Board of Health

City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 June 18, 2019 MEETING MINUTES Meeting Call to Order – 5:38 PM Board President Christine Harris read the following Sunshine Law: This meeting, which conforms to the provisions of the Open Public Meeting Act, Chapter 231, and Public Law of 1975 is a regular meeting of the City of East Orange Board of Health. Notices have been filed with our official newspaper, with the City Clerk and posted on regular bulletin boards. The public is permitted to participate at this meeting. After the roll call, it was determined there was a quorum to convene the meeting. Board Members Present: Christine Harris, President Horace H. Henry Tobbia M. Corbitt Deanna Phillips Angela Jones-Williams Board of Health Counsel: Joseph Campbell, Attorney assigned to the Board of Health Health Department Staff: Dr. Monique Griffith, Director of Health and Human Services (Vacation) Victor Kuteyi, Health Officer (City’s Budget Committee) Karen LaRusso, RN, Nurse Educator Chesney Blue, WIC Program Manager Mayoral Staff: Ajah Baldwin, Office of the Mayors Public in attendance: None Approval of May 21, 2019, Meeting Minutes: Approval unanimous. Announcements President Harris: 1. President Harris collected donations from board members as a contribution to the upcoming 3rd Annual Community Baby Shower. The Community Baby Shower is scheduled for Saturday, June 22nd at Langston Hughes Academy. 2. Announced the NJ State Association Annual Election and Educational Seminar will be held at the Middlesex Fire Academy in Sayreville, NJ on June 29th. President Harris pg. 1 City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 June 18, 2019 MEETING MINUTES confirmed Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Executive Director of GASP Karen Blumenfeld, and Director of the Office of Local Public Health Shereen Semple, will speak at this event. Topics of discussion include but are not limited to State, Federal and local laws concerning smoking, medical marijuana, and vaping. President Harris suggested Board Members register on the NJ Learning Management Association’s website to receive the 1 Continuing Education Credit, offered for participation. Those working in Public Health Education, Environmental Specialists and other health- related fields all are invited to attend. 3. Announced that a meeting with Mayor Green is rescheduled for July 16th at 11:00 am to discuss the Board of Health autonomy status and related issues. President Harris emphasized the importance of the meeting and that all Board members are expected to attend. 4. Indicated that she met a certified mold remediation specialist, the Mold Doctor and forwarded his certification and license numbers to Director Griffith and HO Kuteyi. 5. Reviewed the CDC’s website, where 1,022 cases of measles were reported in 28 states, NJ included in that number. President Harris will inquire with Health Officer Kuteyi what is and should be done on a Municipal level on vaccinations. President Harris noted there is currently a statute in the works which limits vaccination exemption to medical reasons only. President Harris suggested we find out how many children are immunized or not immunized. 6. The Health Department may still be preparing a questionnaire data collection tool that will be utilized to determine the kinds of services provided to the homeless, and those in shelters and group homes. Trustee Corbitt asked if HO Kuteyi supplied the list of boarding & group homes to the BOH. President Harris responded no, but is under the assumption the Health Department may still be in the process of gathering that data. 7. Informed that East Orange is a member of Sustainable Jersey, a statewide initiative and nationally recognized program. Sustainable Jersey’s objective is to create municipal programs that improve constituent's quality of life in all respects. President Harris will confer with Dr. Griffith as to her knowledge of the program and determine East Orange's role in generating health-related initiatives. President Harris revealed that being active in Sustainable Jersey will assist in obtaining Health Department accreditation. 8. President Harris complemented Nurse Educator Karen LaRusso and WIC Program Manager Chesney Blue, on their outstanding accomplishments with their respective programs. pg. 2 City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 June 18, 2019 MEETING MINUTES Attorney Campbell - Updates: Mold Ordinance Updates Attorney Campbell attended the Health and Education Committee meeting last week. The Mold Ordinance was pulled from the second reading because it did not reflect the agreed- upon revisions of shared responsibilities between the Health Department and Property Maintenance. Attorney Campbell discussed the issues. A meeting is planned with Dir. Griffith on June 25th to review the pending ordinance. Health Department Staff: Ms. Blue - WIC Program Manager: Renovation Grant Submission Status Ms. Chesney reviewed the status of the renovation grant submission on May 23rd. According to the State's website, the application was submitted to the USDA and is still in process. Ms. Chesney will alert the BOH once she receives a definite response. President Harris inquired if WIC’s clientele has improved or remained the same. Ms. Chesney stated she has not checked the numbers for May but will do so soon. Ms. Chesney believes her clientele has remained consistent within recent months. Black Maternal Mortality President Harris indicated that First Lady Murphy is an advocate for addressing Black Maternal Mortality and an avid proponent for breastfeeding. President Harris asked if Ms. Chesney was aware of any upcoming programs First Lady Murphy would be hosting. Ms. Blue revealed at the beginning of June First Lady Murphy hosted her Family Festival. The Family Festival promotes her initiatives regarding Maternal Mortality and overall health inequity in the state of New Jersey. The East Orange WIC office was the only WIC program invited to this event that was held at Central High School and hosted a turnout of over 1200 participants. State Grant Initiatives Updates Ms. Chesney noted she has not received any updates about the State’s grant initiatives that were awarded last year. Ms. Chesney surmised the programs are in the process of working out some of the kinks, but some such as the Doula Program inquire about collaborating with the Health Department. The Doula program has recently extended to East Orange residents and other surrounding municipalities. WIC refers mothers who are interested in participating in the Doula Program as a part of the collaboration. Ms. Blue is a member of the Maternal Mortality Taskforce with the National WIC Association. pg. 3 City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 June 18, 2019 MEETING MINUTES Nurse LaRusso – Nurse Educator: Vaccination Exemptions Webinar Nurse LaRusso communicated the CDC has an upcoming webinar on vaccination compliance and exemptions. The purpose of the webinar is to help organizations determine appropriate actions in cases where parents are declaring vaccination exemption. The CDC website has a listing of current vaccination exemptions for perusal. Nurse LaRusso thanked Ms. Blue for giving a tour and explaining the WIC Program to the student interns. Summer Interns Introduction Nurse LaRusso introduced four of her Summer Interns. Kemi Aborisade, Velisha Ogarro, Theodora Mann, and Jewel Okai. Theodora Mann and Jewel Okai graduated this May from NJCU with their Bachelor’s degree in Public Health. Velisha Ogarro will be graduating from Montclair State University in December, with her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health. Ms. Velisha stated she is interested in obtaining her REHS and will seek employment as a Health Inspector in the future. Kemi Aborisade is currently employed as a school nurse at Redwood Elementary in West Orange. Ms. Kemi is completing her master’s degree at Montclair State University and anticipates graduating in August. All of the interns expressed the wealth of knowledge Nurse LaRusso has imparted upon them and relish in the many health-related initiatives the City of East Orange offers its constituents. Open Discussion: President Harris commended Trustee Philips for her dedication to the 3C’s initiatives. Trustee Corbitt asked if the BOH would be continuing with the 3C’s efforts. President Harris hopes once the Board’s autonomy status has been resolved they can continue with the proposed initiatives. President Harris asked Ms. Baldwin if Constituent Services were receiving a high volume of calls referencing feral cats. Ms. Baldwin stated at this time the volume has been low but noted the calls may increase as the weather warms up. At the conclusion of Board business, President Harris adjourned the meeting at 6:20 pm. Respectfully submitted, Jo-Ann Mills Board Clerk pg. 4