Board of Health

Skokie Board of Health June 14, 2018 Present Absent Excused Mr. Abbasi Dr. Prince Dr. Vernon Ms. Black Dr. Dave Dr. Sood Ms. Jones Dr. Drachler Dr. Topouzian Dr. Shim Dr. Gaynes Ms. Urbanus Ms. Varma Ms. Haido Dr. Usman Ms. Nickisch Duggan Dr. Werner Mr. Pandya Dr. Williams Dr. Catherine Counard, Director of Health Mr. David Clough, Staff Dr. James Miles, Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium Call to Order - The meeting was called to order at 7:06 p.m. by Dr. Drachler, Chairman following a group picture. Approval of Minutes – Minutes from the April meeting were reviewed and approved. Year End Review – Dr. Counard- a copy of the presentation is attached Dr. Counard provided a synopsis of Board of Health accomplishments throughout the past year. Board actions included participation in the IPLAN committee, providing letters of support for the SAHELI grant, and serving in the MRC. Looking ahead to the upcoming year, the Board will continue working on initiatives from the 2017 Skokie Community Health Plan, focusing on creating a “Welcome Center” and promoting trauma-informed care in Skokie (also known as minimizing the long-term health impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences). Dr. Counard concluded by mentioning community health plan initiatives that have already been fulfilled, including offering SNAP benefits at the Farmer’s Market and passing Tobacco 21 in Skokie. Dr. Williams commented that an initiative to engage the school system to develop health care opportunities for children would be important. Mr. Clough added that District 69 has a Community Schools Action Team that promotes health initiatives such as bringing dental and medical vans to the schools and informing parents of the Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers. Mr. Abbasi brought up the idea of having a bike sharing service in Skokie. Mr. Clough reported that a feasibility study had been done by Divvy a number of years ago, but this study was before the Skokie Valley Trail was completed. Dr. Counard stated she would follow up with the Community Development Department to see if this had been revisited. She also reviewed plans for the completion of the Skokie Valley Trail in the next few years. Dr. Counard reported that following the presentation on Adverse Childhood Experiences at the Skokie Public Library, a multidisciplinary team came together to begin working on raising community awareness and developing referral networks to provide help once ACEs have been identified. The group discussed 539099v1 the books The Deepest Well, The Other Wes Moore, and Hillbilly Elegy and how they had helped raise awareness of ACEs. Ms. Urbanus mentioned the importance of having a caring adult during childhood as highlighted in the books. Dr. Williams described the issue of trauma in the military and the different reactions of increased resilience in the face of adversity versus posttraumatic stress disorder. Dr. Drachler added that the ultimate goal of our collective work around ACEs will be to provide services that promote resilience. Mr. Clough reported on a recent meeting with representatives from the Village, Skokie public schools, and the SkokieCares group regarding the Welcome Center. The idea of housing the Welcome Center at the library and staffing it with reference librarians was discussed. The attendees developed a list of possible issues that residents would need assistance finding resources for. Dr. Counard also reported on the Mount Prospect Community Connections Center that could be used as a model for the Welcome Center. We are I the early stages of this project, and plan a trip to Mt. Prospect to learn more. Dr. Counard concluded her report by soliciting suggestions for speakers for the next year. Trustee Bromberg suggested a new mental health advocacy group called “No Shame On You”. Chair’s Report Dr. Drachler encouraged everyone to attend the the summer Board of Health dinner. After some discussion it was decided that dinner would be on Thursday, August 9th at the Cheesecake Factory. (Note – that date was later changed to September 6). Ms. Haido was given the opportunity to introduce herself to the Board of Health. Ms. Haido works as a nurse at NorthShore Evanston Hospital. She is originally from Arkansas. She worked in cardiology for 9 years and the cardiac catheterization lab for 5 years. She now works in administration on the patient quality control database. She is married with a two year old and a four year old. She is Assyrian and wants to help get her community more involved in public health and local government. Director’s Monthly Report – a copy is attached Due to time constraints the Director’s Monthly Report was given to the Board to read. Dr. Counard did, however report on the retirement of Jackie Johnson and the Erikson Institute selecting Skokie and Morton Grove as a site to administer their early development instrument. Old Business - SAHELI study update Dr. Dave reported on the progress of the SAHELI study as the 2nd year begins. There were 31 participants recruited into the first cohort in March, 2018. The participants were randomly divided between the intervention and control groups, and the study is underway! In addition to the exercise classes offered as part of the intervention, the NIH-grant funds are being used to cover the cost of the women’s only exercise class at the Park District. We are now recruiting the second cohort in Skokie and working with Metropolitan Asian Family Services, the health Department and others to identify potential participants. Dr. Dave also acknowledged Dr. Sood for inviting the SAHELI team to speak with some of his South Asian patients. #539099 Another exciting development is that that American Heart Association (AHA) issued a statement on South Asian cardiovascular risks that referenced the SAHELI study. The AHA mentioned the lack of scientific studies of lifestyle interventions for this high risk group. Dr. Dave is hopeful that this will help with the knowledge gap regarding South Asian health risks in the scientific community. Dr. Drachler asked for advice on speaking to South Asian patients about their cardiovascular risks. Many of his South Asian patients have stressed that they are vegetarian and can’t understand why their risks are still so high. Dr. Dave suggested emphasizing the way the food is prepared and the dangers of frying and using large amounts of fat and butter. She added that in the MASALA study (the study that provided the baseline data for the SAHELI study), South Asians had the lowest level of physical activity. She suggested underscoring the importance of exercise and of eating some raw vegetables in addition to the cooked vegetables. Dr. Dave stated an additional benefit is that many SAHELI study participants were reporting behavioral changes in their family members as well. Children of participants were eating better food and exercising more along with their parents. New Business- SkokieCares SEED Training Dr. Counard invited Board of Health members to participate in the upcoming “Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity” (SEED) training sessions sponsored by SkokieCares in the fall. The SEED trainings will be held at the Skokie Public Library and occur each month for one year. Dr. Counard stated that she participated in the program last year and found it to be highly beneficial, in fact transformative of her thinking about these important issues. This program fits in well with the “Promoting Equity” priority of the 2017 Skokie Community Health Plan. Dr. Counard will send Board members additional information about the training, and a link to sign up if interested. The meeting was adjourned at 8:29 PM. Next meeting: Thursday, September 13 at 7:00 PM Skokie Village Hall 2nd floor Conference Rooms D & E #539099