Town of Otisfield
Public Workshop Minutes
February 11, 2009
1. CALL TO ORDER: The workshop was called to order at 7:00 PM. All BOS were present.
2. MaryAnn Amrich, RN, BSN District Public Health Liaison,
Western Maine Office of Local Public Health
Sue Dowdy, Local Health Officer Coordinator
NOTE: Lenny Adler is the Otisfield Local Health Officer
MaryAnn and Sue provided background information and answered questions the Board may have about what requirements Local Health Officers (LHO) may need. They explained the LHO is a mandated position by the Maine legislature. In 1918 a law required every municipality to appoint a public health officer, due to the flu epidemic. State laws have since been revamped and the public health infrastructure is now looking at LHOs from an educational and training perspective. Regional level interacts with (8) public health districts along county lines, by population, and then again by service areas. Otisfield is covered by Western Maine District (3).
Duties and function packets for an LHO was submitted into public record. Office of local Public Health coordinator is where this falls. Three (3) liaisons have been hired to date. No state funding and no new positions have been created. They took vacant positions in Maine CDC and moved them out to this field. Money is generated from Federal funding and grants. Fact sheets submitted. Info gathered from new state laws. More support and more resources will be pulled in the future.
Appointments: all cities and towns are to appoint an LHO for a three (3) year period. The Dept. needs to be notified in writing if the person appointed changes or takes a leave of absence. Any number of individuals can take this position. (CEO, retired physician, nurse, physician’s assistant, Fire Marshall, BOS) The town decides who is to be put in this position. Training is required from this point forward. There is a clause about incapacity or absence. Some one else can be put in place during that time frame. BOS discussion: Possibly taking the time now to appoint someone as an assistant local health officer. All agreed to place it on the next BOS agenda & discuss it more in session.
Requirement under the new law is a six (6) hour training which consists of approx four (4) hours of online time and two (2) hours of mutual problem solving. All local health officers have to complete the class by June 30th. MIM will notify office of local public health that we have taken the class. BOS agreed that the Assistant LPO will also be required to take this same training. If someone is recently appointed they have 6 months to complete the training.
The department looks at two criteria for duties under the law: The first is what is required and the second is the authority to take action. You are required to keep a record of the activities that you do. Document it. You are required to respond to complaints from the public and inspect what is taking place. You have the authority to the abatement of findings. Provisions during a declared health emergency, again required to, report any communicable diseases, set up a clinic if notified to do so by the State, and act as a resource for connecting people to the correct resources state wide. Public health safety laws need to be enforced. I.e.: Student w/ measles, tuberculosis, etc. Local health officer might get involved. School nurse would most likely be person, but the authority is there if you need it. Removal of
nuisances or dead animal. Work w/ other resources in town, such as ACO, CEO, & Plumbing inspector. Landlord / tenant issues are huge amount of calls: very often, sending them to legal aid. Right of entry is allowed as a local health officer. If denied by entry a warrant is needed. BOS agreed that the same policy for the CEO Right of Entry applies to the LHO. Rick requested the policy to be updated.
2004 Manual is in the process of being updated and revised. Expecting it out by the end of March. In terms of resources, there is a web site that lists contact information. www.mainepublichealth.gov
Board of Selectmen thanked both ladies for providing the updated information.
3. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC:
A. None.
4. ADJOURNMENT:
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:25 PM. HF/LJA – Unanimous.
Approved by:
Hal Ferguson, Chairman
Rick Micklon
Lenny Adler
Approved on: February 18, 2009
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