Du Page County Health & Human Services Committee met June 2.
Here is the minutes provided by the committee:
1. CALL TO ORDER
9:30 AM meeting was called to order by Chair Peter DiCianni at 9:30 AM.
2. ROLL CALL
PRESENT: DeSart, DiCianni, Eckhoff, Larsen, Renehan, Tornatore
ABSENT:
County Board members Liz Chaplin, Sheila Rutledge, and Don Puchalski attend the meeting.
3. PUBLIC COMMENT
4. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - CHAIR DICIANNI Chair Pete DiCianni stated that these are challenging times, not only with Covid-19, but now challenges with the violence in our communities and people disregarding the progress we are trying to make with Covid-19. The committee is up on the Covid Response and working well with the Health Department. We have a report from the Health Department, including testing, with Dennis Brennan presenting in lieu of Karen Ayala. We are fortunate to have Sam Tornatore, the President of the Board of Health on our committee.
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Health & Human Services - Regular Meeting - Mar 17, 2020 9:30 AM
RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Dawn DeSart, District 5
SECONDER: Robert L. Larsen, District 6
AYES: DeSart, DiCianni, Eckhoff, Larsen, Renehan, Tornatore
6. COMMUNITY SERVICES - MARY KEATING
A. CS Requests That Also Require Finance And/Or County Board Approval
Items 6.A.1. through 6.A.4. were combined and approved.
Mary Keating, Director of Community Services, gave an overview of the Community Services’ agenda items. Ms. Keating explained the ComEd Rate Relief resolution is due to an increase in funding received from ComEd for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The resolution for the Metropolitan Family Services (MFS) is the result of MFS reaching out to the County requesting funding to assist with hotel rooms. Like PADS and Catholic Charities, Metropolitan Family Services, Family Shelter Services has switched to a hotel model for housing clients during the Covid-19 pandemic. This will be covered under the Coronavirus Relief Funds. The furniture acquisition and installation contracts, funded by the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), are for reconfiguration of our workspace to improve the social distancing as we migrate back into the office.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Dawn DeSart, District 5
SECONDER: Julie Renehan, Vice Chair
AYES: DeSart, DiCianni, Eckhoff, Larsen, Renehan, Tornatore
1. FI-R-0373-20 RESOLUTION -- Acceptance and Appropriation of additional funding and extension of time for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) COMED Rate Relief Program Grant FY19 Company 5000 - Accounting Unit 1500, $25,000.
2. FI-R-0374-20 RESOLUTION -- Resolution approving a grant agreement with Metropolitan Family Services through the "CARES ACT" Coronavirus Relief Fund in the amount of $178,000. (COVID ITEM)
3. HHS-P-0128-20 Recommendation for the approval of a contract purchase order to Allsteel c/o Midwest Office Interiors, to furnish and deliver office furniture to be configured to provide social distancing newly constructed workstations for the Housing & Self-Sufficiency and Intake & Referral Staff in Community Services, for a contract total amount not to exceed $28,695.89, per National IPA joint purchasing agreement pricing, in compliance with 30 ILCS 525/2 “Governmental Joint Purchasing Act” . Grant funded.
4. Change Order -- HHS-P-0112A-20 - Amendment to Resolution HHS-P-0112-20, issued to Insight Public Sector, Inc. for Lenovo ThinkPads and docking stations for DuPage County Community Services, to increase contract 4534-0001-SERV, in the amount of $2,940, resulting in an amended contract total not to exceed $35,658.00 an increase of 8.99%. Funded by the CSBG grant. (COVID ITEM)
B. CS Requests for Parent Committee Final Approval
2020-87 Recommendation for the approval of a contract purchase order issued to Midwest Office Interiors, to deliver and install the office furniture to be configured to provide social distancing for the newly constructed workstations, for the Housing & Self-Sufficiency and Intake & Referral Staff in Community Services, for a contract total amount not to exceed $5,500.00, per National IPA joint purchasing agreement pricing, in compliance with 30 ILCS 525/2 “Governmental Joint Purchasing Act” . Grant funded.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Julie Renehan, Vice Chair
SECONDER: Robert L. Larsen, District 6
AYES: DeSart, DiCianni, Eckhoff, Larsen, Renehan, Tornatore
7. RESIDENCY WAIVERS - JANELLE CHADWICK
8. HEALTH DEPARTMENT COVID19 UPDATE - DENNIS BRENNAN
A. Testing Kit Options for DuPage Hot Spots including Long Term Care, State or County sponsored
B. Covid 19 Testing, Molecular/Antibody Site, Who is Eligible, Contact Tracing, Public, Private Opportunities
Dennis Brennan, Legislative Manager at the DuPage County Health Department, stated the Health Department has been working closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health (ILDPH), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), various health systems within the county, and other local health departments to provide the best possible services and to coordinate our responses. The Health Department has three major initiatives:
• Opening the testing site
• Transition of our site for alternative housing
• Contact tracing
The DuPage County Fairgrounds testing site is hoping to open Friday, June 5, or early the following week, and expected to operate for about 8 weeks as a drive-up facility. Testing will be provided for anyone experiencing symptoms. The site will provide a self-administered diagnostic test that will reveal if you are currently positive for Covid-19, with results expected within 48 hours. All individuals testing positive will be asked to notify anyone they have been in contact with unless they were in a congregate setting, whereas the Health Department may reach out to the community. Positive individuals with positive tests will also be asked if they can self-isolate at home. If the individual needs alternate housing, they will be referred to an alternative housing unit.
Antibody testing doesn’t show if a person currently has Covid-19 and the CDC reports that up to half of the antibody tests are not accurate. The Health Department elected to not undertake the antibody test at this time as the medical scientists do not fully understand the results of the tests and there are still too many unanswered questions. The Governor’s Restore Illinois Plan’s list of requirements allows the community to move from one phase to another.
• Part one in the Governor’s plan is the Cases and Capacity, which measures the positivity rate that we receive in the daily updates. The region needs a 20% positivity rate or less and increasing no more than a 10% percentage rate over a 14-day period, with no overall increase in hospital admissions for 28 days, to qualify to move to the next phase.
• Part two is testing; Covid-19 needs to be present in the region to warrant testing.
• Part three to move from phase three to phase four is contact tracing, with monitoring to begin within 24 hours after a diagnosis. The state has provided funding for the hiring of contact tracers. The Health Department has expanded from 6 to 70 contact tracers and will add about 130 additional contract employees to perform contact tracing for about one year.
These initiatives will be treated as high priority for the Health Department and for that reason will be kept in house, which should help to control the finances, and the results according to the grant deliverables.
Mr. Brennan answered questions from the committee. To be sure the tests are done correctly, testing will begin for about 200 people daily to start, increasing as more resources become available.
A few members recommended the HHS committee hold a special call meeting to discuss best practices for the Cares Act Funding.
Asked by Chair DiCianni about the validity of the self-administering of testing, Mr. Brennan replied that Health Department staff will be present to ensure tests are administered correctly. Member Larsen added this method reduces social contact. Mr. Larsen substantiated Mr. Brennan’s statement that Cares Act Funding to the Board of Health will be a top priority. Mr. Brennan stated he does not have the cost of the testing at hand but will provide the information to the committee.
Mr. Brennan responded to Member DeSart that the slow responses to receiving testing results is due to outdated State testing labs, with limited capacity and staff.
Member Eckhoff asked who the experts recommend be tested and how often. Mr. Brennan stated anyone who has symptoms should be tested but does not recommend multiple testing as the State can’t track effectively. Individuals who feel they may have been exposed may seek testing also, but it is not deemed necessary.
Due to the high numbers of minorities testing positive, County Board Member Liz Chaplin asked if the County has reached out specifically to the minorities or put Cares Act funding aside to address their needs.
Mary Keating responded to Member Chaplin, stating she had reached out to West Chicago’s Mayor Ruben Pineda and State Representative Karina Villa for needs in West Chicago and the Hispanic community. Mayor Pineda put Ms. Keating in contact with the police department social worker who expressed the primary needs are food assistance and rental assistance.
9. COMMUNITY SERVICES UPDATE - MARY KEATING
Mary Keating stated the Cares Act Funding is providing just under 6,000,000 through the CSBG, CDBG, and ESG grants, some directly from HUD and some through the State, and can be used into 2021. Community Services is reaching out to their non-profit partners as they make plans to utilize the funds. Hotel stays have been the most urgent need, with rental assistance expected to be in huge demand as we move on.
Member Chaplin, as a member of the National Association Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), offered to facilitate a meeting with the head of the NAACP, Michael Childress. Ms. Keating stated the HSGF recommendations will be delayed this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Applicants have been notified.
10. DUPAGE CARE CENTER UPDATE - JANELLE CHADWICK
Janelle Chadwick, Administrator of the DuPage Care Center, stated the Illinois Department of Public Health (ILDPH), just arrived to complete a Covid-19 survey.
Ms. Chadwick stated that since April 28, 2020, eight staff members have tested positive for Covid 19. Most had minimal symptoms or were asymptomatic. All are doing well and three have returned to work.
Six residents were diagnosed with Covid-19 and are isolated on the Covid floor. Only one of the six required hospitalization. Ms. Chadwick added that the Care Center has tested over 400 residents and staff since May. Some residents have had three or more tests if identified through the contact tracing, and of those that tested positive, some have been testing positive over eight weeks. Tests had to be driven to Chicago, on ice, with results coming in three days. The Care Center reached out to Northwestern/Central DuPage Hospital and Alverno Laboratories, reducing results to within 48 hrs. The Care Center cannot do rapid specimen testing because the specimen must be to the testing center within 15 minutes.
The Care Center is communicating via letters, hotline calls, and Monday through Friday daily updates to families regarding testing and results, and any change in condition. The first family committee Zoom meeting was held and there are six to seven huddles with staff per week to share updates, express concerns, and answer questions.
Ms. Chadwick thanked all within the County that assisted the Care Center with acquiring personal protective equipment (PPE). When there is a positive test outcome, the unit is put under isolation for 14 days, requiring full PPE for staff and contributing to using hundreds of gowns, shoe coverings, etc. per day.
11. OLD BUSINESS
12. NEW BUSINESS
13. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:25 AM.
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