Board of Health

Skokie Board of Health Committee Meeting Minutes February 13, 2020 Present Excused Absent Mr. Abbasi Mr. Usman Dr. Dave Ms. Haido Dr. Gaynes Ms. Varma Dr. Drachler Ms. Moy-Wooten Ms. Jones Dr. Werner Mr. Pandya Ms. Nickisch Duggan Ms. Hanlon Dr. Williams Dr. Shim Dr. Sood Ms. Yau Dr. Topouzian –Emeritus Ms. Urbanus Dr. Youkhana Dr. Vernon Trustee Bromberg Staff: Dr. Catherine A. Counard, Bruce A. Jones Guests: Beth Lindley, David Clough I. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Ms. Jones, Vice-Chair. II. Approval of Board of Health Meeting Minutes, Materials Distributed: The minutes of the January 9th meeting were approved as presented. III. Presentation: David Clough, MPA, Public Health Analyst, Skokie Health Department Results of the Skokie/Morton Grove Erikson Early Development Study (copy attached). Highlights: Beth Lindley, Human Services Director, spoke about The Early Childhood Alliance, a new organization in the Skokie area. The Alliance’s Vision is that all young children and their caregivers have healthy relationships, safe environments, and high-quality learning experiences in order to reach their full potential. The Alliance Mission is to advocate for and coordinate comprehensive community-based supports for young children and their caregivers that provide equity and honor strengths and diversity. David Clough then spoke about the Erikson Institute and the recently completed early childhood study, which was sponsored by the Alliance. All Skokie schools serving young children were invited to participate in the study, which will be repeated at regular intervals. District #69, District #73.5, Swift Child Care Early Childhood Centers, Niles Township District for Special Education #807, and MCC Academy participated. Kindergarten teachers at participating schools were given time during work to complete assessments using Early Development Instrument (EDI) for each of the students. The aggregate information for the participating schools was then mapped according to census tracts. The EDI used in the study does not collect information on individual children, identify specific learning disabilities, recommend special education or being held back, inform teaching approaches or instruction or reflect performance of school or quality of teaching.  The EDI is used to measure child development across five domains: • Physical Health and Well-being • Social Competence • Emotional Maturity • Language and Cognitive Development • Communication Skills and General Knowledge The EDI data are mapped by neighborhoods based on census tract boundaries, to provide community stakeholders with data for action. This composite map shows children identified as vulnerable in one or more developmental domains: The neighborhood maps represent increasing levels of vulnerability rates in the community. Darker shades of blue indicate a higher percentage of vulnerable children. After showing a series of maps (see full presentation), David and Beth asked questions that the EDI study is interested in gathering from groups: • What stands out to you on the maps? • Where are the strengths and/or gaps located throughout the community? • Does this data confirm or counter your predictions? • What patterns do you see across the community? • What excites you about this data? Discussion Dr. Williams asked if the teachers who completed the EDI were trained, to limit bias in the study and ensure a unified approach to answering. Ms. Lindley responded that indeed all teachers were trained on the EDI, and given designated time to complete the surveys while substitutes covered classrooms. #565195, Skokie Board of Health Meeting Minutes February 13, 2020  Ms. Hanlon asked how many of the questions where objective versus being subjective. Mr. Clough said that the questions were designed to be objective and direct such as “can the child hold a pencil – yes or no”; “have you seen the child comfort another child – yes or no”. Mr. Clough added that the EDI has been statistically validated. Ms. Urbanus asked about the low numbers (4) in the Golf Course area Metra-Austin area and Howard Street area. Mr. Clough responded that those are the number of children found at risk but the not the total number of children in those areas which results in a different percentage for each area. Dr. Williams mentioned it would be interesting to see how many of the vulnerable children are from non-English speaking (or English as a second language). Mr. Clough then showed U.S. Census data maps of these neighborhoods, giving poverty levels and the percentage of children less than 5 years of age. The Erikson Institute uses this approach, combining the impressions of teachers with statistical data from the census and identified community resources, to attempt to identify neighborhoods with vulnerable children, and possible contributing factors. There was a lengthy discussion about the accuracy/clarity of this data. Mr. Clough said that this was the first EDI study, and a major goal is to have all Skokie schools participate in the future, to give a more complete picture of the situation in the Village. Dr. Youkhana asked if there was a breakdown of the language spoken in these areas so we could focus on helping specific people in need. Mr. Clough responded that the U.S Census data collects data on Spanish, Indo-European, and Asian languages, which means that many languages commonly spoken in Skokie are not captured. Dr. Youkhana mentioned that it’s hard to pinpoint ideas for action since the sample size is small. Dr. Counard, responding to concerns that many children attend private school and would not be represented in this data, suggested that a map be created showing how many children live in the neighborhood versus the number tested and the number identified at risk. Dr. Williams believes that the total number screened with the EDI (357) is not large enough to get resources from grants. Dr. Werner asked if the study will be repeated. Mr. Clough said yes they do plan to repeat/complete the study every 3 years. Dr. Williams wondered about looking at Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) within the study. Mr. Clough agreed and it would be helpful to look at these factors over time. Ms. Lindley added that the topic was thought about but there was difficulty in finding the correct questions and as such it was asked to be put aside for now and could be established later. All agreed that this is a step in the right direction to get data on the children in the community. Mr. Clough said he would include the link for the EDI study so everyone can look at the data and use the layering options on their own. IV. Personal Statement: Dr. Bruce Gaynes, Dr. Gaynes gave a brief personal and professional background overview to the Board. #565195, Skokie Board of Health Meeting Minutes February 13, 2020 V. Chair’s Report Ms. Jones, Vice Chair, introduced two new Board of Health members – Sibyl Yau and Maureen Hanlon. Both Ms. Hanlon and Ms. Yau gave brief statements about themselves and added that they look forward to serving on the Board of Health. Ms. Jones explained to the Board that Dr. Clifford Prince has resigned due to other commitments. Ms. Jones added that Dr. Nancy Topouzian has been placed on Emeritus status. The board will send her flowers and a card thanking her for all her years of service. Ms. Jones and Dr. Counard spoke about the Voice of the People Award for Transformation in Safety. The VOP awards are given annually to communities conducting the citizen survey with the highest or most improved safety ratings as voiced by their own residents. Public Information Officer Ann Tennes’s announcement, which describes the collaborative efforts leading to the award, is attached. Ms. Urbanus suggested Board members participate in the Citizen’s Police or Fire Academy to become more familiar with how those departments work. She thought it was great experience. VI. Health Director’s Monthly Report: Dr. Counard presented the January Monthly Report – a copy is attached. Report highlights. Skokie Foundation Check for SRCC! A generous check from the Skokie Community Foundation will allow members of the Skokie Resilient Community Collaborative to become certified ACE Interface presenters. Our goal is to spread knowledge about Adverse Childhood Experiences, and the potential for reducing the health impacts by building resilience. Response to New Coronavirus 2019-nCoV The Health Department has been closely monitoring the new Coronavirus 2019-nCoV situation. We are receiving daily briefings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Illinois Department of Public Health. Information was placed on the front page of the Village website. Guidance for schools has been distributed, and the Health, Human Services, Legal, Police, and Fire Departments met with the Village Manager to review our pandemic illness control plans. Health Director Participates in NU Health Disparities Panel Discussion Dr. Counard joined Ike Ogbo - Director of Evanston Health and Human Services, and faculty from the Northwestern University Global Health Program, to discuss how health disparities are identified and addressed in our communities. Discussion Dr. Williams mentioned a social media forum that he participated in about Coronavirus and Health Care (Dental) Professionals. Both Dr. Williams and Dr. Youkhana expressed the positives of Skokie having a social media platform to get information out quickly. Dr. Werner asked about isolation and quarantine procedures. Dr. Counard answered that the State has given this control to local health departments. The Skokie Health Department has the legal authority, and a specific ordinance pertaining to isolation and quarantine powers. #565195, Skokie Board of Health Meeting Minutes February 13, 2020 VII. Old/New Items of Business Mr. Abbasi mentioned the upcoming presentation at Muslim Community Center 4380 N. Elston Ave. Chicago, IL “Management of Falls and Balance disorders in the elderly” February 16 @ 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm Ms. Lindley said that the Human Relations Commission will host a Block Party planning meeting on April 27th at 1:00 p.m. at the Skokie Police Department. Ms. Urbanus added that a great exhibit is now at the Holocaust Museum on the Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m. Next Meeting: March 12, 2020, 7:00 p.m. Village Hall 2nd Floor Conference Rooms D & E #565195, Skokie Board of Health Meeting Minutes February 13, 2020