The regular meeting of the Columbus Board of Health was held in the
Administration Conference Room of the Health and Human Services Center on
Wednesday, August 27, 2008, at 1:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Jim Wetherington, Mayor
Isaiah Hugley, City Manager
H. Banks Carroll, M. D.
Todd Jarrell, M. D.
James A. Lawrence, D. D. S.
Howard Willis, M. D.
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Mrs. Brenda Dozier
OTHERS PRESENT:
Mr. Bill Rumer
Dr. Zsolt Koppanyi
Ed Saidla
Pam Middleton
Karon Bush
Sheila Mayfield
Pam Fair
Shari Townsend
Dr. Carroll called the meeting to order and asked if there were any questions
or comments on the previous minutes. Dr.Carroll asked for a motion to approve
the minutes. A motion was made by Dr. Jarrell, seconded by Dr. Willis and
approved by those members present.
Dr. Carroll asked for any Excused Absences for today. He stated that he
expected Dr. Willis and Ms. Dozier to arrive shortly.
Dr. Carroll stated that it was not on the agenda for the meeting but there is a
Faithful Service Award that needs to be presented today at the board meeting.
Dr. Carroll said that the person who receives this award has given ten years of
their life to our organization and what we are doing. The State of Georgia has
acknowledged with this Faithful Service Award be presented to Dr. Zsolt
Koppanyi in appreciation of his ten years of faithful service to the State of
Georgia. Mr. Saidla stated that Dr. Ford had actually planned and wanted to
come and present this award to Dr. Koppanyi however the travel restrictions
prevented her from doing this.
Dr. Carroll stated there was no Old Business on the Action List for today.
Dr. Carroll stated there is some New Business concerning a computer purchase
and he asked Mr. Saidla to step forward with that information. Mr. Saidla
stated that as the Board knows, about eighteen (18) months ago, a central
server unit was purchased to allow us to consolidate all of our patient and
billing information into one unified system where in the past we had systems
spread out to all sixteen counties. The maintenance and upkeep and contracts on
all sixteen servers were cost prohibited. We went to a centralized server and
finished implementing that in June of this year. We need to purchase another
server to allow us to have redundancy as well as to allow us to upgrade our
patient and billing information to the newer web based version; we are still
operating on the text based version of the Mitchell and McCormick patient
software. We are only one of two health districts still using that format. The
vendor is basically telling us that it is time that they are phasing that out
and they can no longer operate on the dual platforms and need us to go ahead
and move over to the web version. In order to accomplish that, we need approval
for $14, 695.28 to purchase a new IBM server which will allow us that
capability. Dr. Carroll asked if there were any questions. Dr. Willis asked if
this server comes with a maintenance contract and an upgrade contract. Mr.
Saidla stated yes it does. Dr. Koppanyi asked if this included any state
requirements, etc? Mr. Saidla stated that the software vendor would update.
This is an IBM rack mounted 300gbit server. This is a State contracted price
and no bids are needed. Dr. Willis asked which budget would this come from? Ms.
Middleton stated this purchase would come from the main Health Department
budget. Dr. Carroll asked if there were any other questions regarding this
purchase. Dr. Carroll asked for a motion to approve the purchase of this piece
of equipment. A motion was made by Dr. Willis, seconded by Dr. Lawrence and
approved by those members present.
Mr. Hugley asked Dr. Carroll if he could ask a question. He asked if Pam Hodge
had made contact concerning GMA. Mr. Saidla stated yes and it is our
understanding that the loan pool is no longer available. Mr. Saidla stated that
the City?s efforts were appreciated in trying to get the health department into
that program, but apparently the program has ended.
Dr. Carroll asked Dr. Koppanyi for the Director?s Comments. Dr. Koppanyi stated
that several major things have happened this last week. First all the budget
cuts that have been announced by the Governor and that we have been requested
to prepare for possible multiple levels of cuts ranging from 6, 8 and 10%.
Also, there has been a directive to begin furloughs for DHR (state paid
positions) for anyone at or above pay grade 15. We are required to furlough one
day per month to be taken during the last pay period in the month. There are
some exceptions based on patient/client care. But interestingly enough, only
public health had no positions considered critical. DFCS for example and mental
health went three levels above this cut. They stated that the people that
directly help with patients and their supervisors would be exempted. It appears
that two levels above the supervisors are also exempt but not in public health.
The other major issue that was announced was that the TASK Force that has been
working on the Future of Public Health in DHR issued their report on August 26,
2008. Interesting that public health was not the primary focus of the report,
but rather the move of mental health to a separate department. Public Health is
supposed to be moved over into Medicaid/the Department of Community Health.
This still must go through the Legislature in January. We are very concerned
about the future of public health. Between reorganization and budget cuts it is
going to be a challenge.
Dr. Willis asked Dr. Koppanyi how many employees in the District will be
affected by the furlough. Mr. Saidla stated there are about twenty (20)
employees that will be furloughed one day per month. The furlough does not
affect the local county budget employees, for those individuals to be
furloughed, you the Board would have to recommend or vote to have the 128
budgeted employees furloughed. Budgetary, there is no need to do that at this
point and time because of State money, City money and the fee income we
generate. It is just State employees paid directly from the State. What was
hoped was that we would be able to keep our nurses and nurse practitioners from
being furloughed because they are on the same job title as the mental health
staff that was not included in the furlough. We were hoping that they would
stop at the class level with their furlough order and not go into the specific
program divisions. The State chooses to actually sub-divide down below the
class level with the furlough order. Dr. Willis asked how would this effects
man-power. Ms. Saidla stated this would affect Family Planning activities
because that is where the bulk of our State nurse practitioners operate under
the Family Planning Program and those nurse practitioners were providing
services to primarily small rural one nurse counties. It really impacts our
delivery of family planning services.
Mr. Hugley stated that the City is putting together the Legislative Agenda for
the 2009 session and an e-mail went out to all of the City departments
notifying them of this. He stated that the health department always submits an
item that is always included on the agenda. Mr. Hugley urged Mr. Saidla to get
that information to Liz Turner as soon as possible. Mr. Hugley mentioned
several things?.one being the Georgia Municipal Association asks that cities
and counties across the state of Georgia during the month of September, post a
day where we invite in our Legislative Delegation. GMA wants to come down and
be with us on that day that we set aside an hour or two hours to educate our
Legislative Delegation on services that cities and counties provide and how the
decisions they make in Atlanta regarding revenue impacts the local jurisdiction
ability to provide those services to those citizens that see us when we go to
the grocery store, Wal-Mart and they don?t come in contact with them the same
way. During the month of September we are going to try and pull together
something with our Legislative Delegation and work with GMA on that. Mr. Hugley
would like for the health department to join with the City as this information
is going to be shared with the Legislative Delegation. Mr. Saidla stated that
the opportunity is greatly appreciated. The City?s cooperation and assistance
with allowing us to provide requests promoting public health concerns as a part
of its Legislative Agenda has been great for both the health department and
City. In addition, has been instrumental in the City?s Lobbyist to moving
forward recommendations and suggestions from this Board. Mr. Hugley stated that
a date has not been set at this point but it will be during the month of
September. Dr. Carroll stated that yes; the Board would like to do this. Mr.
Saidla stated that it was two or three years ago when all of the sixteen county
Boards of Health met along together here with the Legislative Delegation. That
meeting was held to educate the delegation about GIA (Grant-on-Aid) what it is
and about its importance to the local health departments and how cuts to GIA
adversely impact particularly the small, rural counties. Thankfully, these
efforts made a difference in legislative support for GIA and it has not been
cut nearly as drastically, particularly this year as had been anticipated as it
might be and even with proposed cuts, that general GIA does not appear to be
reduced at the same level as the other general cuts. The furloughs are really
going to have an impact during the course of the year. We are already paying
well under the market value for nurse practitioners but many of our nurse
practitioners continue to work in public health simply because they enjoy it
and feel like they are providing a real service, but a furlough, one day a
month, for the remainder of the year is basically a 5% cut in pay so a lot of
these nurse practitioners may decide that even though they love us?..they can?t
afford to continue to work for us?so we are extremely concerned about that. Dr.
Carroll asked if any feedback had been received. Mr. Saidla stated that it
seemed they are in a wait and see mode right now?we are all keeping our fingers
crossed hopefully they may change their minds like the last time they had a
furlough?about six years ago, when at the last minute they decided that they
had found enough money to cover it. However, based on current tax receipts, he
doesn?t feel that they are going to be able to cover the furlough amount. Mr.
Hugley briefed the Board on issues related to the City and the Governor?s
efforts to withhold money from the counties related to the homeowner?s tax
relief grant. Dr. Carroll asked for any other comments.
Dr. Carroll asked Pam Middleton to present the financial report to the Board.
Ms. Middleton stated that the auditors have come and gone around July lst and
Larry Young will be coming in November to discuss the FY08 budget.
Ms. Middleton also mentioned that she would be putting in the report the other
areas that are covered. As the different presentations are done each month, the
individuals that handle these budgets will come in and discuss the financial
part.
Dr. Carroll called on Shari Townsend, Adult Health Programs to present the
presentation to the Board. There was a brief discussion among the Board
members.
Dr. Carroll invited all of the Board members to attend the dedication of the
Laquita Dowdell-Rogers Classroom beginning at 2:30pm today.
Dr. Koppanyi thanked the Board members for their attendance at Ms. Gosden?s
retirement party
Dr. Carroll asked if there was any other business to discuss. There being none,
the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted:
___________________________
Charlene Ellis, Secretary
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