Minutes

Southern Nevada District Board of Health Meeting
Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 8:00 a.m.

625 Shadow Lane
Las Vegas, NV 89106
Clemens Room

Board Chair Stephanie Smith called the meeting of the District Board of Health to order at 8:01 a.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was held. She noted that she had been provided with the Affidavits of Posting and Mailing of Agenda meeting notices, as required by Nevada’s Open Meeting Law. The Affidavits will be incorporated into the Official Minutes.

Board Members Present:

Stephanie Smith Chair, Councilwoman, North Las Vegas
Donna Fairchild Vice Chair, Council Member, Mesquite
Jim Christensen, MD At-Large Member, Physician
Lynette Boggs McDonald Commissioner, Clark County
Tom Collins Commissioner, Clark County
Susan Crowley At-Large Member, Environmental Specialist
Steven Kirk Secretary, Councilman, Henderson
Joseph Hardy, MD At-Large Member, Physician
Mary Jo Mattocks, RN At-Large Member, Registered Nurse
Lawrence Weekly Councilman, Las Vegas

Absent:

Gary Reese Councilman, Las Vegas
Karla Burton Council Member, Boulder City
Robert Eliason At-Large Member, Business/Industry

Executive Secretary:

Donald S. Kwalick, MD, MPH

Legal Counsel:

Stephen R. Minagil

Staff: Karl Munninger, Glenn Savage, Angus MacEachern, Edmond Wojcik, Dennis Campbell, Dr. Lawrence Sands, Jane Shunney, Brian Labus, Jim Osti, Kay Godby, Ann Markle, Jennifer Sizemore, Diana Lindquist, Jim Baron, Rory Chetelat, Brooke Doman, Bonnie Sorenson, Deborah Williams, Alice Costello, Veronica Morata-Nichols, Mary Ellen Harrell, David Tonelli, Patricia Rowley, Susan Eiselt, Michael Palmer, Leo Vega, Forrest Hasselbauer

Attendance:

Vice Chair Fairchild and the Board congratulated legal counsel Stephen Minagil on finishing first in his division at the recent Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Recognition - EMS Responders of the Year Recipients

Dr. Kwalick and the Board congratulated the emergency medical responders who received the 2006 EMS Responders of the Year award. He stated this is the second year the health district has recognized outstanding performance in each agency. He read the name of each recipient into the record:

American Medical Response: Calvin Griffin Boulder
City Fire Department: Brian Feliz
Clark County Fire Department: Erik Grismanauskas
Henderson Fire Department: Don Gibson
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue: Don Earl
MedicWest Ambulance: Tiffany Lopardo
Mercy Air Service: Mary Owens
Mesquite Fire & Rescue: Clint Nowery
North Las Vegas Fire Department: John Jolley

Dr. Kwalick, Chair Smith and the Board welcomed back Member Susan Crowley.

I. Consent Agenda:

These are matters considered to be routine by the District Board of Health and may be enacted by one motion. Any item, however, may be discussed separately per Board Member request before action. Any exceptions to the Consent Agenda must be stated prior to approval.

1. Approve Minutes/Board of Health Meeting: 4/27/06
2. Approve Payroll / Overtime for Periods: 4/08/06 – 4/21/06; 4/22/06 – 5/05/06
3. Approve Accounts Payable Registers: #1021: 4/07/06 - 4/13/06; #1022: 4/14/06 - 4/20/06; #1023: 4/21/06 - 4/26/06; #1024: 4/27/06 - 5/03/06
4. Petition #24-06: Approval of Amendment Number 1 of the Interlocal Agreement with Clark County Social Service: HIV/AIDS Evaluation Services to CCSS Clients for FY 2007
5. Petition #25-06: Approval of Amendment Number 1 of the Interlocal Agreement with Clark County Social Service: Tuberculosis Test Services to CCSS Employees for FY 2007
6. Petition #26-06: Approval of Revised Classification Specification for Assistant Health Officer and Funding for the Position – Salary to be negotiable
7. Petition #27-06: Approval of Interlocal Contract with Clark County on Behalf of Clark County Social Service for Funding to Provide Ryan White Title I Services.

A motion was made by Member Christensen to approve all consent items; seconded by Member Burton and was unanimously approved.

1. Variance Request: To Install an Individual Sewage Disposal System (ISDS) on an Undersized Lot Served by an On-Site Public Water Supply with a Shallow Absorption Field within Ten (10) Feet of the Property Lines (APN 129-02-410-043); Petitioner: Raymond R. Christiansen, Sole Owner
   
   The petitioner, Raymond R. Christiansen, sole owner, was not present. Edmond Wojcik, environmental health manager, indicated that staff recommends approval with conditions as listed. Mr. Christiansen has indicated to Mr. Wojcik his agreement to the conditions listed.
   
   Chair Smith asked if any member of the public wished to address this issue. No citizen came forward.

Chair Smith closed the public portion of this item. A motion was made by Member Collins to approve the variance request with conditions listed; seconded by Member Crowley and was unanimously approved.

III. Report/Discussion - Items on which action may be taken

Chair Smith stated that the committee and recommendation reports will be presented first followed by the citizen participation portion and then the staff reports.

1. Committee Report/Recommendation: Recommendations for At Large Members and Alternates for the Southern Nevada District Board of Health for a two year term beginning July 1, 2006 (Committee: Chair Smith, Members Fairchild and Kirk)
   
   Chair Smith stated the committee has met and made the following recommendations for members and alternates:
   
   For the two physician at-large members, recommendations were Dr. Jim Christensen and Dr. Joe Hardy. Dr. Frank Nemec and Dr. John Onyema were recommended as alternates.
   
   Susan Crowley was recommended for the environmental health specialist at-large member and Lonnie Empey was recommended as alternate.
   
   Timothy Jones was recommended for the regulated Business/Industry at-large member. Jimmy Vigilante was recommended as alternate.
   
   For the registered nurse at-large member, the committee recommended Mary Jo Mattocks and requested the alternate position be re-posted in order to recruit additional applicants for the position.
   
   A motion was made by Vice Chair Fairchild to approve the committee’s recommendations for the Southern Nevada District Board of Health at-large and alternate members for the FY 2006-08 biennium; seconded by Member Collins and was unanimously approved.
   
   
2. Committee Report/Recommendation: Nominees for Southern Nevada District Board of Health Officers for FY 2006-07 (Committee: Chair Smith, Members Fairchild and Kirk)
   
   Chair Smith indicated that the recommendations by the committee for officers were as follows:
   
   • Donna Fairchild - Chair
   • Steven Kirk - Vice Chair
   • Gary Reese - Secretary

   A motion was made by Member Boggs McDonald to approve the committee recommendations for the Southern Nevada District Board of Health Officers for FY 2006-07; seconded by Member Mattocks and was unanimously approved.

3. Pandemic Preparedness Planning: Community Health, Dr. Lawrence Sands
   
   Dr. Lawrence Sands, director of community health services, introduced Brian Labus, senior epidemiologist and Kay Godby, biopreparedness planner.
   
   A PowerPoint presentation was given which provided an update on the current status of avian flu and the health district’s pandemic preparedness plan. A copy of Mr. Labus’ and Dr. Sands’ presentations is attached. (See attachments #1 and #2.) Topics covered included: the global distribution of avian influenza cases and the flight patterns of migratory birds that may bring avian influenza to the U.S.; health district activities during the inter-pandemic, pandemic alert, and pandemic periods: response plan components; and prevention and containment measures including the role of isolation and quarantine, the use of antivirals and vaccines, and the prioritization of population groups to receive antivirals and vaccines. Additional topics discussed include the development of points of distribution, the current status of pandemic preparedness funding, future
   
   Southern Nevada Health District plans and activities as well as planning with local community partners, including Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, City of Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, Clark County School District, Clark County Coroner’s Office, hospitals and businesses.
   
   Dr. Sands summarized by stating the President had asked Congress to approve $7.1 billion for the preparedness effort. Approximately one half of that amount was approved with most of it going to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). These funds were to be used primarily to strengthen our ability to detect and monitor disease and respond rapidly. These funds will be received by the health district through the Nevada State Health Division.
   
   Vice Chair Fairchild asked if there was any concern about vaccine shortage for the regular flu season this fall. Bonnie Sorenson, director of clinic and nursing services, replied that at this time production of vaccine is proceeding on schedule.
   
   Dr. Kwalick indicated the State of Nevada received $1 million plus that will be divided among the various health authorities. For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said in order to utilize funds, there has be fifty-one percent concurrence by local health agencies in each state. The local health authorities are Carson City, Washoe County District Health and Southern Nevada Health District. These agencies have been working closely together to try and ensure that the funds are distributed for maximum impact at the local level and not retained by the state. The local health districts did not agree with the funding allocation that the state sent to CDC, and to date, just twenty percent of the $1 million plus has been received by the state. Dr. Kwalick stated he has a meeting with state officials to reach a conclusion on how federal dollars will be distributed in the future so that the local health authorities have a say in how the funds are utilized rather than the state dictating the allocation of those funds. This is a new phase in public health practice in Nevada and if successful, will provide more resources for the locals and will raise the public health status of the entire state. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next several months and years as federal monies are distributed by the state. The health district always receives less than the percentage of the population we have. The health district has agreed to receive about fifty-five percent of the $1 million being distributed. In the past we have received as little as ten to fifteen percent of DHHS funding.
   
   Vice Chair Fairchild and the Board thanked Dr. Sands, Brian and Kay for their efforts to educate the Board and everyone throughout the state.

Chair Stephanie Smith invited any individuals wishing to speak under the Citizen Participation portion of the agenda to come forward.

Member Crowley commented on her personal experience with the trauma system. She indicated no other city in the country could have provided better care to their citizens than she received. She indicated her approval of the system and how well it worked for her. Chair Smith closed the citizen participation portion of the meeting.

Vice Chair Fairchild asked Dr. Kwalick if there were any other staff reports. Dr. Kwalick stated he had nothing further and asked if Board members if they had any further questions. No further questions were asked.

VI. Informational Items

Adjournment

There being no further business to come before the Board, Vice Chair Fairchild adjourned the meeting at 8:50 a.m.

Submitted for Board Approval

Donald S. Kwalick, MD, MPH, Chief Health Officer
Executive Secretary

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