Logan County District Board of Health members were updated at their August meeting about several new community health related initiatives, including an upcoming Overdose Awareness Day event coming up this weekend.
Director of Community Outreach Megan Bailey said a variety of activities are planned for 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at West Liberty Lions Park shelter house one, hosted through a partnership with the Champaign County Health District.
Live music, four food trucks, community resources and Narcan education will be part of the activities, designed to rally the community together to end overdose, to remember without stigma those who have died and to support family and friends left behind.
“The director of nursing in Champaign County and I have been working very hard to get this up and running, and we’re excited to be together at Lions Park to recognize and bring awareness to this important cause,” Bailey said.
In addition, the director of community outreach provided updates about a newer program at the health district — Wellness Wednesday — that began in the spring, funded by agency’s receipt of the Ohio Department of Health’s Integrated Harm Reduction Grant.
The comprehensive harm reduction program is offered from 1 to 4 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month at the health district, 310 S. Main St., Bellefontaine, and includes a myriad of support.
Wellness Wednesday provides harm reduction items for participants, such as sterile syringes, alcohol pads, sterile water for injection, Narcan, and fentanyl test strips, along with general wellness services such as tobacco cessation assistance, counseling and behavioral health referrals via Community Health & Wellness and TCN, medication lock boxes and sharps containers for distribution, HIV and syphilis testing, wound care supplies such as band aides and antibiotic ointment, and safe sex kits.
“Harm reduction” is the concept of working within the imperfect circumstances of certain behaviors/activities to mitigate the harm that can result from those behaviors/activities.
“This phrase may seem new, but it has been around for decades. Although the concept of harm reduction generally encompasses everything from applying sunscreen to using birth control, you may be most familiar with it in relation to the opioid epidemic by way of syringe exchanges and Narcan distribution,”officials reported in the LCHD’s quarterly District Advisory Council newsletter.
They noted that harm reduction services “often improve community cleanliness and safety by serving as a touch point for linkage to care and treatment, reducing the spread of disease, and by providing means for proper disposal of syringes.”
Also related to the Integrated Harm Reduction Grant, Bailey said five emergency naloxone boxes have been placed in locations around the county, including one at the Hoffman Municipal Pool, two in Russells Point, one in Lakeview, and another in Quincy.
Board members also received emergency preparedness starter kits, created by Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Heather Kean, to show the backpacks with helpful safety items that individuals received out at the Logan County Fair this summer.
The bags were funded by the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Grant, and includes the following: first aid supplies, instant cold pack, a whistle, flashlight, emergency survival thermal blanket, hydration on the go water bottle and a family disaster preparedness guide.
Kean, who began her new position shortly before the EF3 tornado hit Logan County in March, has first-hand experience about how important it is to be prepared for an emergency or natural disaster and wants to share that knowledge through this project.
“It’s a starter kit, so it has a number of items you’ll need in an emergency, but then also gives a check-list of items to add to the emergency kit. It can be stashed in your car or another place where you have easy access to it.”
Health district staff also will be passing out the emergency starter kits at various upcoming community events this fall.
In personnel matters, the board approved the first evaluation for Director of Nursing Lee Watts, following her probationary period that ended Aug. 3.
“She’s doing fantastic in the new role,” Health Commissioner Travis Irvan said. “We’re very fortunate to have her working for us. She’s very busy with the back-to-school shots right now, and a number of other programs.”
Irvan also congratulated the Employee of the Quarter — Christina “Christy” Couch, vital statistics registrar.
Also during the meeting, the board conducted a public hearing about the local public health services collaborative community health fee schedule, with no members of the public participating. Members passed the second reading of the fee schedule.
In environmental health matters, Director Matt Stonerock reported that the health district’s water lab was re-certified July 31 through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
“We are only one of a few health departments in Ohio to be OEPA water lab certified,” he noted.
In other action, the board:
• approved environmental health employee Faith Hoffer’s six-month probation evaluation, effective Aug. 10;
• issued condemnation order for a mobile home formerly owned by Paul Tuttle (deceased) at 14137 Rosewood Ave., Chippewa, Lakeview, which is vacant and open and has no water or electric service;
• denied a variance request for John Reed to drill a new well at 10393 Seminole Shore Drive, Hunstville, and requested the variance be resubmitted for next month’s meeting; and
• approved well variance requests from Rick Phillips, 10645 Seminole Shore Drive, Huntsville, and Jim Ambos, for a property at 11204 Newland Drive, Lakeview; and approved a variance request from Jason Jenkins, 1070 Township Road 181, Bellefontaine, to install a replacement septic system.
The next meeting is 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11.
