senior Health safety fairs, health presentations. Activities under development: public health nurse clinic monthly. They
are doing more intervention activities with health and social services for seniors. Bloomington Public Health would like to expand to include independent housing assessment.
Members discussed needs within the community and how to meet those needs.
Ms. Engelman inquired if the committee had any concerns to the program changes. No objections to the programs changes were stated.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Ms. Moline NOMINATED TOLU OYELOWO FOR VICE CHAIR. Mr. Alldredge NOMINATED RICHARD OLSON FOR CHAIR. Members discussed protocol for Officer rotation and decided to move the Vice Chair
to the Chair in subsequent elections.
NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED. MOTION CARRIED.
ADJOURNMENT
Ms. Moline MOTIONED TO ADJOURN. Mr. Alldredge SECONDED. MEETING ADJOURNED 8:50 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
____________________
Solvei Wilmot