DIVISION ACTIVITY REPORTS January – March 2007 ADMINISTRATIVE Employee Safety Training/Tips: Juanita Peterka informs staff at monthly staff meetings about safety items. The following was reported during this period: Administrative Support Staff received N95 respirator fit testing in North Dakota to be compliant with the Emergency Preparedness grant guidance. Debbie Hanson and Marlene Johnson attended Medicaid Claims Training via polycom in March. Debbie Hanson and Marlene Johnson attended a workshop entitled “Emotions Under Pressure” in March. Keith Westerfield attended a workshop entitled “The Outstanding Receptionist” in January. Juanita Peterka attended a Supervisor Development safety workshop in March. Debbie Hanson participated in the monthly Greater Grand Forks Immunization Coalition meetings during this period. Media/Public Relations: Several public health related items were published in the newspaper/or or covered on the radio and television. Articles in the Herald included an item regarding the Northern Valley Dental Health Coalition receiving a $240,000 grant to start a public dental health clinic in downtown Grand Forks. Care Day Community Benefits Fund: During this period $50.00 was donated to Special Olympics, $50.00 to Hospice of the Red River Valley, $25.00 to Easter Seals Goodwill in memory of Kyle Oertwich, $60.00 to the Jason Stadstad Memorial Hockey Tournament and $5.00 given to a Health Tracks Family for bus fare. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH The semi-annual inspection of all school food service facilities was completed during this period. Eric Nelson attended the West Central Mosquito and Vector Control Conference in Utah in February. Three new restaurants were approved to open during this period. Environmental Health staff participated in the orientation of a family practice resident in the UND Family Practice Residency program in March. Tim Haak conducted N95 respirator fit testing for Health Department staff in February. This was done to meet the Emergency Preparedness grant guidance. Inspection of all group homes was completed during this period. Del Streitz attended the National Public Health Preparedness Summit in Washington, DC during February. Tim Haak attended a Radiological Trainer course held in Bismarck during March. Todd Hanson attended a seminar on GIS system, mosquito surveillance and public relations conducted by Florida A&M instructors in Ocala, Florida in February. Wally Helland attended a workshop on solid waste and recycling held in Grand Forks during February. NURSING AND NUTRITION DIVISION Health Promotion Team Members: Allen Anderson, Carrie Kaltenberg, Theresa Knox, Rachel Salwei, Haley Thorson Programs: Wellness, Tobacco Prevention, Women’s Way The Tobacco Prevention Program initiated Freedom from Smoking classes on the UND campus in collaboration with the Student Health Promotion Office and President Kupchella’s tobacco-free campus initiative. The community work of the Grand Forks Tobacco Free Coalition was listed as one of the reasons the City of Grand Forks was named as one of the “100 Best Communities for Young People.” Allen Anderson and Mandy Burbank completed the second Healthy Living Weight Loss Class for city and county employees. A worksite wellness fair was coordinated and held for the employees of Advanced Engineering & Environmental Services Inc. Services offered: immunizations, blood pressure screenings, cholesterol and blood glucose screening, as well as informational booths. Allen Anderson, Mandy Burbank and Debbie Swanson attended Public Health Day at the Legislature in Bismarck on February 6. The event was sponsored by the ND Public Health Association and the theme was “Prevention is Priceless.” In both January and March, Family Medicine Residents were oriented to the Grand Forks Public Health Department. Each resident met with multiple staff members and were introduced to the many key programs and services available to the city and county of Grand Forks. The Women’s Way program presided at a display at Altru Health System’s “Here for Life Expo” at the Alerus Center on March 24. Carrie Kaltenberg received the North Dakota Public Health Association Public Health Worker of the Year Award at the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health in Mandan on March 21, 2007. Family Health Team Members: Mandy Burbank, Cindy Loiland, Betty Otteson, Danielle Kovarik Programs: Maternal & Child Health, ND Health Tracks, Care Coordination for Children with Special Health Needs Mandy Burbank received two $500 grants from the ND Nutrition Council and Grand Forks Interagency Forum to support a nutrition and oral health project for the Northern Valley Dental Health Coalition. An article on dental access was published in the Grand Forks Herald on March 1, highlighting the success of the Northern Valley Dental Health Coalition. Plans are underway to open a public health dental clinic in Grand Forks. Mandy Burbank and Allen Anderson participated in the Grand Forks Public Schools’ Health Fair providing nutrition education for participants. A “Go Red” event was held to increase awareness and prevent heart disease in women. Total attendance was 183. March National Nutrition Month events included sponsoring Story Time and a display at the Grand Forks City Library. Danielle Kovarik continues to be a liaison for UND College of Nursing Students. She provided orientation to Public Health for 65 students on January 17 and 18, and coordination of clinical experiences for 60 students. The Health Tracks program conducted well child exams on 170 children ages 0-21 who are enrolled in Medicaid. The car seat program provided safety seats and education to several families this period. Community presentations given included: “Nutrition for Adults” to the Latter Day Methodist senior group and “Nutrition and Cessation” to the Freedom from Smoking Class. Disease Prevention Team Members: Kathy Dunn, Terri Keehr, and Twyla Streibel Programs: Immunization, TB, Refugee Health, HIV, Ryan White, Influenza Grand Forks Public Health Department Immunization Program administered 166 vaccinations to area residents during January, February and March. The age-appropriate immunization rate for Grand Forks County children less than two years of age is 88%. On January 4, Kathy Dunn represented the Department at the statewide immunization program strategic planning meeting. North Dakota will implement a Provider Choice system for supplying vaccines to healthcare providers. The focus of the group is identifying barriers to and finding possible solutions for implementation of the Provider Choice system, legislative issues, task force responsibilities, and vaccine selection guidelines. Presentations provided included: adult immunizations for area parish nurses and pertussis disease and Tdap vaccination to the Altru intensive care nursery staff. The Disease Prevention Team members attended a Tdap presentation by Thomas G. Boyce, M.D., M.P.H., Pediatric Infectious Disease and Immunology Specialist from the Mayo Clinic on January 26. The Disease Prevention Team sponsored meetings between North Dakota and Minnesota public health units from throughout the Red River Valley on February 12, March 9, and March 23 to plan tetanus vaccine clinics. The goal of the group is to coordinate the education and media campaign for Td/Tdap boosters in 2007. During flooding in 1997, more than 30,000 North Dakotans, including 7,000 in Grand Forks County, received a tetanus shots and now require boosters. Monthly immunization updates were held at Altru Family Medicine Center, Altru Pediatrics and Grand Forks Public Health Department. Kathy Dunn facilitated the CDC’s Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases satellite Downlinks for 12 area Healthcare Providers on January 25, February 1, 8 and 15. Many more providers viewed the presentations via web cast. Presentations on TB disease were held at Northeast Human Service Center on January 16 and February 27. Grand Forks has one person with active TB receiving medications and monitoring. Grand Forks has welcomed two new refugee families in February. Terri Keehr provided the recently resettled refugees TB skin testing, home visits, health teaching and care coordination. The Greater Grand Forks Immunization Coalition met January 9, February 6 and March 6. The coalition is focusing on the availability of Tdap in the community and education of providers. They are also helping develop the education and media campaign for the public. A meeting was held with Rand Misekow, Vaccine Specialist for GlaxoSmithKline to discuss their sponsorship role in our 2007 school immunization program. A presentation on HIV and STD’s was provided to six clients at Drake Counseling. All staff participated in safety training on standard precautions presented by Shannon Hansen of Altru Infection Control Dept. Employees were fit tested for personal respiratory protection. The disease prevention team developed a resource binder with information on methicillin resistant staph aureus (MRSA). Hand washing signage was placed in all county building public restrooms, and hand washing stickers were given to the Central and Red River students to distribute at their respective schools. TB testing at was conducted for employees at Wonder Years Childcare Center. The Disease Prevention Team participated in the Altru “Here for Life Expo” by distributing immunization information, Td/Tdap booster recommendations and requirements. Administrative staff assisted fair participants by printing individual immunization records from the North Dakota Immunization Information System (NDIIS.) Twyla Streibel attended the Greater Grand Forks HIV/AIDS Network meeting on March 26. Health Services Team Members: Linda Opstad, Bill Lund, Kathy Mack, Stacie Olson Programs: Correctional Center, Home Visits, Office Nursing, School Nursing During January, February, and March 985 clients were served by public health nurses in our office for services including TB skin tests, health teaching, immunizations, STD counseling, blood pressure monitoring, medication administration and head lice checks. During January, February, and March, public health nurses made 574 home visits to residents in Grand Forks County. Services included health assessments, education, medication setup, prenatal and newborn assessments. There were 13 admissions and 16 discharges during this period. During January, scoliosis screening was completed for 848 6th grade girls and all 8th graders in city/county schools. In February puberty education was provided to 133 5th graders in the county schools, and HIV education was provided to 109 6th graders in the county schools. During January, February, and March, Kathy Mack provided six “Heart at Work” screenings for newly hired city employees. Grand Forks Public Health coordinated meetings with the Grand Forks School Nurses to discuss issues in their schools, and to elicit support for improving school health and wellness services. Stacie Olson certified 40 correctional officers for medication administration at Grand Forks County Correctional Center in January and February. Judy Schumacher retired from her position as a nurse at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center on March 9, completing seventeen years of service to our Department.