All righty, I'm gonna call to order the meeting today for April the 30th, 2026. Dr. Moore is not able
to be here today. He had some obligations. So first item actually is that I want to make an amendment
to the agenda and add
a voting item for the vitamin angels contract. And I would like to add that after department updates.
So can I get a motion to do that? You have to put it as number one after the vitamin department updates.
I'm going to, I would like Kathy to be able to speak first
Maybe we could do it as number three. Actually, does it have to go under old and continuing business?
It does. Anyway, we're adding it to old and continuing business. We'll make it number three. Okay. I
motion to add the vitamin angel prenatal vitamin discussion to number three under old and continuing
business. I'll second that.
All in favor. Aye. Okay. So the first item, can we, or can I have an approval of the previous meeting
minutes if everyone has had a chance? I move that we approve the minutes as written. I second.
All in favor. Aye.
Sorry, Kay, who said I? I didn't hear you. I said I. Okay, sorry I didn't hear you. Okay, so Linnea,
do you have the script for the public comment? It should be in my design. Yes, I got it. The Monroe
County Board of Health encourages and welcomes public input. Written comments may be submitted at any
time via email at BoardOfHealth at
At this time, we would like to invite those who would like to comment on any non agenda items to speak.
For those attending in person, please sign in at the front of the room and those joining us online,
please use the raise hand feature.
indicate you would like to provide comment. Each speaker will have three minutes and we ask that you
please begin by stating your name for the rest. So do we have any folks who want to make a public comment?
Okay seeing as we have none we will move to our next item. I
asked Kathy, well actually in your packet, I think there is information regarding the SSP program, the
needle exchange, and I asked Kathy to just come give us an update. So from SNAPS, the changes that the
new law made are actually going through well.
If you go to the IRA, the law is listed up on the lower part, right, where the records and the supply
are distributed. They say that most people are really understanding and just understand that the laws
changed, and this is the way that it's got to go. So people, while at the IRA, it seems like when they
go there at the office, it's on Western Street, if you have been where it's at, that people really aren't
having trouble showing that ID, because most of them have their driver's license if they drive there.
There's a little bit more problem needing that when they go to Shalom, because not everybody has a note
either. But they are working with that, and it's getting better and better. Now, one of the changes
that we got from this case, we got a memo, and they explained that the law actually asked for a valid
ID. But by DLH, the guidance they have given us, it has to have a picture. So they want a picture ID
that gives some indication that they're reaching in which person lives.
So that is the guidelines that we're following. One thing that's really important to know, even if we're
looking at ID and we're not looking at the name of the person, because we're not collecting, identifying
information. That's really important to know. We're not collecting that, and we're not supposed to.
The only time we do have that is when we're doing HIV or HIV testing. And that is information of those
that are separate.
These are thinking better about the end-to-end, but they're being very understanding overall. Like if
they're told, no, I'm sorry, we can't give you money because we need to bring them back now. So they're
saying, people are saying, no, okay, I'll be back because they have some. People got out of the habit
of bringing them on a regular basis because having a syringe, they can get a felony charge. Even if
they got the syringes from the SSP, they could get charged.
So they got out of the habit. They don't like to carry them, but they're getting better understanding.
They have to bring something back in order for the SSB to be able to get them. We found a way of dealing
with local enforcement personnel to help get around that issue. I know that a lot of the community officers
understand that the rest of the police department, are they on board with the program and why people
want, why people are bringing and even making sure it's kind of like following. I remember my father
would be speeding and he'd say, well, I'm going to the hospital. And the police officer would actually
accompany him to the hospital to make sure that's what he was doing. So do we know,
But the sheriff and the police department, are they understanding the new law and why people must have
the syringes in order to? We need to explain that to them. There is, we have an agreement, we have an
arrangement with the prosecutor's office that if somebody gets arrested just for a syringe, they try
to drop that if it's only for the syringe. If they have something else that they're getting enlisted
for, like possession of or some other thing, then they can't.
But they do try to work with people if it's for a huge building. Thanks. And I did follow up with the
reagents that we talked about last month. And the reagents, as they are talked about within the statute,
are referring to drug precursors or anything like I've mentioned when I said that last time, too. Anything
that can be used to make other drugs. That's what SSPs are about to give out. OK.
Do you have any questions or? Are we required to have reports per se for the state or only if they would
come do an audit? Are there reports that are then sent on to the state in terms of ledgers for the exchanges?
We have a database, a state database, that we have to enter things and we also have a portfolio there
before. So they can see at a glance what's going on at the SFP's program that we drew up as a list.
Does anyone else have any other questions? I'll second. Thank you. So Lori, we would love updates. We've
been missing on your bendogy. I don't think that I captured all of that here. Unfortunately.
Well, I did want to just touch on the SRF testing report that was in the packet. So this information
was actually in 2023, our environmental division completed testing throughout this building and they
identified lead based paint in some of the non remodeled areas of the health department. So that's kind
of what this
three fourths goes through. So in some of these areas there's paint that's chipping and falling to the
ground. We've had a tarp covering the top of the deck area in the back and that recently fell. The paint
just kind of went everywhere and so we're trying to work on getting that cleaned up but it occurred
to me to we need to check on the status of getting some of these areas
you know, they need to do remediation work. So we've reached out to facilities to kind of circle back
around to touch base on getting some of this work taken care of. And where's Richard on that? I have
not heard yet. So we're trying to limit people going in and out of that back door right now so that
we're not tracking that kind of in and out of the building.
And so that is overseen by the commissioners? The commissioners oversee the facilities director, so
that would end up being the commissioners. Council then would have to appropriate the funds to do whatever. Okay.
So otherwise for environmental, the staff met recently with the Student Society Club, Indiana University
to provide information on the type of work that they do. They are also being trained on entering animal
bite reports into our NBS system and rabies exposures. So previously our environmental director was the one
We've been doing all of this and we've run into some instances where we need to have additional people
trained to be able to enter in that information. So that work is taking place for wastewater. We have
one ARPA septic system that's already being installed for this year. There are still nine remaining
systems that need to be installed prior to July 31st of this year with those ARPA dollars.
And wastewater is also starting on subject installations for the spring. Is that a contractor issue
that contractors have not completed the work? I think that there's a few different things. I think it's
problems with getting some of those initial testing and getting the homeowners kind of working with
them to get that done. And I think some of it is just a lag in the weather.
of foods now that they transitioning kind of out of the startup for the licensing period at the beginning
of the year. They're now working on licensing vendors for the farmers markets, working with the market
managers to provide education for vital records. The director and the assistant director will be attending
the spring conference in May. So this is hosted
with statewide vital records, come together, do some ongoing training and development. Last year, all
six of the vital records employees attended the conferences, but in an effort, again, with our budget
cuts, we've taken it down just to the two right now, and then we'll kind of reevaluate again,
moving forward, just depending on funding as we get through the rest of the year.
Public Health Emergency Preparedness that they recently attended the Preparedness Summit that was done
virtually again in an effort just to kind of reduce some of our costs. They're distributing tick, mosquito,
educational materials and prevention kits. I was actually going to ask you if you could say what's in
the kits. So it is a comparative insect repellent and a tick remover.
as well as a little information on how to avoid ticks and what to do by the way. They're still providing
Stop the Bleed trainings to members of the public and for department staff here. Continuing the emergency
kit building workshops for the public. What was the one that you worked on recently? The most recent
one was an emergency kit building.
And then they participated in the district emergency preparedness and planning coalition exercise in
French lick. Our disease intervention specialists. There continues to be a by selling shortage. It's
now expected to go through the 4th quarter of 2027, so we have that for.
Pregnant patients and then special circumstances. The Indiana Department of Health has started a congenital
syphilis case management pilot program with us. So more information to will be coming forward about
what that looks like.
There are currently two case managers at the Indiana Department of Health who are providing support
to pregnant patients who either have syphilis during pregnancy or prior to pregnancy. Our employees
right now are not doing any additional work, but they are receiving support for their patients to be
able to work working with OBs and hospitals with these case managers from the Indiana Department of Health.
So if we remember in the fall of last year, the Health Department submitted a request to County Council
for some of the old COVID reimbursement dollars for the purchase of a mobile unit. That request was
approved last year. However, the unit was not purchased before the end of the year, so that request
had to be asked again.
It was voted. They had a 6-1 vote earlier this week, so that has been approved again for this year.
So now we just need to make sure that the purchase goes through. So we currently have six trustee and
food pantry community locations that are interested in working with us on some of these mobile clinic outreach.
just have a partnership with us. So continuing to work on expanding where we could actually be going
out on the mobile unit and providing some of these services. Can you remind me exactly what services
do we plan to offer through this? So definitely vaccinations and then our health screenings. So blood
pressure and cholesterol, we could blood sugar. And then we can provide educational materials
possibly with our maternal child health to promote the lactation counseling, promote the bean and milk
bank express location. Smoking, anything smoking for pregnant women. And? She can provide, she could
go along and provide safe sleep training as well. And ultimately it looks like one of our nurses could
be in township spaces
even during the fall training, fall prevention training, and almost anything in any of our outside locations.
Plus we can go to the county fair and have a presence so that our county knows that we exist at large.
Of course, most of who come assist people from out of county, but still having our presence there, I
think would make a difference.
So if you come up with great ideas for where else we should go, let us know. Absolutely. STI, HIV, and
hepatitis testing as well. We can look at that. And I've spoken with Indiana University. It's been a
little while about working maybe in collaboration with them and some of their students on being
to provide behavioral health assessments and referral services. So whether there's other screenings
that you can provide and then be able to connect individuals to services as well. And that the trustees
are. You've been in touch with some of the trustees there on board with having a baby or their mobile
unit time in their locations and helping us with space.
I thought I would share some information. The Indiana University, Indianapolis, they conducted a study
so they were actually examining the startup period of Health First Indiana and the core service data
that has been submitted statewide compared to some of the funding we've received. So based on some of
this initial data, there were over 14,000
that were identified as having undiagnosed high blood pressure, over 7,000 with undiagnosed high cholesterol
based on just offering these free health screenings from local health departments. So they have
ended up estimating over $700 million in healthcare cost savings just based on these preventative health
screenings. So I thought that was interesting information. So hopefully they're no longer working or
they're not, at least at this time with this stage, but I think interested in finding other ways that
the outcomes of this funding and what local health departments are doing
how they can help contribute to that. So I'm happy to answer questions. That's what I had for the report.
Yeah, it's good to hear the overall introduction like that. And that's good for the legislature to hear
that as well. Since they cut the funding, which I don't think was
unexpected by a lot of people. It was a two-year deal, and it really ended up only being like, what,
one year? But they also cut the funding to the folks who are studying the impact of HFI funding. They've
totally cut off that funding. So it's like, shoot yourself in the foot, I'm sure. Yeah. But that's another
part of it.
They're not engaged anymore because the funding has been cut off. Unfortunate. Well, thank you, Lori.
I know you've been extremely busy. And we're going to talk more about that, actually. So as part of
continuing business,
We had asked Laura to obtain some information on all of the fees that we are trying to sort through
for these employee positions for their training. If we should have a policy as to whether they're going
or the person is going to cover their fees or we are going to cover their fees and then how we go about
putting that in the budget, is that correct? So this is actually a very comprehensive list of all the
trainings that we're requiring for the physicians, the amounts of those fees. So where are we with this
in terms of, we probably do not have any consistency with,
Position based. Correct, OK. And so. You'll see a lot of these are within environmental. It's all the
different certifications. There have been some with the newer positions that were developed based on
those additional core services developed first in Indiana.
but there's quite a few when it comes to ongoing education that there is access to free. And so we get
on one hand, you're looking at what are the education certification, what are the requirements for someone
to get a job and then maintain that job. And then you have the other aspect of the jobs that is ongoing,
just education and development.
Well, in my opinion, if there is a cross associated with certifications that allow the person to do
their job and do it adequately and safely, then I think we should go about figuring out how to do all
the machinations to get that covered for them, for the position.
I don't know exactly the step-by-step, but I think we should cover those costs. Do we have the funds
to do that? We have the funds. Yes, for everything that's required this year, we have the funds to cover
that. So where we've been cutting back are those
non-essential, non-required, like kind of extras. So kind of limiting the travel and extra. And some
of it's variable. I mean, it was when we had that huge increase in the Health First Indiana funding
that allowed more funding to be available for the extra training and conferences. And some of that was
really needed because of the new
work and the additional core services? And so I think the question kind of comes down in my mind.
Yes or no? Are we going to always find or is it going to be a policy that this is a job requirement?
If you have to be CPR certified, if you have to have a pesticide license that we will cover that cost
and whether or not we can cover what you go to a three day retreat.
will depend upon the budget maybe. So some of these you're saying they have to have this finished before
to apply for the position? Yes, like some of those if it requires a degree CPR certification or the
feeds they've handler certification, those are required to be qualified for the position.
So I don't think. I think. That's a level of already commitment to the position that they want. I think
they should come with those certifications, but if they're ongoing once they're here with us, then I
think it should be covered. Does that?
That was exactly what I was going to say. I mean, if it's a requirement for their job, then they need
to already have it done. We can't be waiting on them to finish their certification, and that may take
three months, and no. But if it's ongoing, then I think they should. Yeah, so you have to have your,
you know, Indiana pesticide applicator category H, whatever, for the job, and you should come with that.
But then when you will come up for renewal,
We will continue. We will cover it. It sounds like a good idea. So the first step is to so we need to
make a motion as a board. That we will cover. Renewals renewals for training programs and certificates.
that are required for the position that the department will cover those. So can I have... Okay,
so a second? I second. Okay, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Approved. Okay, June, me too.
with the public to see if anybody had any comments. Oh, yes. Yes, I did. Somebody thought I'd ask. We
should change the pause. Yeah, we should change the pause again. Now that we've moved. Oh, anyway, does
anyone have any discussion about that? You can always go back and redo the motion and the vote. I was
definitely against it.
No, I know it. Thank you for that reminder, Sarah. Sure. Okay. Are we finished with that? Is there anything
else we need to address? Yes. The next issue on our continuing business is our clinical assistant position.
Lori has worked many hours working on this job description.
Can you give us the latest update? Yes. So the job description that was finalized has been sent to WIS,
which is the organization that the county uses to review and classify positions. So that classification
will then is basically tied to a certain pay rate. We have received the WIS recommendation
back now. So now the next step is that is taken to the County Council for their review and consideration.
So it's the complexity with this is we are still in a hiring freeze, so Council did agree that we could
create a job description, send it to with. But now they will have to agree if they're going to
accept the new position and then allow the position to be filled during the hiring freeze. And so that
will be going to Council in May. We were hoping, I think, to receive a higher classification just to
be able to get the best qualified applicant. But I was
The classification, I think, that it came back to is really what I was expecting. So that's a comment
like a clerical position. And when you mail that to the council? I believe the 12th. Set your hope high.
Set your realization hopes and expect less.
So this position is really going to be crucial for efficient clinic operations. I just don't see how
the clinic is really going to operate well without being able to have someone who's
really managing that front desk and helping to greet patients and the scheduling and the billing processes.
There's additional services that we could be billing for that we're not right now, just not having a
person to be able or a physician to be able to do that. Just running into a lot of issues about how
are you gonna kind of manage these patients coming in and the patient care and then that front office side.
We're working through it. So are we in fact seeing? We are open and at this point we are open that we
can schedule patients just start coming in so block right now for these services. So for the health
screenings and for the vaccinations Mondays and Wednesdays between 1 and 4 PM and then Tuesdays and
Thursdays between 830 and 12.
So having some afternoon, some work. Good question, because I was looking, going, there's a lot of things
that you have this person doing. But knowing the clinical time would be half days, at least plenty of
time for this other stuff. And really, I think that you have to do that to balance the other duties
that the nurses have to do. So they can't just be scolding all of their team and the patient.
Yeah, I'm convinced. We need this position. I mean, it's... We really... It would be nice to be able
to... We really need another nurse, too. It's a lot of work. And I've been helping to distribute car
seats to people walking in for cribs. And there's just so much going on and just not enough bodies to
do all the work. Mm-hmm.
We're going to continue to work on making a plan to get another RN. And currently with the hiring freeze,
it's not going to happen. It will start to. Well, this hiring freeze has really put us in, I'm stating
the obvious, it's really put us in a difficult position because the contract was canceled by IU and
they were providing
all these services, and now we're expected to do this, but not expected to hire any additional employees,
which we had when we had the contract. I mean, I don't know how they can't make an exception. I don't
understand how they can justify this. We have the money, correct? Yes, correct. I understand. Go ahead.
No, I understand that if they're
They're sort of afraid that if they allow us to hire somebody, they have to allow someone else to hire
somebody who has the money. But this is the county health department. I mean, this is affecting everyone.
You know, it's not a... This is not a...
It's not the Highway Department. Yeah, exactly. Well, I mean, it's not the diminished Highway Department.
No, I'm not. But I mean, health is health. And we have to have enough employees to provide the service
that was being provided for us before. I'm saying this, obviously, as a public appeal, because I mean,
the county council has to understand that this is
imperative that we hire some extra people to cover those positions that our contract was covering with
IU Health. And they no longer providing for us. And I'm not trying to put them in a bad light either.
I'm just saying that they were currently, they were in the past providing this service and now our contract
has ended.
we need to be providing those services with these people, and we need extra people to do that. Yes,
if you look at Allen County as an example, so they have 23 full-time employees in the clinical section
for their health department. And some of those people include environmental and for disease intervention
specialists, et cetera, but they have 23. And so if you look at their
population, and you compare to the population of Monroe County, we should have eight full-time employees
for the clinical section of the health department. With how we have our structured, which is a little
different, we have right now four to five, and so we really need three more clinical people, and it
doesn't include support staff.
to support the health department and we're recreating infrastructure. I mean, that's essentially what
we're doing. We have to have people for the infrastructure and we're recreating what IU is providing.
I think that, yes, I think the public needs to understand we have the funds, we can re-appropriate the
funds, if you will, to support these positions so that we can fill the positions
So I think we just need to keep making a case with the council and make them continue to be there in
a presence and help them understand that we have to do this. It's our duty to do this. We have the taxpayer
dollars to do this. And we have to have some cooperation between ourselves. And we are sort of begging
for cooperation.
Do we have enough? This was Aurora brought this. Concern up. Do we have enough people that are doing
investigations of? Or? Where the STI or the chemicals well? No, and we had the grant funding for another position,
Council would not approve us to hire, so we had to return those grant funds. And I think that's the
other challenge is that now- So actually we're returning grant money because of the hiring freeze. Yes,
and we're ineligible now. We have grants that we're trying to apply for, that we want to apply for for
positions, and we can't because of the hiring freeze.
And so the INSS. There was a concern about in the past about us not having providing the service that
we had a grant for. Yes. But now we're having to send grant money back because of the council. Correct.
And the council is critical of us for not providing something and letting all those dollars be returned.
Yes. So I find this a little ironic.
Yeah, they're trying the best they can to kind of keep up with the workload because the grant still
says we have to take on those additional counties. You know they gave us the money for the staffing,
but whether or not we could hire that staffing, the grant terms remain the same. We still have to cover
that workload, but I can't remember the last time that Miranda was able to actually work a full week
because she's always hit for 40 hours by the time Friday morning rolls around and
then she has to leave, she can't finish out the work. There's been some instances where I've had to
approve her working that overtime because it was just critical that she needed to get treatment to a
patient or follow up on something. So that's the other unfortunate side is that we also can't not being
able to have the great funding to help supplement our other funds. I'm curious, does her role as
the lead for the region affect any of the work she does here? Well, she's the program coordinator, so
she does a higher classification, more of the work and oversees some of the work and is doing some of
the supervisor duties of the others. It's great because
simply details how crucial and how good she is and how lucky we are that she leads, is this seven or
eight? I can't remember. That's fabulous, but we still need bodies and I'm not quite sure
how to make council understand that. And the only thing I can think of is maybe after elections on Tuesday,
maybe some of the council members won't be necessarily running for office. And so might be more willing
to listen and communicate in ways that are clearer and
more amenable to hearing real needs. I know I can't be there on the 12th because, and that'll come up
later, I will be out of the country. But I'm hoping that maybe some of our clinical board members might
really appear and try to make it clear what it takes to run a clinic or an office.
Because I don't know that any of the council members really grok that piece of information. I think
they think that it's superfluous to have somebody answering the phone and doing the insurance and scheduling
patients and scheduling whatever for the nurses. And that the nurses should be able to do that too.
So I think it would be helpful.
It's certainly up to the board whether any. Board members show up, but I think it might be really helpful
for them to see. A force that tries to help them understand that. We have two venues really for communicating
with Council and one is Department updates that Lori can give each meeting and then public comment.
So the key with that is, you know, it's just like our meetings.
we can all go make public comment before the meeting as long as there's nothing on the agenda that we're
referencing specifically. So if anyone wants in the public comment is at the very beginning at five.
But if it's since this if this is really supposed to be on the agenda on the 12th, then indeed it would
be simply having
other people sitting at the table with Laurie and hoping to address whatever questions come up and from
real life experience saying, no, we really can't run a medical office without someone out there to receive
the patients, to schedule the patients to do all of these things and to be able to bill so that we can
receive funding
for the services were provided. And I think they don't, they somehow, I'm not sure why it doesn't quite
get through their heads, but apparently it hasn't. We shall continue to make a case for sure. Any other
discussion?
Next item, we have the Vitamin Angels contract. I'd like to have a discussion about that. We have a
list of recommended daily allowances for pregnant patients for each vitamin in their packets and then
the Unimap.
recommendations, which is what Vitamin Angels is following, is different. So we just have to make a
decision as a board. We have to vote on whether or not to proceed with the Vitamin Angels contract.
And again, I'd like the discussion and
Well, in your mind is the fact that they're folic acid is under, is that significant? It is. Does anyone
have other comments before we take a vote? I have a question. Yes, please. If we don't do this, the
choices between doing
this contract or not offering any prenatal vitamins? Is that what we're? That's correct. So the question
is, this or nothing? Can we get prenatal vitamins somewhere else that would meet the requirement? Excellent
question. That's where I'm at. We have not been able to find any that would be free. We get these free
through that rate. So I think we'd have to look at the cost of prenatal vitamins.
Have we asked them why they're folic acid is? Dr. McKinley did discuss that with them. I know, but I
don't know the outcomes. I reached out not for that question specifically, but with the concerns and
I received a response, I guess should be in your front page. So that was the answer that
And I received information. But we pay for these. We pay them something. No. No. We get a grant. Oh,
it's a grant. It's a grant. So they come free to us from the grant. Who's the grant from? The Vitamin
Angels. So it's their own grant. Yes. In other words, we'll let you take these free of you. Yeah. OK.
So they just give us the goods, essentially.
So, you know, as I'm looking at this, I think to myself, I would, given another option, prefer to have
more folic acid, but if it's a choice between a pregnant woman receiving this or nothing, right, it
makes me feel differently. Makes me also wonder if the folic acid really is the big one here, which
it really is.
Could we get an additional folic acid supplement somewhere that we could pair with it? Is that an option?
Take this grant, look into, can we put some additional folic acid? Or at the very least, we recommend.
Point out, yes, we would point out that these are free vitamins, but they are lacking in one key ingredient,
which is folic acid, and that they may
want or you're recommending that they get additional. At least I'm with you. If it's this or nothing,
then I would, I would, I would vote for this. So how do we give these out?
or the women are coming here to the office, potentially on the mobile unit at some point. Yes, and some
we have, we provide to the tandem location that they are able to then distribute. And I hate to be really
stupid, but have we seen a difference between 400 and 600 a day in terms of spina bifida? I think the
answer would be yes. The answer is yes. Okay.
I can see it in case the demeanor is, you know, let's say patient comes, we give them these vitamins,
they have a child who has spina bifida, and then here we are, you know, even if we have a policy change,
et cetera, sort of feeling responsible in some way, I don't know the, I don't know. It's kind of how
the patient take two a day.
So they may be getting 800 of folate rather than 400 of folate. You could do that. My guess is they
would have some pretty substantial side effects. Right. You'd have some pretty bad nausea with these
anyway. Right. Well, and then you wouldn't want to double up on some of the other vitamins would not
be appropriate.
I'd like to see the drug companies that make the vitamins being contacted and explain to them that we're
a health department and we're trying to provide vitamins to people that don't have money to buy them.
Is there any type of grant or any type of leeway they could give us as a health department? Yeah.
I hear your point. But I also hear your point, because you want them to get, if they get at least some
folic acid, then that will prevent, hopefully- Yeah, presumably you are preventing some, but there are
going to be some that may still have. I mean, as a health department, my thought would be you're trying
to prevent as much as you can as possible, and by doing something that is better than doing nothing.
I, on the other hand, if we don't say anything to them about it, well, they assume that we're giving
them a preventive as long as a preventive dose, at least they're giving him adequate and preventive
dose and adequate dose when in fact we learned. Yeah. And they have somebody that has a problem then
a baby then. Yeah. I think we would have to specify or.
figure out a different ways to add 200 folic acid to what we're giving. And I don't know if we have
enough time to do that research and whatever. Folic acid is the main one, but there's other. There's
other ones too. Yeah. Well, as a health department, I don't even, could we, could we
purchase prenatal vitamins and then dispense them? Is that even a possibility that we could get some
standard? And it's probably gonna honestly cost less than the grant they're asking for for the number
of patients service. I think for that program it was only, how many patients was it? Like 30 maybe?
It wasn't very many. So,
Um, okay. So hold on. So this is, oh, here, maybe this is it. So this, this was only for up to a certain
number of patients. That changes things. Yes. It was only for X number of patients. I, and I, it wasn't
very many and I don't even think it was a hundred formulation.
If my memory is correct, she received $150, I believe. And the grant is for how much? That's what she
got for the grant. They got $150. And I don't know how many of those. Oh, that's a fair amount. But
what was the amount of money for the grant? They just give it. Oh, I see. Oh, I see.
Yeah. Okay, so. They gave us the buy-in for that, but they have a grant money. They give us the grant,
they give us the bottom. Yeah. Yeah. And that's a great slide for me, almost. I mean, I don't have any
idea of what it would cost to be purchased.
If there was certain type that was identified that said, we want to purchase these, we could certainly
do that. Costs would just depend on how many, I guess, we purchased and back cleaned. How many patients
potentially would we be passing these out? 150. Well, no, I mean, that's what's covered by the grant, right?
That's how much they would give to us, how many pregnant women are actually going to come and ask. That's
the point. Exciting. If they give you 150, are they talking about 150 over nine months? Are they talking
about 150 bottles, period? Assuming that each one is a 30-day supplement and that that goes over nine
months. We're talking about very few patients. We're probably covered.
That's what I'm thinking. But it would be very few patients. So. Well, and then I think if we're going
to purchase and give them out, then what's the criteria for people who qualify? If we talk to other
counties about this,
No, just that there's other counters that do use the program. And this has not become an issue for any
of them, it sounds like. Not for my knowledge. Yeah, I mean, it might be nice for us to race even with
the folks at the top. The medical director of IDOH and how
How is this best dealt with? Because this is a grant program. If this is happening across the state
and we're trying to ensure the health of infants born in this state, how does using this grant program
in many counties actually help us prevent preventable disease?
Maybe the steak should look at it. It is steak. Yeah. You want to come find out? OK, so are we going
to table this again? It sounds like you're not satisfied with the answers. It's OK. Well, I was going to say,
It's better than nothing, but now I'm thinking, I'm not so sure. Yeah, it's a complicated question.
Yeah. Right? Yeah. I mean, yeah. You certainly don't want to give somebody the impression that you're
giving them what they need when they're not getting what they need. Yeah. But you also don't want to
not give someone something that they might at least part of it. Partially be. Right, yeah.
Yeah, I mean, I understand that. But I think if we if we do pass these out, we're giving people the
impression that it's completely adequate. And in fact, it's not one of the key ingredients. So also,
if we're going to talk with the state, could we also simultaneously do research into could we get a
prenatal vitamin? Like, what would the cost be?
to get prenatal vitamins. We have the recommended amount and could we do that as the Board of Health
here and say, we'll turn this down. This is reasonable. Let's do this instead. So it looks like it's,
I mean, I don't know why, but when I'm reading this, it says vitamin angels slash walbrates.
So I'm wondering, does CVS or some other large
distributor of pharmaceutical agents in our country have a grant program that actually would allow us
to give adequate prenatal vitamins at no cost. And I'm sure that there are other funding sources. Again,
we could even think of going
to our community funding grant funders and say, you know, we want to make sure that babies born in this
county to indigent patients have the best chance for survival. And who has a philanthropic fund
that could help us ensure that we have what we need? Should we go to United Way and say, who in the
county can help us find the money we want so that we can continue this program, but do it in a way that's
truly responsible? Some of those organizations can't fund a government entity.
So they could fund it. They could fund another organization and they would refer maybe to that organization
would be like a past. We had that. I don't even know if maybe that fund that. Some members of the board
set up could even be a funding agency for this particular issue, so it's just thoughts.
that fund that you're referring to was set up to help clinically. It was more of help up to benefit
employees. So as an action item, if, Laura, you could gather more data about us, maybe just purchasing
those vitamins outright and then seeing if that process, if we could manage that process, I think would
be helpful. And then we'll just table it until next board meeting.
Can I ask one more question? That is, do we know how many women are served by these vitamins being handed
out every year? Yes. So we collect that data. I just don't have it in my head. Because I think that
would certainly also help get a bigger picture of what might be needed in terms of funding. Zooming here.
Is that the question? Like out of this? Okay, okay. If we're distributing these, how many women are
benefiting? So Vitamin Angels is providing these vitamins free to us. Yes. And it's a grant that they
have that somehow provides the money for that. And then they buy the vitamins and give them to us. That's
my interest. I mean.
Okay, yeah, so, you know, I think that we contact, yeah, well, I mean, a couple, I mean, CVS, I mean,
see if they have a, I mean, that may have a corporate philanthropic arm that does something like this. C-V-O.
in some of those places. A lot of the drug companies themselves have programs set up that they provide
medicine for people who do not have money to get it. So, you know, like, I don't know who might solve
it. But usually it's actual, not positive, but most of it's not over-the-counter stuff. And this is
really over-the-counter.
Rather say I can't fight in the State Department. Is that even a good idea about thing when you get
back to him about this? Yeah, if they know being done by. OK. So next item is new business. Actually.
Talking about the schedule for the board meetings.
Apparently, October 15th is during fall break. So do we want to come up with an alternate date and then
vote on that? How about the 22nd? Sounds great. That's the next Thursday. That work for everyone? Yes.
Can someone make a motion? I move that we
hold the October 2026 Board of Health meeting on October 22nd in lieu of the 15th. Do you need the public
to vote? Do we need the public to vote? I guess we do so far. Is anyone online with their hand up? No.
Okay. Motion was made and I'll second it. All in favor?
Okay, great. Okay, any other items of new business? Well, I will be laid from the 5th through the 13th
and I will be reachable by, particularly by text. And I don't know if perhaps you Mike would
be an emergency contact if something urgent came up and they wanted an answer about something. Also
the board is invited to the IDOH holds leadership symposia a year and the one is coming up on the Wednesday
the 13th. Any board member is welcome
I'm happy to send the link from IDOH for that. There is a post for the symposium. It is being held at
Fort Harrison in India. So if you're interested, let me know and I'd be happy to send you the link to
sign up. That's the 13th of May. Okay.
Do we know the topics or what they're? Oh, it's always a whole lot of stuff. It kind of goes through
many of the departments and you never know quite what you're going to get. There are lots and lots of
IDOH people there and people from across the state. Again, it's health administrators and health officers
and anybody else in the county government and
numbers. Are they doing video? No, they don't. It's it's there. There is lunch, which I guess is why
you get charged so. Thank you. They provide dinner at Saint Almos. I know you didn't. Alright, any other
new business items?
Any other board member or health officer comments? Did you see the council meeting that you're referring
to was on the 12th? I have a prior engagement that evening with the School of Medicine, so I can't be
there. But I do agree. It sounds like it would be helpful to have a filmable office voice at the meeting.
I have a dinner engagement at Greencastle. Why am I going to Greencastle, you say? All right. So seeing
no additional comments. Going once, twice? Yes. I move for adjournment. Meeting adjourned.
I know. What the two of you could do would be to send a note to council members prior to the meeting
explaining your position. I'm sorry. You're formally adjourned. Yes, we're formally adjourned. Thank you.