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Norwalk
Health Department
Board of Health Actions
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Norwalk Health Department
Board of Health
Meeting Minutes
January 8, 2002
Click here for minutes from the November
13th, 2001 meeting
Attendance
Board: Ms. Donovan, Mr. Lalime, & Dr.Tracey
Staff: Mr. Callahan
Minutes of November 13, 2001 meeting. A motion to approve was made by Mr. Lalime, seconded by Dr. Tracey and passed unanimously.
Common Council Health & Welfare Committee
A change was made to the Common Council committee structure. The Health, Welfare
and Public Safety Committee was disbanded. In its place two committees have
been formed, the Health & Welfare and the Public Safety. Mr. Callahan will
provide an orientation to the Health Department to the members of the Committee
at their January meeting.
Training Project with Norwalk Community College (NCC)
The Health Department and NCC were awarded a grant of $50,000 to provide customer
service training, work process and technique training for non-supervisory personnel
and supervisory skills training for managers. The project will start in March
2002 and continue for at least 6 months.
Emergency Response Plan
An update of the city's Emergency Response Plan was underway prior to the events
of September 11, 2001 and the Oxford CT anthrax case in November 2001. The terrorist
acts have brought to light another component for inclusion, the response to
a biological and or chemical attack. The public health role is a key part of
the response. The Connecticut Department of Health Services is offering guidance
in the development of a response plan. The public health role at this time appears
to be in the areas of surveillance, communications and distribution of mass
immunizations or antibiotics.
Update on Charges for Reinspections
In follow up to a discussion at a previous meeting a survey of other local health
departments was made. There are various approaches to this matter. Some departments
charge for reinspections, others allow for the cost of reinspections in the
license fee. Mr. Callahan recommended that an analysis of the number of inspections
and reinspections and time spent in this activity be made for one fiscal year.
A report will be made to the Board at the September 2002 meeting.
Staff Changes
William Mooney, RS was hired to fill the long vacant Sanitarian position. Mr.
Mooney most recently worked for the City of New Haven Health Department. Mr.
Mooney has extensive experience in food protection.
Other Business
Tuberculosis Follow up
The Norwalk Health Department participated in a tuberculosis investigation.
The individual was a student at Norwalk Community College. Contact letters were
mailed to 96 people. Fifty-nine people were screened for TB at the Norwalk Health
Department or by their own health care provider. Twelve of the people tested
were positive and ten were placed on a prophylaxis treatment consisting of 300
mg of Isoniazid daily for 6 to 9 months.
Flu Program
The mass clinics are underway and participation is greater than normal. There
are 12 clinics planned and 8 - 10 companies have requested flu shots. All of
the vaccine (3,700 doses ) that was ordered has been delivered.
Bioterriorism
The Health, Fire, and Police Departments are developing a response plan to acts
of bioterriorism. Health Department has and continues to attend training session
conducted by the CDC and State Health Department.
Mission & Goals Progress Report
The progress report (attached) was reviewed.
Comments made were as follows:
Healthy Norwalk Partnership - summary report for mass distribution should be
at a 3rd or 4th grade reading level
Integration of services with the Norwalk Community Health Center - Investigate
a tie in between the statewide immunization registry and the systems maintained
by Novamedix which 5000 physicians use.
Environmental Programs - Evaluate instituting a reinspection charge.
Bioterriorism
The Health Department is in constant communications with the Connecticut Department
of Public Health (CDPH) via an email network. A policy and procedures for responding
to suspect packages is being developed with the Police and Fire Departments.
The Health Department web page will be updated to include a message about bioterriorism
and a link to the CDPH web site will be added.
Adjourn 9:10 AM
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