Will County Public Health & Safety Committee met February 1.
Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:
I. Call To Order / Roll Call
Chair Judy Ogalla called the meeting to order at 9:00 am
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
Judy Ogalla Chair Present
Donald Gould Vice Chair Present
Gloria Dollinger Member Present
Mark Ferry Member Absent
Debbie Militello Member Present
Beth Rice Member Absent
Laurie Summers Member Present
Present from State's Attorney's Office: K. Meyers.
II. Pledge Of Allegiance To The Flag
Mr. Gould led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
III. Approval Of Minutes
1. WC Public Health & Safety Committee - Regular Meeting - Jan 4, 2018 9:00 am
Result: Approved [Unanimous]
Mover: Laurie Summers, Member
Seconder: Debbie Militello, Member
Ayes: Ogalla, Gould, Dollinger, Militello, Summers
Absent: Ferry, Rice
IV. Miscellaneous Reports
1. Sunny Hill Nursing Home Updates - December 2017
(Information)
2. Approved BOH Minutes 12-20-17
(Susan Olenek)
V. Old Business
1. Opioid Update
(Dr. Kathleen Burke)
Dr. Burke reported receipt of a $150,000 grant from Joliet Township for the Safe Passage Program. This grant will allow us to expand the program by adding a support staff person, 24 hours a day. One challenge has been when a person presents to the police department for treatment, officers were struggling to get the person into a treatment facility. They were taking them to the ER, where they were being stabilized and discharged. We need someone who knows the system and how to get a person into the needed services. AMT is a contractual program that is able to hire, under contract, as many people as needed. They also work in Braidwood on their Change Program. This will take the pressure off volunteers and confirm we have a system in place that will work. We are still working with the hospitals to find a way to stabilize a person and hold them until we can get them into a treatment bed; treatment facilities are not open all night. From this grant we will have funding for people who have no insurance and need support. There is a 48 hour wait for Medicaid patients and we put the person into a hotel with a volunteer until we can get them into treatment. Previously, that was paid for from the grant. Joliet is getting on board and ready to join Safe Passage. Today I will be attending the Chief of Police meeting and will talk about this and open it to more departments.
Mrs. Dollinger asked is the money from Joliet Township limited to the township?
Dr. Burke responded there are no limitations and can be used throughout the County.
Mrs. Militello asked Dr. Burke to let the Committee know when she receives grants. It is helpful when we go into the community, we can tell them about townships that were able to help with grant funding.
Dr. Burke replied before I sent anything out, I was waiting for the actual paperwork. Joliet Township should be congratulated for stepping up. They had a surplus in their budget for health and wanted to do something good for the community.
Mrs. Summers asked is the police chiefs meeting a countywide event? Do chiefs from the eastern end of the county attend?
Dr. Burke indicated the police chiefs meeting monthly and it is very well attended by chiefs throughout the county. I will be talking about the Safe Passage and asking them to be more diligent about sending information about Narcan.
Mrs. Dollinger stated we need to stress the numbers are important for us to continue getting grants and funding.
Dr. Burke stated I met with the new Director of Almeida Health in Bolingbrook, the head of behavioral health and Romeoville Chief of Police, they quoted numbers I had never heard. I should know when there are deaths. I will follow up to see where the numbers are coming from and that they are sent to me. The point is this will increase our dollars and the ability to expand the program.
Mrs. Ogalla indicated President Trump mentioned in the State of the Union address how many people died in 2016 from opioids.
Dr. Burke added I was glad he mentioned the numbers because nobody has a feel for the scope of the problem. I am waiting for dollars to flow into Will County for treatment. What I heard was more law enforcement; we actually need to do demand and supply, not just supply. The people dying are already addicted. Taking the drugs off the marketplace is half of the solution, getting people well is the next solution.
Dr. Burke continued I have been working with Mr. Palmer on the Federal Legislative Agenda to focus on the opioid epidemic. A review of the items on the Federal agenda was given and attached.
Dr. Burke explained the 16 bed limit. I did some investigation to find out what is going on in Illinois. We put in a request for a waiver to the federal government 16 months ago and it has not been acted on. We are not the only one, they are back logged. That needs to move, it is preventing us from expanding; especially for Stepping Stones. What we need to do is remove the law completely, so it does not require a waiver, it is not law. This law will eliminate the restrictions on the number of beds a treatment facility can have per insurance provider.
Mrs. Ogalla asked when you say you put this in 16 months ago, does that mean you applied for it?
Dr. Burke answered we submitted a request to DHS request for a waiver from the regulation that says you can only have 15 beds. There is a reimbursement situation they are also asking for a waiver and they are waiting for that to be approved. The President said he removed that restriction. I don't understand why our request is still sitting there.
Mrs. Ogalla suggested sending the President a letter from Dr. Burke and the Committee. We need to do this while the topic is hot.
Dr. Burke stated I believe the President would be furious that bureaucracy is holding this up.
Mrs. Summers stated I was on a webinar and there are a number of things that have not come forward, so it is not just this application. Maybe putting a little spark will move everything forward.
Dr. Burke continued reviewing the items in the Federal Legislative Agenda. I am working with staff to improve the disposal of prescription medication. One of the proposals is to have the pharmaceutical companies pay for the disposal programs. They are creating the issue so we need a way to finance it. I don't think it is asking too much of them, but there is pressure from the Trump Administration about getting generic pills to market. People get their medications and get started down the road of addiction. I think we have a strong position and it will be successful.
Mrs. Ogalla stated the Legislative Committee asked Dr. Burke and Mr. Palmer to add this to the Federal Agenda.
Dr. Burke stated the State's Attorney's Office approached me about our Narcan being out of date. It has an 18 month expiration and some police department need to dispose of it. They checked with veterinarians and they do not have a problem using expired Narcan on the drug dogs. When drug dogs go into the field, especially with Fentanyl they run the risk of overdosing. The State's Attorney is putting together a program so our expired Narcan will go to the program and it will be staffed in the field and will cost them nothing.
Dr. Burke added the 2018 HERO Help will be on May 11th in Romeoville.
Handout from Dr. Burke Public Health & Safety (Handout)
VI. Other Old Business
VII. New Business
Ms. Halverson stated Sunny Hill Nursing Home will be turning 50 this year. A celebration will be held on June 23th. It will be a picnic in the parking lot with entertainment.
VIII. Public Comment
IX. Chairman's Report / Announcements
Mrs. Ogalla stated during the last year, as Chair of Public Health & Safety, I have asked departments to come to our meetings and give us information on what they are doing. I thought this year we would continue with that. I would like everyone to think about what we could do this year. Mr. Ferry suggested a presentation by JULIE. From the work he did, he is conscious about that and safety. Mr. Ferry has been working on a program where our Health Department goes to our senior communities and puts a presentation together.
A brief discussion of the Carillon meeting took place.
Mrs. Ogalla continued I would like others on the Committee to give us an idea of where we go from here. We have departments that still have a lot to tell us about what they are doing.
Mr. Gould suggested having EMA come to the Committee. They are involved in a lot of training. I have been an observer on some of their trainings and it very worthwhile.
Mrs. Ogalla asked everyone to think of ideas for coming meetings and e-mail it to staff. The most important thing to me is that government is transparent. These meetings are a good way for people to learn what is going on.
Mrs. Dollinger stated Mr. Marcum, Dr. Burke and I will be hosting an opioid community service event on March 15th. It will be in the Westmere Subdivision. Information will be forthcoming.
Dr. Burke added the program is opioid and suicide prevention.
X. Executive Session
XI. Adjournment
1. Motion to Adjourn at 9:29 am
Result: Approved [Unanimous]
Mover: Gloria Dollinger, Member
Seconder: Debbie Militello, Member
Ayes: Ogalla, Gould, Dollinger, Militello, Summers
Absent: Ferry, Rice
Next Meeting - March 1, 2018
https://willcountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=15&ID=2904&Inline=True
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