HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-06-05 BOH BOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS
January 6, 2005
Acting Chairperson Lynda Ring Erickson called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m. Attendance: Board Member,
Chair, Lynda Ring Erickson; Board Member, Tim Sheldon; Board Member, Jayni Kamin.
ATTENDANCE
Dr. Mark Trucksess, Health Officer
Steve Kutz, Department of Health Director
Debbie Riley, Environmental Health Director
Rebecca Wells, Mason County Journal, Reporter
Lynda Ring-Erickson, Board Member
Tim Sheldon, Board Member
Jayni Kamin, Chair, Board Member
C O R R E S P O N D E N C E – None
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Board members Kamin/Sheldon moved and seconded to approve the regular Board of Health
meeting minutes of December 9, 2004, with the signature from the 2004 Board members.
Motion carried unanimously. S-aye; K-aye; RE-aye.
ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES
Elect 2005 Board Chairman:
Board members Sheldon/Kamin moved and seconded to elect Board member Lynda Ring
Erickson as the 2005 Board of Health Chairperson. Motion carried unanimously. S-aye; K-
aye; RE-aye.
Board of Health Schedule 2005: Mr. Steve Kutz, Health Department Director presented the proposed 2005 Board
of Health Schedule as the first Thursday of each month with the exception of June and December. The dates for
2005 are as follows: January 6; February 3; March 3; April 7; May 5; June 16; July 7; August 4; September 1;
October 6; November 3; December 8.
Board members Ring Erickson/Kamin moved and seconded to adopt the Board of Health
meetings as the first Thursday of each month at 10:00 AM with the exception of June 16th
and December 8th at 10:00 AM. Motion carried unanimously. K-aye; S-aye; RE-aye.
Health Officer Retirement: Mr. Kutz, Health Department Director announced Dr. Trucksess’ retirement effective
January 31, 2005. Dr. Trucksess has been the Health Officer since July 1993. Mr. Kutz presented a plaque to Dr.
Trucksess for his dedication and service to Mason County as the Health Officer. A reception for Dr. Trucksess will
be held in Building 3 on January 27, 2005 at 9:30 AM.
The Board thanked Dr. Trucksess for his service to the community and for raising the professional stature of Mason
County through out the state.
HEALTH OFFICER’S REPORT:
Dr. Trucksess, Health Officer reported his year end totals for 2004 Communicable Diseases as: two cases of
Camphylobacter, six cases of Giardia, one case of Shigella, one case of Bacterial Meningococcal, two cases of
Salmonella, seven cases of Rabies Prevention Treatment, four cases of Pertussis/Whooping Cough, one case of
Tularemia, one case of Acute Hepatitis B, five cases of Chronic Hepatitis B with Lab, forty-four cases of Chronic
Hepatitis C with Lab, twenty-three cases of Positive PPD, twenty-two cases of LTBI RX started, one new case of
Active TB @ WCC, one case of Yersinia pseudotobuerculosis, and one case of Lyme Disease.
BOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS
January 6, 2005 - PAGE 2
Dr. Trucksess reported one hundred thirty-five cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in 2004.
Dr. Trucksess reported a new drug developed for Turburculosis (TB).
Mr. Kutz stated there have not been any active cases of TB in Mason County this year and felt it was because of the
aggressive treatment given for Latent TB. Latent TB is inactive TB and if treated it should prevent active TB.
Mr. Kutz stated most of the work that is done for communicable Diseases and TB prevention is not well represented
by the Health Officers report each month. There are times when an investigation is done on a reported
communicable disease before it is found it needs to be turned over to another county to complete. The case usually
is turned over to the county in which they live. There was a Mason County resident that moved to another state and
was diagnosed with multi-drug resistant TB that required extensive long-term hospitalization. Currently Mason
County Health Department staff are still investigating the contacts of that patient to ensure they did not have the
disease transmitted to them while this person lived here. Mr. Kutz stated there are times that active TB cases
become the responsibility of the County Health Department to ensure those people are treated. A multi-drug
resistant case of TB if the person is non-compliant and is sick could cost a Health Department thousands of dollars
in treatment.
PERSONAL HEALTH ISSUES - None
ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Onsite Advisory Committee:
Ms. Debbie Riley, Environmental Health Director announced there are open positions on the Onsite Advisory
Committee. Ms. Riley requested the Board approve letters to be sent out thanking Mr. Pacey, Dale Tahja, and Dick
Younker for their service on the Onsite Advisory Committee. She requested the Board reappoint Don Wolliscroft,
Brett Bishop, and Toby Tahja Syrett to the Onsite Advisory Committee for an additional term. Ms. Riley
recommended appointment of Guy Grayson, Jim Henry, William Russell, Jeff Heinis, and Brent Fox to be members
of the Onsite Advisory Committee. She is also recommending Cindy Waite to be the Mason County Department of
Health Services representative.
Ms. Kamin asked what the role of the role of the Onsite Advisory Committee is.
Ms. Riley stated the Committee advises the Health Department on policies, procedures and assists with the new
rules and regulations. If the staff want to make changes or customize to better serve the citizens of Mason County it
is presented to the Committee for suggestions and advice. The Committee is made up of a designer, installer, O&M
specialist, a pumper, and a shellfish grower, people from the watershed and a citizen at large. The Committee still
has an opening for someone from the construction industry and the realtor association.
Ms. Riley said that 2005 would be exceptionally busy because the state onsite regulation WAC 246 272 was re-
written and will be a very extensive project to implement. She is planning on attending the State Board of Health in
March 2005 to see the new regulation presented. Once the State Board of Health takes action on the code then the
local health departments will adapt and make changes to their policies to codify the state regulation into the Mason
County Code.
Ms. Ring Erickson stated she understood by reading the by-laws that specific categories of people make up the
Onsite Advisory Committee. She asked if the people being re-appointed and the recommended new people fit into
the categories needed.
Ms. Riley replied that the recommended people she listed are professionals that can give the industry input from the
specific areas that the codes apply to.
BOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS
January 6, 2005 - PAGE 3
Board members Kamin/Sheldon moved and seconded to appoint Guy Grayson, Jim Henry,
William Russell, Jeff Heinis, and Brent Fox to the Mason County Health Services Onsite
Advisory Committee and appoint Cindy Waite as the Mason County Department of Health
Services representative with the term of offices as three years. Motion carried unanimously.
K-aye; S-aye; RE-aye.
Drug Lab Presentation:
Ms. Riley introduced Ms. Rose Swier & Ms. Amy Georgeson, Environmental Health (EH) Specialist. They follow
up on solid waste complaints, which is how it is operated in Mason County. The state law requires the health
authority to post the residence for non-occupancy if there are dangerous chemicals located. Ms. Swier and Ms.
Georgeson do community presentations to the tribes, schools, social workers, and realtors.
Ms. Swier and Ms. Georgeson gave a PowerPoint presentation on using methamphetamine and manufacturing it in a
home drug lab. The presentation reviewed the common signs of a person using drugs, and the chemicals used to
cook methamphetamine and the toxic compounds and byproducts resulting from its manufacture produce toxic
fumes, vapors, and spills. The method of identifying, posting and cleaning a drug lab site was presented. Children
living at methamphetamine labs or in homes where the parents are addicted are at increased risk for severe neglect
and are more likely to be physically and sexually abused by members of their own family and known individuals at
the site.
The complete PowerPoint presentation is on file at the Environmental Health Department.
Ms. Riley presented and reviewed the 2004 Environmental Health statistics.
Ms. Riley requested the Board of Health meeting be continued to right after the January 25, 2005 Commissioner
meeting to appoint an acting Health Officer.
ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH WAIVERS/VARIANCES
Ms. Riley reviewed the process of the Environmental Health waivers and variances. She explained they are courtesy
copies for review and no action needs to be taken on them. The Board divides them by the Commissioner District
the residence is in.
Environmental Health waivers and variances were submitted to the Board by Ms. Riley.
ADJOURNED
The Board of Health meeting was continued to January 25, 2005 to begin directly after the regular Commission
meeting.
Board members Sheldon/Kamin moved and seconded to continue the Board of Health
meeting until January 25, 2005. Motion carried unanimously. K-aye; S-aye; RE-aye.
BOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS
January 6, 2005 - PAGE 4
HEALTH OFFICER
______________________
Dr. Mark Trucksess, Health Officer
BOARD OF HEALTH
MASON COUNTY, WASHINGTON
_______________________________
Lynda Ring-Erickson, Chairperson
_______________________________
Jayni Kamin, Board Member
_______________________________
Tim Sheldon, Board Member