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, January 25, 2006, at 1:00 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mr. Isaiah Hugley, City Manager
H. Bank Carroll, M. D.
Howard Willis, M .D.
Mrs. Brenda Dozier
MEMBERS ABSENT:
James H. Sullivan, M. D.
James A. Lawrence, D.D.S.
Mayor Bob Poydasheff
OTHER PRESENT:
Zsolt Koppanyi, M. D.
Bill Rumer, Attorney
Larry Young, Accountant
Margaret Gosden
Ed Saidla
Pam Middleton
LaQuita Rogers
Cheryl Johnson
Beverly Roberson
Colethia Moore
Tandee Cook- Student- Spencer High
With Mr. Hugley
Terry Lyles- Student- Columbus High
With Mr. Hugley
Dr. Carroll stated that Ms. Gosden and Dr. Koppanyi visited Dr. Sullivan today
and he seems to be improving. Ms. Gosden stated that he is in room 913 on the
9th Floor at the Specialty Hospital at the Medical Center.
Dr. Carroll called the meeting to order and asked for a motion to approve the
minutes of the last meeting. A motion was made by Mr. Hugley, seconded by Ms.
Dozier and approved by those members present.
Dr. Carroll stated there was one Excused Absence for October for Dr. Willis. He
asked for a motion to accept the Excused Absence for October 26th for Dr.
Willis. A motion was made by Ms. Dozier, seconded by Mr. Hugley and approved by
those members present. Also, two Excused Absences for the meeting today; one
for Dr. Sullivan who is in the hospital and one for Dr. Lawrence who is out of
town. A motion was made by Mr. Hugley, seconded by Ms. Dozier and approved by
those members present.
Dr. Carroll stated that the order of the Agenda for today?s meeting will be
changed in order to take care of the New Business first. The first item under
New Business would be FY2005 Audit Review with Mr. Larry Young, Accountant with
Albright and Fortenberry.
Mr. Young referred to the audit report and stated this was an unqualified
opinion. The date of the audit report is August 9, 2005 county fiscal year
ending on June 30, 2005, FY2005. He stated that his main role is to assist Ms.
Gosden, Ms. Middleton and the other staff in putting the information in the
appropriate format for submission to the Department of Human Resources. Based
on the test work, there was nothing found requiring restatement from what the
Department Staff presented. Going into the financial statement, the bottom line
financial statement in the manner of looking at the health department would be
on Page-6 which shows you the Revenues and Expenditures and changes in Fund
Balances for governmental funds. The overall Revenues were $15,000,001..there
was a deficit of $38,719.00 which means a little more was spent than what was
earned during the year. In looking at the Fund Balance at the end of the year
it reduced from $4,600,000.00 to $4,562.000.00. This ending amount represents
approximately four months of Operating Expense. In looking at the Balance Sheet
on Page 5 it shows $4,391,000.00 cash to operate, Account Receivable from
Georgia Department of Human Resources $882,000.00, which means at any point in
time the health department did not exist, they would still have this liability
to pay their employees because of the compensation they had earned and had not
been paid. The Health Department has undepreciated capital assets of
$114,935.00. Mr. Young states that again, this is an unqualified opinion being
the highest level of assurance that things are correct. Mr. Young asked if
there were any questions. There was a brief discussion concerning this issue.
Dr. Carroll asked for a motion to have the audit review approved. A motion was
made by Mr. Hugley, seconded by Ms. Dozier and approved by those members
present.
Dr. Carroll asked Dr. Willis for his follow up on the Action List issue. Dr.
Willis stated that he received some information for the Board Members from
NALBOL but he failed to bring it with him to the board meeting. He will get the
information to Ms. Gosden to distribute for him.
Dr. Carroll asks if there was any New Business. He called on Mr. Saidla to
present the information regarding the purchase of new equipment. Mr. Saidla
referred to the item on the agenda related to the State Dental Program
provision of funding for the purchase of mobile dental clinics. This is
directed particularly at the rural counties in the District by going out to the
schools and setting up and doing assessments on the children. Also, providing
an opportunity for assessments on the children and an opportunity to take care
of problems identified. Mr. Saidla referred to the handout distributed to the
Board Members (Trucking the Miles for Georgia Smiles) and a description of the
type of trailer is included as well as a list of dental equipment. Including
trailer, dental equipment; plumbing work and a large dual rear wheel pick up
truck needed to pull this large, thirty-two foot trailer around, the State has
provided us a total of $156,000. He is in the process of getting the final bids
together for each of these items. He stated that he would ask the Board?s
approval to expend up to that $156,000 of State monies on the purchase of these
items that are noted on the list. Ms. Gosden stated that in the past, a cargo
van and portable equipment have been used to provide these services. Mr. Saidla
said that the full extent of services has not been provided in the past but
with the mobile unit should be able to provide the necessary services. Ms.
Gosden said that this is actually a dental clinic on wheels. Dr. Willis asked
Mr. Saidla about services to the school systems. Mr. Saidla stated that the
school systems are the primary targets recommended by the State for the use of
the equipment. Dr. Willis said that this means that the health department would
not be competing with the existing services in a community. Mr. Saidla affirmed
that the primary service areas would be counties where no dental services
currently exist. Ms. Gosden stated that for the cleaning and sealants the
health department is currently billing Medicaid for those children in the
schools and will continue to do that. Dr. Willis asked how many counties in
District 7 have dental services beside Talbot County. ?..how would it be
staffed and how would you decide how you are going to use it?....Mr. Saidla
stated that basically the way that it is currently staffed is that Dr. Shaw who
is our district dentist and the hygienist go out to the schools with permission
of the school superintendent and the principals of the schools and they go in
for however many days it takes to screen the number of children and evaluate to
apply the sealants. Our plan is to use the new dental trailer to continue to do
that same type of operation we have done in the past. This includes getting
permission from the schools and this we would do in and consult with the school
and parents before a child is seen by the dentist. Not all schools participate?
some schools choose to use other providers to do this service or don?t feel
that it is needed in their community. Ms. Gosden stated that an effort is made
to work through every school in the district in a two year period of time or at
least offer it. Dr. Willis asks if this trailer would be used to offer more
services..Mr. Saidla said that it provides the capability?.that the health
department will continue doing what it is doing?and then try when there are no
other providers available to do the other work?we would have the capability to
set up at the health department and have those children then come to the health
department to have what other care they need to have done if there is not a
provider in that community to do it and a parent wanted to bring them. Dr.
Willis asked in order to implement this, what else is needed in terms of
personnel or is the personnel in place already? Mr. Saidla stated there is
basic existing personnel in place now, but Dr. Shaw is planning to retire in
April, 2006?at that point in time plans to fill his vacant position, which is a
State 427 position?with another dentist is Dr. Downer, who we currently have
may be interested in applying for that position or we had to recruit for that
position then Dr. Downer would be providing these services in the counties. Ms.
Gosden stated that Dr. Downer had worked for the health department for a number
of years part-time and then she went to work for the Community Health Center
down in Richland, Georgia. She then returned to us when Dr. Pasquarello
resigned to join Cool Kids. Dr. Downer has extensive experience?she has worked
with all age levels?.adults, children?she is excellent and we are real pleased
with her especially with Dr. Shaw retiring. Her good public health experience
is a great asset.
Dr. Willis asked if a driver would need to be hired or is someone trained to
drive the vehicle. Mr. Saidla stated that staff is available to drive the
vehicle. The unit would be taken to an area and set up and then our dental
staff would go back and forth to that unit as needed. Dr. Willis stated that he
wanted to make sure that the budget will do this?for an example?is there money
to operate this unit? Ms. Gosden stated that with all the information?things
will be fine.
Dr. Carroll asked for a motion to approve the request for the purchase of the
dental trailer. Mr. Hugley made a motion to approve the request it was seconded
by Dr. Willis as approved by those members present.
Mr. Saidla also asked the Board?s approval for the purchase under the
MMRS(Metropolitan Medical Response System) activities?a purchase for Columbus a
unit that costs $2,999.00. It is used to allow communication region wide with
hand radio operators. It would allow the EMA office here to be able to
communicate with hand operators region wide should some type of disaster
situation occur?this is currently something that the city does not have ?.we
were able to provide it to Lee County and Russell County with equipment that is
not region wide at a cost that came in under our threshold to bring items to
the Board. This particular unit, because it would go on the city?s mobile
command unit that would be used region wide, needed the capability of having
this asset should a situation come in where all the other radio systems fail.
It would allow the city to have the capability that it has not had in the past
as one of our lead partners with MMRS. This is money that has come down through
MMRS. We would like to expend $2,999.00 for this particular piece of equipment.
Dr. Carroll asked for any other comments regarding this issue. Mr. Hugley
commented that this purchase is very important to the City, if we were to have
a blackout, and lose all communications, this item would assist in able to
maintain public safety, public health throughout our county and into the
region.
Dr. Carroll asked for a motion to accept the request for the purchase of this
piece of equipment. A motion was made by Mr. Hugley, seconded by Dr. Willis and
approved by those members present.
Dr. Carroll called on Dr. Koppanyi for the Director?s Comments. Dr. Koppanyi
stated that the Health Expo was successful?.and public health participated?.101
volunteers participated. There were approximately twelve stations that provided
different services and around 1,756 people were screened. Dr. Koppanyi stated
that under the MMRS, money has been given to the Sheriff?s Department to train
volunteers under the CERT(Citizens Emergency Response Team) and they started a
nightly course on Monday?s from 7pm until 9:30pm. The Sheriff?s Department
provides instruction and there were fifty-two people attending. This is
desperately needed in order to help us with any kind of emergencies to complete
or complement. This is the Muscogee County Sheriff?s office. Also, Dr. Koppanyi
spoke with the administrators in the Muscogee County School System and
expressed strong disappointment that the Muscogee Schools still do not have
soap and paper towels in the bathrooms. Dr. Koppanyi expressed his feelings in
the fact context of a talk he was asked to give on Pandemic Flu. Dr. Koppanyi
also attended the Pandemic Flu Meeting in Atlanta with the Governor. They had
many discussions but no solutions to the Pandemic flu outbreak. There are plans
for a fifty bed pop-up hospital?one of the Mash Hospitals?.this is an
approvable plan but in reality how is it supported? He states that we need to
deal with good basic public health, isolation, early detection and so forth and
possibly do some social segregation. How can this be supported?meals on wheels
or carry out groceries?.
Dr. Carroll called on Pam Middleton for the December 2005 financial reports.
Dr. Willis requested an Item by Item explanation for #358 Hospital
Communication expenses for the next month Board of Health meeting on February
22, 2006. Mr. Saidla explained that the $10,000 in question was some special
money that the State sent down to allow for under HURSA funding, to complete
the credentialing system in all of the hospitals that had not been completed
initially?to give the hospitals scan readers, etc. in the District to be able
to identify based on an identification badge, that you are who you say you are?
If you were going in to a different hospital than one you normally work in.
That money came to us on like the 15th of July and we were told that we had to
spend it by the 29th of August. Ms. Gosden stated that it was directed and for
a very specific purpose in a short period of time. Mr. Saidla stated that the
State is actually looking at this system that we have to have it
Statewide?.there has been some conversation that we are further ahead in this
than anyone else?.This system will now track from the time it scans you in ?.it
starts the clock running?.it scans you out when you leave. The City is
actually purchasing the same basic system to use to be able to know who is in
the field and who is out so they can use it as a tracking system to know where
they have assets and also to use during situations where there is a large
number of deaths so that a tag can be placed for identification purposes.
Dr. Carroll called on Colethia Moore, Immunizations to present the presentation
to the Board also Beverly Roberson assisted with the presentation.
Dr. Carroll asked if there was any other business to bring before the Board.
Ms. Dozier stated that she had called the State Representatives after the last
meeting trying to advocate for Muscogee County. There being no further
business, the Board was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted:
_____________________________
Pam Middleton, Secretary
Attachments
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