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[CALL TO ORDER]
HELLO EVERYONE.UH, WELCOME TO THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING.
WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 2:36 PM UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? OKAY.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
UH, MOVING ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.SO APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH REG COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 3RD.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE? SO, MOVE A SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS TO THAT MOTION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[2. Presentation by Ana Urueta, Emergency Management Manager with Austin Public Health Public, on preparations for upcoming winter season and After Action Report. ]
UH, WE ARE MOVING ON TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. OUR FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM IS A PRESENTATION BY ANAWELCOME, UH, JUST FOR A NOTE, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR MIC BEFORE YOU START SPEAKING.
HELLO, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? ALL RIGHT.
I'M ANNA OTA, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MANAGER WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
I RECEIVED THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM.
I AM HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME UPDATES, UH, ABOUT OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN AS IT RELATES TO THE 2025 SEVERE WINTER WEATHER THAT OCCURRED BACK IN JANUARY.
SO BACK IN JANUARY, WE HAD A COUPLE OF ACTIVATIONS, UM, DUE TO SEVERE WINTER WEATHER THAT TRIGGERED EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER ACTIVATION.
UM, THE FIRST ONE WAS JANUARY 8TH THROUGH 10TH, AND THE SECOND ONE WAS IN THE LATTER PART OF JANUARY.
AND THIS AFTER ACTION REPORT IS SPECIFICALLY OUTLINING LESSONS LEARNED FROM THOSE ACTIVATIONS AND, UH, AREAS OF STRENGTH THAT WE WANNA CONTINUE TO, TO PERFORM.
JANUARY 8TH THROUGH 10TH, UH, WHEN WE HAD THE INITIAL COLD WEATHER ACTIVATION, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS ENTER ACTIVATED AT READINESS LEVEL THREE, INCREASED READINESS, UH, COLD WEATHER SHELTERS PROVIDED CONTINUOUS 24 HOUR OPERATIONS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT USUALLY TRIGGERS THAT EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER ACTIVATION JUST TO HAVE INCREASED COORDINATION.
AND WE HAD, UH, 756 OVERNIGHT SHELTER STAYS LATER THAT MONTH.
UH, THE EOC ACTIVATED AGAIN THIS TIME AT LEVEL TWO SIGNIFICANT EVENT.
UH, THE OB SEVERE WEATHER WAS A LITTLE BIT WORSE THIS TIME AROUND.
FIRST RESPONDERS MANAGED 29 COLD WEATHER EXPOSURE CALLS.
THERE WERE TWO FATALITIES, 73 VEHICLE COALITIONS, TWO STRUCTURE FIRES, AND THERE WERE, UH, OVER 2000 OVERNIGHT SHELTER STAYS ACROSS SIX SITES THROUGHOUT THE FOUR DAY PERIOD.
SO, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAD A ROLE THAT WAS PRIMARILY, CAN WE ASK A QUICK QUESTION ON THAT SLIDE? YEAH, SURE.
I DIDN'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOU, AND IF YOU'D RATHER GO TO THE END, THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE, BUT I'VE JUST HAD QUESTIONS AS I WAS GOING ALONG.
AND AGAIN, YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, BUT I JUST WONDERED LIKE LEVEL THREE AND LEVEL TWO, CAN YOU REMIND US HOW YOU DIFFERENTIATE THAT? I WAS JUST THINKING IT MIGHT BE BASED ON, BASED ON TEMPERATURE, BUT JUST WONDERED.
AND THEN THE TWO FATALITIES, I WONDER IF YOU KNEW, WERE THOSE, UM, EXPOSURE FATALITIES? IS THAT WHAT THAT MEANS? OR, YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE, UH, ABOUT EITHER THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER ACTIVATION WAS DETERMINED BY HES I OR NOW AUSTIN E EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND WE DO MIMIC THE LEVELS OF ACTIVATION AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, BUT I CAN PROBABLY GET THAT INFORMATION AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
AND THE FATALITIES UNIT THEY WERE RELATED TO, YOU KNOW? YEAH, I DON'T, I CAN'T RECALL EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE RELATED TO.
I BELIEVE ONE MIGHT HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE CAR COLLISION, BUT I CAN'T REALLY TRULY RECALL.
SO, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE PERFORM DURING SEVERE WEATHER, INCLUDING SEVERE WINTER WEATHER.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO PROVIDE A BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR ROLE IS WHEN IT COMES TO SHELTER ACTIVATIONS, JUST TO PROVIDE THAT BACKGROUND AS I CONTINUE ON WITH THE PRESENTATION.
UM, SO WE DO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS.
OUR MEN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS WILL, UH, GO TO THE SHELTERS TO, UM, ENSURE THAT FOOD SAFETY'S MAINTAINED, THAT THERE'S HAND WASHING STATIONS THAT THE SHELTER SANITARY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SHELTER SURVEILLANCE WHERE OUR EPIDEMIOLOGIST PERFORM DISEASE SURVEILLANCE AND MITIGATE OUTBREAKS.
REALLY, THEY'RE THERE TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE ANY, UH, FUNKY ILLNESSES OR GI OUTBREAKS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT THEY CAN HAVE A PLAN TO MITIGATE THAT AND NOT LET IT GET OUT OF CONTROL.
OUR IMMUNIZATIONS PROGRAM HAS HISTORICALLY SUPPORTED BY PROVIDING VACCINATIONS
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AT THE EMBARKATION POINT.UM, THEY'VE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL IN SETTING UP AT THAT LOCATION BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD POINT TO, UH, CAPTURE FOLKS AND, AND PROVIDE ACCESS, UH, WHERE SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO MEET THEM.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE HAS REQUESTED THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT WITH, ALTHOUGH UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S LIMITED RESOURCES.
UH, WE ALSO CONDUCT MEDICAL CARE COORDINATION, SO ESPECIALLY THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTERS ACTIVATED, THERE ARE ANY MEDICAL NEEDS.
UH, WE WILL COORDINATE THAT THROUGH THE EOC AND IN COORDINATION WITH OUR HEALTH AUTHORITY, DR.
WS, UM, AND CAT REC, AND SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T ACTIVATE DURING THIS ACTIVATION FOR THE, UH, JANUARY, 2025 SEVERE WINTER WEATHER, BUT WE DO HAVE READY TO GO IS MATERNAL AND CHILDCARE SUPPORT.
WE HAVE STRIKE TEAMS THAT ARE READY TO SUPPORT WITH LACTATION SERVICES, UM, LOGISTICAL NEEDS LIKE CRETES AND OTHER THINGS.
UM, THIS IS IN NO WAYS A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ALL THE THINGS WE DO DURING RESPONSE.
UM, WE ALSO DEPLOY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT I, I'M NOT GOING INTO BECAUSE, UM, THEY'RE NOT SOMETHING THAT WERE PERFORMED DURING THIS RESPONSE.
SOME STRENGTHS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, UM, THERE WERE, THEY FALL UNDER THESE FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS COORDINATION, PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE, MASS CARE, AND INFORMATION SHARING.
UH, ONE GREAT ITEM THAT CAME OUT OF THE RESPONSE WAS SOME COORDINATED, UH, SOME EFFECTIVE COORDINATION WITH HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE TO TRIAGE RESOURCE REQUESTS, AND ALSO REALLY GOOD COORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UM, THE, THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF HAVING THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ACTIVATION WHEN THERE'S A RESPONSE.
IT'S THAT YOU'RE SITTING RIGHT ACROSS THE TABLE FROM SOMEONE THAT MIGHT NEED SOMETHING.
UM, IN THIS SPECIFIC INSTANCE, WE RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR SOCS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT FILL THAT REQUEST.
UM, WE ALSO HAD SOME REALLY STRONG DEPARTMENT WIDE SUPPORT.
UH, WE HAD ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS SUPPORTING EPIDEMIOLOGISTS, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ON STANDBY.
UM, THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT STRENGTH.
AND THEN WE JUST HAD SOME, SOME, UH, JOB AIDS THAT WERE DEVELOPED AND SOME TRAININGS THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE IN RESPONSES SINCE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE.
UM, THE EFFORTS, UH, IDEALLY PROTECTED THE HEALTH OF SHELTER RESIDENTS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OUTBREAKS, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT MAINTAINING THAT CLOSE EYE AND ALSO THE EDUCATION THAT'S PROVIDED TO THE SHELTER MANAGERS, THE FOLKS LEADING THE SHELTERS, HELPS WITH, UM, ENSURING THAT DISEASE ISN'T SPREAD.
AND, UM, WITHIN THE MASS CARE REALM, UH, WE HAD SOME LESSONS LEARNED OR SOME STRENGTHS WITHIN SOME COMMUNICATIONS THAT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE ACTIVATIONS.
JUST THINGS THAT WE HADN'T DONE IN THE PAST, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS AND EPIDEMIOLOGISTS, WORKING MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER, UM, AND CREATING SOME BEST PRACTICES FOR FUTURE RESPONSES.
AND THEN FINALLY, FOR INFORMATION SHARING, UH, THE STRENGTH WAS THAT THERE WAS TIMELY REPORTING BY BOTH THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS AND THE EPIDEMIOLOGISTS, WHICH IS REALLY HELPFUL FOR WHEN YOU'RE AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.
AND YOU WANNA KNOW HOW THINGS ARE GOING TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY GAPS, SO YOU CAN HELP COORDINATE NEEDS.
THEN JUMPING INTO THE AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT, UM, IF YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE AFTER ACTION REPORT, THEY'RE LISTED IN THE IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT STARTS ON PAGE 12.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY SPECIFIC ITEMS AND WHERE WE ARE WITH PROGRESS ON THOSE.
BUT, UM, AT A HIGH LEVEL, FOR THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS COORDINATION, WE HAVE, UM, BEEN COORDINATING WITH AUSTIN OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OR AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
NOW, UH, THEY'VE ESTABLISHED A SHELTER WORK GROUP, WHICH IS REALLY HELPING US IN ACCOMPLISH A LOT OF THESE TASKS.
UM, WHICH MANY OF 'EM ARE FOLLOWING WITHIN THE TRAINING REALM.
UH, WE DID IMPLEMENT A LOGISTICAL TRACKING SOLUTION THROUGH MAXIMO, WHICH THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM USES.
AND OTHER, UH, DIVISIONS ARE ADOPTING AS WELL, OR HAVE ADOPTED.
THAT HELPS US WITH JUST TRACKING THE RESOURCES WE HAVE.
AND, UM, WE'VE PLANNED SOME TRAININGS.
WE HAVE THE NEXT ONE COMING UP ON THE 21ST.
UM, IT'S A WINTER WEATHER SEMINAR IN WHICH WE ARE, UM, TRAINING OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND SOME PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATORS ON, UM, SOME RESPONSE ACTIVITIES IN FOR THE WINTER WEATHER THAT'S COMING UP WITHIN PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE.
UM, WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS IN COORDINATING SURVEILLANCE IN EACH PROCESSES.
ALTHOUGH IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS AND EPIDEMIOLOGISTS GO TO THE SHELTERS, IT CAN SOMETIMES BE A BIT OVERWHELMING FOR BOTH THE SHELTER MANAGERS AND THE, THE STAFF IF THE ROADS ARE UNSAFE.
UM, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARY FOR THEM TO GO ON A DAILY BASIS.
IT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOST EFFECTIVELY CONTINUE THOSE, UH, EFFORTS WHILE NOT DOING A NECESSARY WORK WITH LIMITED RESOURCES.
UM, WE HAD NOTED THAT THERE WAS A SHELTER MANAGER TRAINING THAT WAS NEEDED.
UM, FORTUNATELY THROUGH THAT NEW SHELTER WORK GROUP AND A NEW HIRE FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, THEY HIRED A SHELTER MANAGER.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH
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THEM TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON FOODBORNE, UH, TRAINING FOR FOODBORNE DISEASE TRAINING, UM, SURVEILLANCE TRAINING, AND OTHER TRAININGS THAT THEY'RE INCORPORATING FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING AT THE SHELTERS.UM, YOU WILL PROBABLY SEE ON THE IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT THERE WAS, UH, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH HYGIENE THAT WERE NOTED DURING THE RESPONSE.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GOT INTO OVER 24 HOURS THERE, WAST A SOLUTION FOR FOLKS TO TAKE A SHOWER.
IT'S JUST LOGISTICALLY VERY DIFFICULT.
AND WE HAD NOTED THAT, UM, IDEALLY WE WOULD PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION THAT COULD BE TAKEN BY PART IN THE, UM, HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, WORKING THE SHELTERS AND THE CONTRACTOR.
UM, I THINK THAT WE'VE COME TO AN, A SOLUTION WITH UTILIZING WIPES, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S FINALIZED JUST YET.
UM, WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING THE EXACT PROCESS.
AND THEN FINALLY, IN INFORMATION SHARING REALM, WE HAVE PURCHASED A SYSTEM CALLED VOC.
IT STANDS FOR VIRTUAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, UM, SOFTWARE.
AND THAT'S GOING TO HELP IN SHARING INFORMATION.
IT'LL HAVE A DASHBOARD WHERE INTERNALLY OUR LEADERSHIP CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, HOW MANY WHAT, JUST UNDERSTAND THE PROGRESS OF EVERYTHING.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO SHARE INFORMATION THROUGH SITUATION REPORTS, BUT I THINK THAT'LL REALLY HELP WITH INFORMATION SHARING.
AND THEN I, I REALLY WANTED TO NOTE THAT, UM, WE'VE ESTABLISHED A NEW MEDICAL VULNERABLE REGISTRY WORK GROUP.
UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY TIED TO ANYTHING ON THIS A A R, IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT, UH, WINTER RESPONSE AND OTHER EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORK GROUP IS TO BRING TOGETHER DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, AGENCIES THAT HAVE A ROLE IN REACHING INDIVIDUALS THAT EXPERIENCE HIGHER RISK OF HARM DURING A DISASTER.
UM, AND IT'S THROUGH UTILIZING THE DIFFERENT REGISTRIES THAT EXIST, SUCH AS THE STATE OF TEXAS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE REGISTRY.
THIS WORK GROUP HAS BEEN MEETING BIWEEKLY, AND WE'VE BEEN REALLY FURTHER DEFINING OR CLEARLY DEFINING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
UM, SO WHENEVER A DISASTER HAPPENS, WE KNOW HOW TO REACH THE FOLKS THAT NEED TO BE REACHED.
AND, UM, WE CAN HAVE MORE OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE NEEDS ARE WITH THOSE THAT NEED US THE MOST.
I WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF A TIMELINE OF THE, THIS YEAR, JUST BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME ITEMS ON THE IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT HAD A DUE DATE OF AUGUST 1ST.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY PUSHED SOME OF THOSE TO BE FINISHED BY NOVEMBER 1ST.
AND JUST TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT, AFTER THIS WINTER WEATHER INCIDENT IN JANUARY, WE DEALT WITH MEASLES RESPONSE THAT WENT FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH AUGUST.
UM, WE HAD THAT MICROBURST IN MAY THAT WE RESPONDED TO.
WE HAD COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND OTHER FOLKS RESPOND TO THAT BY CHECKING ON INDIVIDUALS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, MAY THROUGH OCTOBER, DEAL WITH EXTREME HEAT.
ALSO, PUBLIC HEALTH HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THAT.
WE DEAL WITH, UM, PUSHING OUT REPORTS, UH, SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE REPORTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN, UH, MOST RECENTLY WE SUPPORTED TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND TRAVIS COUNTY GENERAL WITH JULY FLUSH, FLAT FLASH FLOODING.
SO ALL OF THESE, UM, HAVE REALLY RESULTED IN A BUSY YEAR FOR US.
BUT I THINK THAT THE GOOD THING IS THAT WE'VE GOT LOTS OF REALLY GOOD LESSONS LEARNED, AND, UM, IT'S HELPING US IN IMPROVING OUR PLANS AND CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN OUR RESPONSES.
AND JUST FINALLY, UH, FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO MORE TRAINING, UH, THESE AFTER ACTION REPORTS, THEY'RE REALLY HELPFUL IN, UM, KEEPING US TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE.
AND SO, UM, WHENEVER WE IDENTIFY ANY AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT, WE, UM, CREATE THESE TO TRACK ALL THOSE ITEMS AND, AND UPDATE OUR PLANS.
WE HAVE TRAININGS COMING UP, LIKE THAT WINTER WEATHER WORKSHOP THAT I LISTED.
UM, WE'VE GOT LOTS OF MORE COORDINATION HAPPENING WITH THOSE WORK GROUPS THAT I TALKED ABOUT.
UM, AND WE'VE CREATED SOME NEW PLANS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE GAPS THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED.
IDEALLY, ALL OF THESE LESSONS LEARNED WILL HELP US BE READY FOR THE NEXT RESPONSE.
UM, STARTING WITH THE LAST THING YOU SAID, RESPONSE READINESS, LEVERAGE PAST LESSONS TO STRENGTHEN FUTURE RESPONSE READINESS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY EXAMPLES OF LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS INCIDENT THAT Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO APPLY TO OTHER INCIDENTS THIS YEAR? JUST TO KINDA GIVE US AN IDEA OF THE VALUE IN THE BENEFIT OF ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES? YES.
UM, THE FIRST ONE THAT COMES TO MIND, IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A SMALL THING, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT, IS, UM, THE ITEM THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT CREATING AN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.
UM, WELL, THIS WAS A STRENGTH, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DID IT FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING THIS RESPONSE, CREATING A JOB AID FOR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.
UM, THIS HAS NOW BEEN UTILIZED AS A TEMPLATE.
SO ANYTIME WE'VE HAD A RESPONSE, WE'RE NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH, BUT RATHER WE HAVE A GUIDE THAT SHOWS US HOW TO LOG INTO WEB BOC AND COORDINATE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
UM, IT CUTS A LOT OF THE TIME.
THAT TAKES IN THE FRONT END WHEN YOU'RE RESPONDING.
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SOMETHING THAT WE TOOK FROM THIS, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT AN AREA FOR IMPROVEMENT, IT'S STILL IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE STRENGTHS BECAUSE THEN IT ENSURES THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO THEM.UM, ALSO I THINK THAT IT, UM, HAVING THESE AFTER ACTION REPORTS, THEY LEVERAGE THE REASONING OF WHY WE DO CERTAIN THINGS.
UM, SO LIKE THE INCREASED COORDINATION THAT'S NEEDED.
WE CAN LOOK BACK ON HERE AND SEE AS WE'RE DEVELOPING NEW SYSTEMS LIKE VOC, WHERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE? AND THEN WE CAN LOOK BACK.
'CAUSE BACK IN JANUARY, SINCE SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED, IT'S EASY TO FORGET HOW MANY, UM, OF THE LOCATIONS DO WE HAVE? UM, I'M SORRY.
HOW MANY LOCATIONS DO WE HAVE FOR THE, UM, OVERNIGHT, UM, STATUS FOR THE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS? COLD WEATHER SHELTER? YEAH.
SO, UM, I CAN SHARE INFORMATION ON THIS BASED ON MY KNOWLEDGE, BUT WE'RE NOT THE LEAD IN COORDIN ORGANIZING THE SHELTERS AT THIS POINT.
BUT I HAVE AWARENESS FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE SHELTER WORK GROUP.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL KINDS OF SHELTERS, RIGHT? THERE'S THE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS FOR THE IN-HOUSE WHEN THEY OPEN.
UM, THEY, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO OPEN WHEN THERE'S SEVERE WEATHER.
IT COULD JUST BE 35 DEGREES AND BELOW.
I BELIEVE IT'S STILL THEIR THRESHOLD.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, I KNOW THAT THERE'S AT LEAST THREE THAT ARE OPERATED BY THEIR VENDOR, UM, CONTRACTOR URBAN LEAGUE.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, THERE'S A ADDITIONAL X AMOUNT THAT THE CITY CAN OPERATE.
BUT I THINK THAT I CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU AND CONFIRM WITH THEM.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, THAT'D BE GREAT.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF THE SCALE OF ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND IF IT WAS ONE LOCATION, I'D GET IT, BUT IF THERE'S LIKE THREE PLUS MORE, IT'D BE INTERESTING TO KNOW.
YEAH, SO I THINK THAT THAT IS GOOD CONTEXT FOR WHENEVER THERE'S JUST THREE SHELTERS NEEDED, WHICH IS A BIT OVER 300 PEOPLE THAT CAN BE SHELTERED IN THAT AMOUNT.
USUALLY HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE HANDLES THAT WITH THE CONTRACTOR, AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE.
UM, ONCE IT, THE, THAT THRESHOLD IS MET AND THERE IS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SHELTERING BECAUSE WE SEE MORE PEOPLE SEEKING SHELTER, THAT'S WHEN THIS OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS STEP IN PART HAS A GREAT DEAL TO DO WITH THIS.
THEY OPEN OTHER REC CENTERS, AND I'VE SEEN UP TO NINE SHELTERS IN THE PAST.
SO I, THAT'S WHY I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE LIMIT IS.
I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS DONE AS MANY AS HAVE BEEN NEEDED FROM AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE.
I MEAN, IT'S INTERESTING, AND I'M NOT REALLY ASKING FOR THE INFORMATION NECESSARILY, BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO KNOW, LIKE, IT'S A VERY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S JANUARY 8TH OR SOMETHING, WHENEVER THAT WAS, OR, OR THE 18TH, AND YOU'RE GETTING READY TO HAVE FOUR NIGHTS IN A ROW OF FREEZING WEATHER, YOU KNOW, LEVEL TWO, WHATEVER.
AND, AND I WONDERED HOW PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY WHO NEED HELP KNOW WHERE TO GO AND HOW THAT WORKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST HOW DOES IT ALL COME TOGETHER SO THAT ON THE NINTH OF THE NIGHT OF THE 18TH AT 1:00 AM AND THE 19TH OR SOMETHING, PEOPLE ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, HAVE GOTTEN WHAT THEY NEED MM-HMM
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT JUST, UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HOW IT ALL WORKS.
NOT THAT YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A DOCUMENTARY, BUT IT'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S GOING ON.
IT NEEDS TO BE READY, IT NEEDS TO BE OPEN.
AND YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT'S 300 TONIGHT OR, OR 600, YOU KNOW, IN A, YOU KNOW, AND HOW YOU WOULD DECIDE, WELL, GEEZ, WE NEED A SECOND SHELTER.
'CAUSE AT THIS LOCATION WE'VE GOT 97, IT ONLY HOLDS A HUNDRED.
AND WHAT, WHO DECIDES THAT AND HOW DOES IT WORK? NOT SAYING THAT WE WANT TO HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE SO WE COULD, YOU KNOW, PASS JUDGMENT OR DO ANYTHING, BUT JUST SORT OF TO KNOW HOW IT WORKS IN THE REAL WORLD.
YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY A VERY INTRICATE SYSTEM.
UM, AND THE ONE THAT I WAS MENTIONING WAS COLD WEATHER SHELTERING FOR THE IN-HOUSE WHEN IT'S REALLY JUST NOT EVEN SEVERE WEATHER.
UM, I MEAN, IT'S SEVERE FOR MANY FOLKS, BUT IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A SITUATION WHERE THERE'S MASS POWER OUTAGES OR ANYTHING OF THAT SORT.
BUT IF THERE'S, UM, A LARGE SCALE DISASTER, THEN THAT COULD TRIGGER A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SHELTERING SYSTEM.
UM, LIKE A OPENING A LARGER SPACE WHERE YOU CAN SHELTER MORE PEOPLE.
BUT THAT'S WORK THAT I'M HAPPY THAT THEY'VE HIRED A SHELTER MANAGER NOW TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE SHELTER WORK GROUP THAT'S REALLY WORKING THROUGH THAT.
UM, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT SHELTERING PIECES.
AND THEN TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT HOW IT'S DECIDED TO OPEN ANOTHER SHELTER, I REALLY WANNA GIVE A LOT OF KUDOS TO THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE AND THE VENDORS THEY WORK WITH BECAUSE, AND MANY OTHER PARTNERS, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY A, A DAY BY DAY BASIS AT NIGHT, THEY SEE, OKAY, WE'VE SEEN OVER 200 PEOPLE ARE NOW ACCESSING THIS FIRST SHELTER.
WE'RE GONNA NEED TO, THEY HAVE OTHER SHELTERS ON STANDBY, AND THEN THEY, THEY OPEN THEM.
SO IT'S A LOT OF, UM, TIRELESS WORK THROUGHOUT THE WINTER SEASON.
SINCE YOU MENTIONED STAFF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FUNDING CUTS.
UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE PREPARED FOR IN THE WINTER? ARE WE WORRIED ABOUT POTENTIALLY LOSING INDIVIDUALS
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DUE TO CUTS AND FUNDING? SO I CAN ONLY COMFORTABLY REALLY TALK TO SPEAK TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE, WHAT I'M SEEING WITHIN OUR TEAMS THAT ARE DEPLOYED FOR SHELTER SUPPORT.UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE IMMUNIZATIONS TEAM THAT'S HELPED WITH MOBILE VACCINATION, THE MOBILE VACCINATION PROGRAM.
I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY CUT, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEIR CAPACITY WILL BE.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON THAT WEEK.
UM, SO I COULD SEE SOME CUTS POTENTIALLY TO SERVICES THERE.
UM, I THINK OUR EPIDEMIOLOGISTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS ARE, WE'RE PLANNING ON BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE THOSE SERVICES.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE ARE ANY CUTS THERE, BUT MY TEAM, THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM HAS CERTAINLY HAD A ROCKY YEAR WITH, UM, FUNDING.
WE'VE, FORTUNATELY NOW WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED OR THE GRANT THAT WE HAVE.
BUT, UM, IT'S BEEN A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CURRENT SITUATION ADMINISTRATION.
SO, UM, ALL OF THIS COORDINATION, UM, AND ALL OF THE AFTER ACTION REPORTS THAT ARE CREATED AND ALL THE PLANS, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO REALLY CONTINUE AT THIS LEVEL IF WE WERE TO HAVE EVEN JUST ONE PERSON CUT.
I'M LOOKING AT MY COLLEAGUES TO, BUT Y'ALL CAN'T TELL ME.
I, I, I WANNA SAY IT WAS AFTER THE FIRST WINTER STORM, MAYBE 2022, INTERIM CITY MANAGER GARZA, UH, ISSUED AN ADMINISTRATIVE BULLETIN THAT DESIGNATED ALL CITY STAFF AS EITHER ESSENTIAL OR CRITICAL.
UM, AND SO IF YOU AND ESSENTIAL ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO SHOW UP ALL THE TIME, I KNOW IT'S BACKWARDS.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE DESIGNATED AN ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE BY YOUR DEPARTMENT, THAT MEANS THAT YOU WILL BE DEPLOYED.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SEEING, UM, FEDERAL CUTS TO, TO FUNDING GENERAL FUNDED CITY STAFF, UM, HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPOND, UM, IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS WHAT, WHAT, YES.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE TRAVIS COUNTY FLOOD'S, UH, RESPONSE.
UM, I WANT TO REASSURE YOU AND TO REALLY EXPRESS GRATITUDE ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY BECAUSE, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND OTHER STAFF AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IMMEDIATELY JUMP IN AND ADDRESS THE, THE, UH, ISSUE.
AND REALLY IT WAS ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR THEM AS WELL.
WE, WE APPRECIATE THE RELATIONSHIP AND THE COLLABORATION AND THE EDUCATION THAT THEY PROVIDE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT MORE EDUCATION ON THIS EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM THAN WE DO.
AND, UM, IT'S REALLY TO THE BENEFIT OF OUR RESIDENTS IN THE COUNTY.
UM, ANA, YOU MENTIONED SITUATION REPORTS, AND I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION.
DO YOU, I WOULD LOVE IF THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SEE YOU QUARTERLY, UM, JUST TO HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENING, UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, GET THESE UPDATES SINCE YOU ALL ARE CAPTURING ALL OF THIS CONTENT AND INFORMATION, UM, JUST SO THAT IT'S NOT A, WE SEE YOU SOMETIMES, MAYBE.
UM, AND THEN MY, MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, LOOKING AT THE ROAD AHEAD AND I, AND THIS CAN BE A CONVERSATION THAT HAPPENS AFTER, AFTER TODAY, UM, WHERE AS THE COMMISSION CAN WE BE ACTIVATED TO SUPPORT, UH, IN NEXT STEPS TO KEEP THESE THINGS GOING? UM, WHETHER IT'S A RECOMMENDATIONS REQUEST, IT'S AN ORDINANCE REQUEST, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DRAFT, UH, COLLABORATIVELY AND PUT TOGETHER, BUT SOMETHING THAT IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE BENEFICIAL, UH, TO THE FUTURE.
UM, SO YEAH, IF, IF THAT'S NOT A QUESTION YOU ALREADY, YOU ALREADY HAD READY TO ANSWER, UH, MAYBE IF WE COULD GET A FOLLOW UP FROM YOU TO DANNY AND JUANITA OF HERE'S A WAY THAT WE COULD BE ACTIVATED AS A COMMISSION TO SUPPORT THE NEXT, THE NEXT STEPS OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME QUARTERLY.
UM, AND I WILL GO BACK TO MY TEAM AND DISCUSS HOW, I THINK EVEN JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE YOU ALL LISTEN, UM, TO WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'VE RESPONDED AND OUR PLANS PROVIDES, UM, A LOT OF BENEFIT.
JUST HAVING THAT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
AND I THINK AS THINGS COME UP, THEN WE CAN HAVE MORE ACTIVE COMMUNICATION.
ANOTHER QUESTION, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WINTER WEATHER AND JUST SEVERE WEATHER IN GENERAL, CLIMATE CHANGE, IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO SAY THAT MM-HMM
UM, ARE, ARE Y'ALL MAKING PLANS? IS A PH DOING ANYTHING AT THE MOMENT TO START ADDRESSING CLIMATE
[00:25:01]
CHANGE AND HOW OUR RESPONSES MAY BE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE SITUATIONS? YES.WE RECENTLY STARTED A CLIMATE HEALTH COMMITTEE, UH, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
EACH DIVISION HAS REPRESENTATIVES IN THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THE REASON WE WANTED TO DO THAT AND HAVE IT BE DEPARTMENT-WIDE IS BECAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ISSUE.
IT'S IMPACTING ALL OF THE DIVISIONS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND ALTHOUGH PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS TAKING A GOOD PART OF THE LEAD RIGHT NOW WITH IT, IT'S REALLY, UM, SERVING AS A OPPORTUNITY AND A PLATFORM FOR DIFFERENT EMPLOYEES TO SHARE WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE AS IT RELATES TO CLIMATE, UH, TO SEE IF THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
THE CONCERNS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGH EMERGENCY PLANNING OR, UM, IF WE NEED TO MAKE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, THE FIRST STEP THAT WE TOOK WITH THIS CLIMATE HEALTH COMMITTEE WAS EDUCATION.
AND WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT OUR DEPARTMENT JUST HAD A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS AND HOW IT IMPACTS HEALTH.
AND SO WE, AS AN EXAMPLE, HELD A GROUND ROUNDS PRESENTATION WHERE WE INVITED VARIOUS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO TALK ABOUT CLIMATE AND HEALTH AND, UM, JUST ALLOW THAT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STAFF TO ASK QUESTIONS AND THINK MORE ABOUT HOW, UM, THE, WHAT ACTIONABLE STEPS THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES WITH CLIMATE, SINCE A LOT OF THE WAYS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MITIGATE THIS THROUGH ADAPTATION AND THROUGH AWARENESS.
UM, SO THIS CLIMATE HEALTH COMMITTEE HAS BEEN A REALLY COOL NEW THING THAT WE'VE STARTED, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT WORK.
THAT'S GREAT TO KNOW THAT A PH AND PHEP IS LEANING FORWARD ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT GOING AWAY AND IT'S ONLY COMING FASTER.
SO I THINK I MIGHT BE PART OF THAT COMMITTEE ACTUALLY.
ANA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE INFORMATION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD IN, UH, COMMISSIONERS, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE FOLLOW UP WITH DANNY AND JUANITA TO KEEP ANA, UH, AND HER TEAM ON OUR RADAR FOR CONVERSATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS.
UM, AND ALSO WE CAN TAP INTO COMMISSIONER CROOKHAM ABOUT THE CLIMATE HEALTH COMMITTEE AND INFORMATION NOW THAT WE KNOW.
UH, AND I WOULD ALSO, UH, JUST ENCOURAGE YOU ALL IF THERE ARE, UM, OTHER CONVERSATIONS AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CONTINUE THIS, UM, PREPARATION, I THINK IS THE WORD I WANT TO SAY.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE INTENSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMISSION, UM, TO ACTIVATE AROUND THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL AFFECT, I DUNNO, CAN WE SAY SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH? STILL? SURE.
UH, THE, IT'S HAPPENING, UM, AND WITHIN OUR COMMISSION, RIGHT? AND THAT IS A PART OF OUR SCOPE.
UH, I'M JUMPING A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF OUR, OUR, OUR AGENDA.
BUT, UM, JUST AS WE DEPLOY AND, AND GO OUT, UH, KEEPING THOSE AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS, WE'VE HEARD WHAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS GOING ON AND HOW DO WE KEEP THAT, THAT NEEDLE MOVING IN THE POSITIVE, UM, DIRECTION.
[3. Presentation by Madeleine Flanagan, Program Manager I with Austin Public Health, on public health follow up program. ]
MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION BY MADELINE FLANAGAN, PROGRAM MANAGER, ONE WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ON PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM.AND JUST AS ANOTHER REMINDER, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU PUSH THE BUTTON ON THE MIC.
ALRIGHT, WELL, MY NAME IS, UH, MADELINE FLANAGAN, AND I AM A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICABLE DISEASES UNIT.
I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, BEST PRACTICE IN CONGENITAL SYPHILIS SURVEILLANCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW-UP.
CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IS WHEN SYPHILIS IS TRANSMITTED TO A BABY DURING PREGNANCY.
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE SEEN A TREMENDOUS INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES OCCURRING NATIONALLY, AS WELL AS IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
AS A RESULT OF THOSE INCREASES, UH, THE PO THE PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED A COUPLE OF STRATEGIES TO ADJUST THESE RISING RATES.
I'M GONNA GO OVER THOSE TODAY.
ALRIGHT, SO TODAY I'M GONNA GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT MY PROGRAM DOES, UM, DISCUSSED BRIEFLY WHAT CONGENITAL SYPHILIS AND SYPHILIS ARE, UH, DESCRIBE THE CHANGES WE MADE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE OUTCOMES WE SAW, AND WHAT OUR FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.
A QUICK DISCLAIMER, UH, ALL OF THE DATA SHARED IN THIS PRESENTATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN NO 2024 DATA RECONCILIATION WITH THE CDC, SO THIS DATA IS CONSIDERED PROVISIONAL.
UM, ANY DATA SHARED HERE TODAY WAS INTERNALLY COLLECTED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
[00:30:02]
ALL RIGHT, SO WHILE TODAY WE ARE GONNA BE SPECIFICALLY, UH, DISCUSSING CONGENITAL SYPHILIS, THIS IS A SMALL PART OF WHAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM, UH, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.THIS WORK IS CONDUCTED BY DISEASE INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS, OR DIS, OUR DISEASE INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS, OUR FRONTLINE PUBLIC HEALTH DETECTIVES.
THEY TRACK DOWN INFECTIONS, NOTIFY AND SUPPORT EXPOSED PARTNERS, AND CONNECT PEOPLE TO LIFESAVING CARE.
UH, DIS LAST YEAR INVESTIGATED 1600 NEW CASES OF SYPHILIS AND HIVA KEY PART OF THIS WORK IS ALSO PARTNER SERVICES, WHERE WE CONFIDENTIALLY NOTIFY AND SUPPORT CONTACTS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED SO THAT THEY COULD ALSO GET TESTED AND TREATED.
IN 2024, MORE THAN 1100 INDIVIDUALS WERE PURSUED FOR SYPHILIS RELATED PARTNER SERVICES BY OUR TEAM.
UH, DIS ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR LINKING PEOPLE INTO CARE, CONNECTING PATIENTS, UM, AND CONTACTS TO TESTING TREATMENT AND OTHER SUPPORT.
SPECIFICALLY, THIS IN MEANS ENSURING ADEQUATE TESTING AND TREATMENT, AND THEN CONGENITAL SYPHILIS THAT IS THE SAME.
WE'RE TRYING TO ENSURE TREATMENT OF ANYONE PRIOR THAT IS PREGNANT PRIOR TO DELIVERY.
UH, DIS ALSO PROVIDE COUNSELING EDUCATION BOTH TO INDIVIDUALS ON HOW TO PROTECT THEIR HEALTH, AND ALSO TO PROVIDERS ON THE BEST PRACTICES REGARDING SEXUAL HEALTH.
BY BREAKING THE CHAINS OF COMMIS OR COMMISSION TRANSMISSION, UH, AND BUILDING TRUST IN THE COMMUNITY, A DIS PLAYS A V VITAL ROLE IN STOPPING OUTBREAKS, PROTECTING HEALTH WHERE IT MATTERS MOST.
DISEASE INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS PLAY A CORE FUNCTION IN CARRYING OUT ESSENTIAL SERVICES OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, A LITTLE, UH, OVERVIEW OF WHAT SYPHILIS IS.
UM, SYPHILIS IS A COMMON BUT HIGHLY TREATABLE BACTERIAL INFECTION.
IT SPREADS MAINLY THROUGH SEXUAL CONTACT, UM, AND CAN ALSO BE PASSED FROM MOTHER TO BABY DURING PREGNANCY.
THERE ARE FOUR STAGES OF SYPHILIS, EACH WITH DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS. AND WHILE SYPHILIS DOES CAUSE SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS, THEY OFTEN GO UNNOTICED AND MAY NOT PROMPT AN INDIVIDUAL TO GET TESTED.
SYPHILIS WITHOUT TREATMENT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH, UH, PROBLEMS WITH EARLY DETECTION AND ANTIBIOTICS.
USUALLY PENICILLIN, SYPHILIS CAN BE CURED AND ANY COMPLICATIONS CAN BE PREVENTED.
CONGENITAL SYPHILIS HAPPENS WHEN A MOTHER PASSES SYPHILIS TO HER BABY DURING TREATMENT OR AT DELIVERY.
CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IS ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE IF THE MOTHER GETS TREATED EARLY DURING PREGNANCY.
UNFORTUNATELY, IF LEFT UNTREATED, CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS FOR THE BABY, THIS CAN INCLUDE MISCARRIAGE, STILLBIRTH, UH, PRETTY SEVERE BIRTH DEFECTS, UH, AND PREMATURE BIRTH.
LIKE I SAID PREVIOUSLY, SYPHILIS CAN GO UNNOTICED IN AN INDIVIDUAL.
SO EARLY SCREENING AND TIMELY TREATMENT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN, UH, ARE CRITICAL TO PREVENTION AND JUST SOME TERMINOLOGY FOR FUTURE UNDERSTANDING.
A SYPHILIS INVESTIGATION IS DONE ON A PREGNANT PERSON.
A CONGENITAL SYPHILIS INVESTIGATION IS DONE ON THE BABY'S BORN TO A MOM WITH A POSITIVE SYPHILIS LAB DURING PREGNANCY.
AND WHILE A CASE OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IS AN INVESTIGATION THAT DE DETERMINES THAT THE BABY WAS BORN WITH SYPHILIS.
UM, AND THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS THAT DETERMINE CONGENITAL SYPHILIS.
AND LIKE SYPHILIS, MOST CASES ARE DETERMINED TO BE PROBABLE CASES.
SO WHEN YOU SEE PROBABLE THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION, THAT'S, UH, THAT IS A CASE OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS.
SINCE 2012, CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE RISEN BY MORE THAN SEVEN AND 150%.
SYPHILIS, SYPHILIS CASES HAVE INCREASED BY NEARLY 80% WHILE CONGENITAL SYPHILIS ROSE MORE THAN 180%.
TEXAS CONTINUES TO REPORT SOME OF THE HIGHEST RATES NATIONWIDE, WHILE WITH CLIMBING CASES CLIMBING TO ABOUT 150% INCREASE FROM 2018 TO 2022.
HERE IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY CASES SURGED 111% IN JUST ONE YEAR FROM 2021 TO 2022.
UH, AND THEN HERE'S JUST SOME, AN ADDITIONAL CHART DEMONSTRATING HOW RAPIDLY CASES HAVE INCREASED IN BOTH TEXAS AND THE UNITED STATES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT RED LINE THERE IS TEXAS, UM, AND THE BLUE LINE IS THE UNITED STATES.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN THERE STARTED TO BE A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS LARGE INCREASE IN CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES, UH, I WOULD DISCUSS WITH LEADERSHIP AS TO WHAT WE THOUGHT SHOULD BE DONE TO ADDRESS CONGENITAL SYPHILIS.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK THAT WAS BEING CURRENTLY DONE WAS FOCUSED ON AFTER DELIVERY, UM, THROUGH CONGENITAL SYPHILIS SURVEILLANCE, WHICH IS CRUCIAL AND NEEDED FOR US TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES ARE HAPPENING.
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO FOCUS WITH MY PROGRAM IS TO PREVENT CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES FROM HAPPENING AT ALL THROUGH ENSURING ALL PREGNANT
[00:35:01]
PEOPLE WERE ADEQUATELY TREATED PRIOR TO DELIVERY, AS WELL AS ON, AS WELL AS FOCUSING ON PEOPLE OF CHILDBEARING CAPACITY TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING PREGNANT WITHOUT SYPHILIS.IN 2024, THE PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM LAUNCHED AN INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS CONGENITAL SYPHILIS.
WE WANTED TO PREVENT CONGENITAL SYPHILIS BY ENSURING PREGNANT INDIVIDUALS COMPLETE TREATMENT BEFORE DELIVERY.
WE WANTED TO ENSURE PREGNANCY STATUS WAS DOCUMENTED FOR ALL CASES OF SYPHILIS.
WE WANTED TO IMPROVE TESTING IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY AND FOLLOW UP WITH ANYONE WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH SYPHILIS, BUT HAD UN BEEN INADEQUATELY TREATED.
SO, UM, THESE ARE SOME OF OUR, OUR CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM THAT WE LOOK TO MAKE.
UM, SO WHILE PREVIOUSLY PREGNANT WOMEN WERE PRIORITIZED, PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW UP ENDED ONCE THE INDIVIDUAL WAS TREATED FOR SYPHILIS OR DETERMINED TO BE UNABLE TO LOCATE OR HAD REFUSED TREATMENT.
ONCE THAT OCCURRED, THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL FOLLOW-UP DONE UNTIL AFTER DELIVERY.
WHAT OUR INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON WAS STRENGTHENING PREVENTION BY DESIGNATING STAFF TO MONITOR ALL PREGNANT INDIVIDUALS WITH POSITIVE SYPHILIS LABS THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THEIR PREGNANCY TO ENSURE PROPER CARE.
WE UTILIZED A NEW TRACKING TOOL TO FOLLOW THEIR CARE, AND WE WANTED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PROVIDER EDUCATION, UM, AND RESOURCES THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO HOPEFULLY IMPROVE TESTING AND OUTCOMES.
WHAT THIS ALLOWED US TO DO IS MONITOR THAT PEOPLE WERE GETTING CARE NOT AT JUST ONE POINT DURING THEIR PREGNANCY, BUT THROUGH THE DURATION OF THEIR PREGNANCY.
IT ALSO ALLOWED US THAT IF ANYONE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN UNABLE TO BE LOCATED, OR THEY HAD REFUSED TREATMENT FOR US TO CIRCLE BACK AT A DIFFERENT TIME AND SEE IF THIS WAS A BETTER TIME FOR THEM TO ENGAGE IN SPECIFICALLY SPECIFIC, UGH, SPECIFICALLY SYPHILIS CARE.
SO DURING THE 20, UH, FEBRUARY, 2024 TO JANUARY 20, 25 TIME PERIOD, 116 INDIVIDUALS HAD SYPHILIS INVESTIGATIONS INITIATED DUE TO POSITIVE SYPHILIS LABS DURING PREGNANCY OF THE 116 SYPHILIS INVESTIGATIONS, 47 OF THOSE RESULTED IN, UH, SYPHILIS CASES WHILE THE REMAINING 69 WERE EITHER BIOLOGICALLY FALSE POSITIVES, HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH SYPHILIS OR DID NOT MEET SYPHILIS CASE CRITERIA.
I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE NUMBERS AND YEAH, IT SAID IN TRAVIS COUNTY, I THINK WE HAVE 230 CASES PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, I THINK WAS, NO, I DIDN'T SAY THAT.
WHAT WAS THE CHART? WHAT WAS THAT GRAPH? UH, FIRST OH, THE GRAPH, I MEAN, NO, NO, THE HOW MANY PER HUNDRED THOUSAND.
THAT WAS LIKE SIZE THREE OR FOUR.
MAYBE I'M HAVING A, A MOMENT THERE.
UH, THERE WAS 230 CASES OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS, UM, PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND BIRTHS IN TEXAS.
SO DOES THAT RATE APPLY TO AUSTIN? 230 BIRTHS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN AUSTIN? I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
WHICH SHOULD, I MEAN, IF IT'S IN TEXAS, LET'S JUST PRETEND LIKE THE MODEL DOWN.
I'M JUST TRYING TO SAY WE HAVE A MILLION PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, LET'S SAY, OR, OR CERTAINLY AUSTIN, THAT WOULD BE 10 TIMES A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO WE'D EXPECT 2300 CASES OF CONGENITAL SY SYPHILIS IN AUSTIN IF WE HAD THE SAME RATE AS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS, AND THAT'S A LONG WAY FROM 2300 CASES.
AND SO I'M TRYING TO CROSSWALK THAT 230 PER HUNDRED THOUSAND IS A RATE, WHICH YOU MIGHT THINK WOULD BE SYMBOL IN HOUSTON, IN AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A GAP THERE.
DOESN'T THERE? IS THERE 2000 CASES IN CENTRAL TEXAS? NO, THERE'S DEFINITELY NOT THAT MANY IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, A HUGE VARIETY OF OKAY.
CARE, ACCESS TO CARE FROM AUSTIN TO THE REST OF TEXAS.
AND I THINK RURAL AREAS AND OTHER CITIES DEFINITELY HAVE MORE CASES OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS THAN AUSTIN HAS EVER HAD.
THAT MAKES IT, 'CAUSE THESE JUST DON'T GET CLOSE TO THAT.
SO, UM, SO LOOKING AT, UH, THE OUTCOMES OF THAT TIME PERIOD OF FEBRUARY, 2024 TO JANUARY, 2025, UM, WE SAW THAT THE MAJORITY OF SYPHILIS CASES WERE DIAGNOSED WITH LATE, LATE AND SYPHILIS, WHICH IS THE STAGE OF SYPHILIS THAT USUALLY INDICATES THAT DUE TO A LACK OF SYMPTOMS AND TESTING HISTORY, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL HAS HAD SYPHILIS FOR OVER A YEAR.
THIS SUGGESTS THAT THIS, UH, INFECTIONS OFTEN PREDATED PREGNANCY AND ONE WHEN UNTREATED DUE TO GAPS IN EARLY SCREENING AND TIMELY CARE.
UH, IN TEXAS, SYPHILIS TESTING DURING PREGNANCY IS LEGALLY REQUIRED THREE AT THREE TIMES AT THE FIRST PRENATAL VISIT DURING THE THIRD TRIMESTER.
AND AT DELIVERY REACTIVE TESTS OCCURRED ACROSS ALL TRIMESTERS.
[00:40:01]
WE LOOKED AT THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT USUALLY REFLECTED DE DELAYED ACCESS TO PRENATAL CARE RATHER THAN NEW INFECTIONS DURING PREGNANCY.UH, HERE WE LOOK AT THE CONGENITAL SYPHILIS INVESTIGATIONS COMPARED TO THE OUTCOMES OF THE MOTHERS.
ONE OF THE LARGEST SUBSETS THAT WE, UH, LOOKED AT WERE BIOLOGICAL FALSE POSITIVES, WHICH OFTEN WERE CAUSED BIOLOGICAL FALSE POS POSITIVES HAPPEN A LOT DURING PREGNANCY, OR THEY WERE DUE TO OUTDATED TESTING ALGORITHMS HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR BETTER PROVIDER EDUCATION AROUND SYPHILIS TESTING AND MANAGEMENT.
WE'RE JUST SEEING A LOT OF PROVIDERS STILL USING OUTDATED TESTING ALGORITHMS, AND IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT TO, UM, CHANGE THOSE PROCESSES.
ALTHOUGH 55 CASES RECEIVED ADEQUATE TREATMENT, 25% WERE TREATED TOO LATE IN PREGNANCY OR NOT UNTIL DELIVERY OR AFTER UNDERSCORING THE NEED FOR FASTER FOLLOW-UP AND TREATMENT INITIATION OF THE CASES THAT RESULTED IN CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES.
THE MAJORITY RECEIVED TREATMENT LATE IN THEIR PREGNANCY DURING DELIVERY, OR AFTERWARDS.
AND THEN JUST AGAIN, HIGHLIGHTING THAT OF THE CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES THAT DID OCCUR, THE MAJORITY OF THE MOTHERS LIKELY HAD SYPHILIS PRIOR TO PREGNANCY.
AS WE STARTED MORE CLOSELY MONITORING THESE CASES, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS LIKELY HAD UNDIAGNOSED AND UNTREATED SYPHILIS PRIOR TO PREGNANCY.
SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS LAUNCH A RETROSPECTIVE CARE INITIATIVE TARGETING INDIVIDUALS OF CHILDBEARING CAPACITY, WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY INADEQUATELY TREATED FOR SYPHILIS FROM THE YEARS 2019 TO 2024.
THE IDEA BEING WE WANNA ENSURE ALL PEOPLE OF CHILDBEARING CAPACITY HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY TREATED PRIOR TO THEM POSSIBLY GETTING PREGNANT.
AN INITIAL REVIEW AND CASE BY CASE FOLLOW-UP CONFIRMED THAT A HUNDRED PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH SYPHILIS DURING 2019 TO 2024 STILL REQUIRED TREATMENT.
OUR VIEW FOUND THAT KEY BARRIERS INCLUDED HOUSING INSTABILITY, LIMITED PHONE ACCESS, AND OTHER CONFLICTS AS THE REASON INDIVIDUALS WERE PREVIOUSLY UNABLE TO BE TREATED.
BUT IN REVIEWING EACH CASE, ONE OF THE BARRIERS THAT WE SAW MOST FREQUENTLY WAS UNABLE TO ACCESS CLINIC SERVICES DUE TO TRANSPORTATION OR SCHEDULING ISSUES.
BASED ON THESE FACTORS, WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.
THIS PROGRAM THAT WE INITIATED, UH, FOCUSED ON LOCATING AND REENGAGING THESE INDIVIDUALS TO ENSURE THAT THEY RECEIVE CARE BY ADDING A FIELD-BASED MEDICAL PROVIDER WHO COULD PROVIDE SYPHILIS TREATMENT IN OUTSIDE OF CLINICAL SETTINGS.
SO GOING TO THE PATIENT'S HOME, GOING TO WHEREVER THEY WERE, POSSIBLY CAMPING, GOING TO SHELTERS, GOING TO THEIR WORK, UM, THIS PROVIDER WAS ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, THIS PROVIDER WORKED ALONGSIDE THE DISEASE INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS, ALLOWING US TO INCREASE OUR TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR OUR CLIENTS, AND THE TEAM COULD DELIVER IMMEDIATE TREATMENT WHEN AND WHENEVER, WHEN, AND WHEREVER BEST WORKED FOR THESE CLIENTS.
OVER A FOUR WEEK PERIOD, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM USED A MEDICAL PROVIDER PRIMARILY TO TREAT THESE RETROSPECTIVE CASES.
DIS INVESTIGATED AND PURSUED 33 RETROSPECTIVE CASES AND REFERRED THEM FOR TREATMENT.
SIX ADDITIONAL HIGH RISK UNTREATED INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THIS RETROSPECTIVE GROUP WERE ALSO INCLUDED.
UM, THIS INCLUDED A SEX PARTNER OF ONE OF THE RETROSPECTIVE CASES, A PREGNANT PATIENT WHO HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CHLAMYDIA AT 24 WEEKS, AND THEN FOUR PATIENTS THAT WERE LINKED TO A CURRENT ACTIVE SYPHILIS CLUSTER.
IN TOTAL, 39 INDIVIDUALS WERE PURSUED FOR TREATMENT DURING THIS PERIOD.
OF THOSE 39 INDIVIDUALS, UH, 44% RECEIVED ADEQUATE TREATMENT DUE TO THIS PROGRAM WITH NEARLY, UH, 59% RECEIVING TREATMENT IN THE FIELD BY THAT MEDICAL PROVIDER.
THE REST BEING EITHER REFERRED TO THE RBJ SEXUAL HEALTH CLINIC OR TO THEIR, UH, DIFFERENT PROVIDER IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, THESE 11 INDIVIDUALS THAT I HIGHLIGHTED HERE WERE ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE IT OR HAD REFUSED TREATMENT SINCE 2019.
BY BEING ABLE TO OFFER THEM MULTIPLE FLEXIBLE OPTIONS FOR THEIR TREATMENT, INSTEAD OF INSISTING THAT THEY COME TO A CLINIC THAT'S OPEN EIGHT TO FIVE, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THEIR BARRIERS TO CARE SO THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THAT TREATMENT.
SO THOSE WERE ALL INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN LIVING WITH UNTREATED SYPHILIS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER TREATMENT TO.
UM, SO THOSE WERE SOME BRIEF SUMMARIES OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE IMPLEMENTED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
I NOW JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME OVERALL OUTCOMES IN REGARDS TO OUR CONGENITAL SYPHILIS EFFORTS.
THE FIRST CHARTS, CHARTS SHOW OUR TREATMENT ADEQUACY FOR PREGNANT PEOPLE, AND SHOWS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO TREAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF PREGNANT PEOPLE FOR SYPHILIS, UM, IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
THAT WASN'T ALWAYS 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THEM GIVING DELIVERY, WHICH IS THE IDEAL OUTCOME, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM TREATED AT SOME POINT, UM, WHETHER THAT BE BEFORE THEIR DELIVERY, AT DELIVERY OR AFTERWARDS.
UM, WHICH COMPARED TO TEXAS, WHERE 19% OF PREGNANT PEOPLE REMAIN UNTREATED.
SIMILARLY, FOR PEOPLE OF CHILDBEARING CAPACITY,
[00:45:01]
WHERE THERE, UH, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO ENSURE 93% OF PEOPLE WERE TREATED FOR SYPHILIS COMPARED TO 74% IN THE REST OF TEXAS.AND NOW JUST LOOKING AT THE OUTCOMES OF THE CONGENITAL SYPHILIS INVESTIGATION IN COUNT CASES, OVERALL, WE SAW A 7% DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES REPORTED, UM, COMPARED TO A 42% INCREASE THE YEAR BEFORE, WE ALSO SAW A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STILLBORN CASES.
ADDITIONALLY, WE EXPERIENCED A 19% INCREASE IN 2024, UH, IN THE INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED, MEANING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH SYPHILIS DURING PREGNANCY, BUT COMPARED, UH, SO THAT WAS A 19% INCREASE, WHERE IN 2023, WE SAW A 59% INCREASE.
SO WHILE THERE WASN'T AN OVERALL DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INVESTIGATIONS OR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PREGNANT WITH SYPHILIS, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO DECREASE, UM, THE NUMBER OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES IN BABIES BY 7%, WHICH AGAIN, COMPARED TO, UH, 42% INCREASE IN 2023.
IN SUMMARY, WE INITIATED TWO PROJECTS TO ADDRESS CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE SAW, AND WE SAW, UM, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IS THAT WE SAW CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES, UH, DECREASE BY 7%.
UM, ALL PREGNANT INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED ADEQUATE TREATMENT ALONG WITH 93% OF THOSE OF CHILDBEARING CAPACITY.
ADDITIONALLY, 11 PEOPLE WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN LOST TO FOLLOW UP OR REFUSED CARE WERE SUCCESSFULLY TREATED.
SOME OF THE LONG-TERM PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE SINCE CONDUCTING THESE INITIATIVES ARE MONTHLY CASE CONFERENCING REGARDING ALL PREGNANCY CASES WHERE EVERY MONTH, EVERY PREGNANT CASE IS REVIEWED, THAT TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING ADEQUATE CARE.
WE HAVE INCREASED OUR PRIORITIZATION AND ENHANCED PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW UP OF PEOPLE OF CHILDBEARING CAPACITY, AND WE HAVE ALSO INCREASED OUR EDUCATION AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PRIOR PROVIDERS.
WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO SPEAK WITH PROVIDERS ABOUT BEST PRACTICES SURROUNDING CONGENITAL SYPHILIS.
SO I JUST WANNA TAKE A MINUTE TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE CHANGES WE WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT DIS LIVE BY IS THAT IF A PERSON IS STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU, WE NEED TO ACT LIKE WE'RE NEVER GOING TO SEE THEM AGAIN.
SO LET'S TRY TO GET THEM EVERYTHING THEY NEED RIGHT IN THAT MOMENT.
IN ORDER FOR US TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON MAKING TREATMENT MORE ACCESSIBLE BY ALLOWING FIELD-BASED MEDICATION DISTRIBUTION BY DIS, AS WELL AS HAVING A MEDICAL PROVIDER THAT CAN PROVIDE TREATMENT IN THE FIELD.
WE'D ALSO LIKE TO EXPAND OUR MOBILE TESTING AND CARE AND, UM, OFFER EXTENDED CLINIC HOURS WITH WALK-IN OR AFTER HOURS OPERATIONS.
UH, LONG-TERM TRACKING IS ALSO RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDED TO MONITOR MEDICATION ADHERENCE AND ANY PATIENT OUTCOMES.
AND WHILE THOSE ARE TANGIBLE ACTIONS WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE INTERNALLY, THERE ARE SOME LARGER ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, ONE OF THEM BEING A SCREENING OF, UH, INCREASED SCREENING AND EARLIER SCREENING.
MORE WOMEN THAN EVER ARE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH SYPHILIS, AND TOO OFTEN WE ENCOUNTER WOMEN THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN TESTED FOR SYPHILIS PRIOR TO THEIR PREGNANCIES.
THESE INITIATIVES REVEALED THAT MANY INFECTIONS LIKELY OCCURRED TO PREGNANCY BEFORE PREGNANCY AND WENT UNDETECTED UNTIL LATER STAGES LATE.
LATE SYPHILIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON DIAGNOSIS DURING PREGNANCY.
UNDERSCORING A SYSTEMIC GAP IN EARLY SCREENING AND TREATMENT.
IT IS CRUCIAL THAT HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS INCREASE SYPHILIS SCREENING FOR ALL PEOPLE OF CHILDBEARING CAPACITY, NOT JUST THOSE CURRENTLY PREGNANT, TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE TREATED AND TESTED AND TREATED PRIOR TO CONCEPTION.
EARLIER DIAGNOSIS MEANS BETTER OUTCOMES AND REDUCE RISK OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS.
AND THEN, UH, WHILE IT IS AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY AND HAS SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES IN OUR WORK, UH, CONGENITAL SYPHILIS ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR 7% OF WHAT, UM, OF THE INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED BY DIS.
THIS WORK WAS ONLY POSSIBLE DUE TO A FULLY STAFFED, FULLY TRAINED PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW UP PROGRAM WITH CONTINUED STAFFING CUTS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW UP PROGRAM.
THESE INITIATIVES HAVE BECOME UNSUSTAINABLE WITHOUT ADEQUATE PERSONNEL CRITICAL FOLLOW UP FOR HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS SUCH AS PREGNANT PEOPLE HAS ALREADY BEEN LIMITED.
THIS PLACES ANY PROGRESS AT RISK AND INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CONTINUED CONGENITAL SYPHILIS RESURGENCE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK THOSE WHO ACTUALLY DO THIS WORK.
I'M HERE TODAY JUST SPEAKING ON, ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THEM, BUT THE REAL PEOPLE ARE OUR DIS AND OUR DIS UM, SUPERVISORS AND OUR SURVEILLANCE FOLKS WHO EVERY DAY ARE GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TRYING TO LOOK FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, UM, DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN TO GET THESE PEOPLE ACCESS TO CARE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHOUT OUT THOSE FOLKS.
UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.
UH, YOU, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY ON SLIDE 13, JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE, I, I HEARD THIS THERE.
[00:50:01]
AROUND, UM, THE 39 IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER MM-HMMSO THIS, THE TEST WAS BECAUSE THIS, THIS WASN'T A NEW, THESE WEREN'T NEW INFECTIONS.
THESE WERE, UH, INFECTIONS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN PRE PRIOR PREGNANCY UNTREATED.
I, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SAY DEFINITIVELY SURE WHEN THEY WERE, UM, UH, WHEN THEY WERE INFECTED WITH SYPHILIS, BUT WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THAT WHEN WE LOOKED AT THOSE 39 INDIVIDUALS, THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAD NEVER ACCESSED PRENATAL CARE AND SO NEVER GOT THAT FIRST TRIMESTER INITIAL PRENATAL CARE TESTING.
AND SO, AGAIN, IT, WE WANNA JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT IT'S NOT PREGNANT FOLKS GETTING SYPHILIS DURING PREGNANCY.
IT'S LIKE A LACK OF ACCESS TO CARE, UM, AND, UH, NOT BEING SCREENED PRIOR TO PREGNANCY.
THIS IS LIKE A REALLY LOADED QUESTION, SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND.
DO WE KNOW WHY TEXAS IS DOING SO TERRIBLY WITH THIS AS A WHOLE? SURE.
MOVING ON TO MY NEXT QUESTION THEN, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS ROOM.
WE CAN HAVE THAT AS A, A EMAIL OFFITE CONVERSATION.
LET'S MOVE TO MY NEXT QUESTION, UH, FOR YOUR FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, JUST V JUST CURIOUS WITH OUR, UH, EMS PRO COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAM, UM, WOULD THAT BE, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY EXPLORED INTO THE, THE, HEY, YOU'VE GONE ON A CALL PREGNANT MOM MEDICS REMIND MAMA TO GET TESTED? YEAH, WE UTILIZE EMS IN PRETTY LIKE SEVERE CIRCUMSTANCES, LIKE WHEN WE'VE ABSOLUTELY NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE.
THEY'VE HAD A HISTORY OF EMS, UM, THEY HAVE A HISTORY WITH LIKE OTHER OUT, UM, LIKE STREET OUTREACH TEAMS AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE OF CONFIDENTIALITY, UM, ESPECIALLY AROUND SEXUALLY SEXUAL HEALTH.
LIKE IT'S, UM, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF OUR BOUNDARIES IS HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE WITH EMS, LIKE WHAT EXACTLY THESE FOLKS NEED WITHOUT PERMISSION TO DO SO.
UM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK I'M LOOKING TO EXPLORE AND EXPAND AS WE MOVE INTO THE FUTURE.
JUST CURIOUS OF LIKE, YEAH, COULD WE DROP AN INFORMATION CARD WITH HER, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND THEN ARE YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU HAVE THIS DATA, BUT ARE YOU, UH, TRACKING ANY TRENDS WITH THE PREG WITH PREGNANT MOMS WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE MM-HMM
BUT ARE REFUSING TREATMENT MM-HMM
ARE YOU, IS THERE, ARE YOU SEEING LIKE MORE OF THE QUALITATIVE SIDE OF THINGS? LIKE IS IT STIGMA? IS IT THEY DON'T GET IT? IS IT, SO PART OF THAT IS REFUSAL IS DEFINITELY LIKE A PROGRAM SPECIFIC TEAM THAT THE PERSON IS AWARE OF THEIR SYPHILIS DIAGNOSIS, BUT IS JUST NOT ABLE TO COME IN AND THEY'LL MAKE APPOINTMENTS AND THEY, YOU KNOW, IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, WE DON'T, LIKE, I COULDN'T PULL A LINE LIST OF LIKE REASONS WHY, BUT I DID GO, THAT'S WHAT I KIND OF DID, IS I WENT THROUGH AND LOOKED AT ALL OF THE CASES AND KIND OF TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND IT'S JUST REALLY, I THINK A MATTER OF PRIORITY.
LIKE I SAID, A LOT OF THESE FOLKS ARE ENCOUNTERING A LOT OF BARRIERS AND SYPHILIS IS SOMETHING THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMEONE WHO IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY'RE GONNA SLEEP THAT NIGHT, GET FOOD FOR THEIR KIDS, THIS JUST IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE LAST PRIORITY.
AND LIKE I SAID PREVIOUSLY AND EVEN CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A LOT OF CASES OF SYPHILIS AND SO WE CAN'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME, WE CAN'T SPEND FOREVER WITH A PATIENT TRYING TO REENGAGE THEM.
AND SO SOMETIMES WE GOTTA KIND OF LIKE, OKAY, THIS ISN'T A GOOD TIME FOR YOU, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A STEP BACK.
BUT THAT WAS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE IS STAYING ON TOP OF THEM THOUGH BEHIND THE SCENES SO THAT WE COULD CIRCLE BACK AROUND.
BUT IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO, THIS JUST ISN'T THEIR PRIORITY.
AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THEM INDIVIDUALLY, IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE WHY IT WASN'T.
COMMISSIONERS, PLEASE COULD I JUST SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION AND YOUR PASSION FOR THIS IS OBVIOUS AND, AND, UH, EFFECTIVE.
I WANTED TO SORT OF CORRECT MYSELF.
I THINK I DON'T HAVE THE SLIDES PRINTED, BUT I BET YOU WERE I BET THAT SLIDE, IF YOU GO BACK TO YOUR SLIDE TWO OR THREE, I BET IT'S 230 PER HUNDRED THOUSAND BIRTHS, NOT PER HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION, WHICH WOULD THEN FULLY EXPLAIN MY CONFUSION.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR WHATEVER CONFUSION I MIGHT HAVE CREATED, BUT IT WAS MOSTLY AMONGST MYSELF ANYWAY.
UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION AND INTEREST AND SEE IF THAT'S RIGHT.
IF I, IF I MIGHT MAKE A COMMENT.
MADAM CHAIR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR ME.
[00:55:01]
I CAN PLEASE DR.I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU MADELINE.
THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
AND JUST MENTION FOR THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS, UM, DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES AND THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH, DR.
SHUFORD, IN A PRESENTATION THAT THEY GAVE LAST FALL WAS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE THINGS THAT MADELINE OUTLINED IN HER PRESENTATION THAT, UM, CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM WITH CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ACROSS THE STATE, IS THAT, UM, WOMEN WHEN THEY DO, UM, HAVE ENCOUNTERS WITH MEDICAL PROVIDERS FOR OTHER THINGS, UM, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT, UM, BE TESTED.
SO JUST IN LINE WITH WHAT MADELINE WAS SAYING, UM, AN INCREASED AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO, UM, TEST PEOPLE FOR SYPHILIS, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO HELPING US IDENTIFY PEOPLE THAT ARE OSTENSIBLY FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS.
UM, AND THEN IF THERE'S A POSITIVE TEST RESULT THAT WOULD THEN BE REPORTED BACK TO US AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND DIS CAN THEN, UM, INTERVENE AND, AND DO THE INVESTIGATION.
JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT FOR CLARITY.
JUST TO UNDERSTAND ARE I'LL WAIT.
IT'LL BE A PART OF THE OTHER CONVERSATION.
OH, WAS SHE GONE?
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, COMMISSIONERS, VICE CHAIR.
MADELINE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INFORMATION.
UM, AND I WILL SAY THE SAME THING WITH ANA.
UH, IF YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR US OF HOW WE CAN BE ACTIVATED, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TODAY, UH, TO SUPPORT YOU AND ESPECIALLY WITH STAFFING.
UM, AND I, AND I DO THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COMMISSION CAN DEFINITELY, UH, LOOK AT THE PREVENTION SIDE OF THINGS MM-HMM
AND THE EMERGING CONCERN OF THIS HEALTH TREND MM-HMM
UM, TO, TO MAYBE PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE FOR, FOR US TO SUPPORT WHAT THAT LONGEVITY LOOKS LIKE.
UH, SO HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU SO THAT WE ARE MM-HMM
WE ARE NOT SHOOTING FOR THE STARS, BUT WE ARE YEAH.
ON TRACK WITH WHAT'S MOST BENEFICIAL.
UM, AND I'LL DEFINITELY THINK OF LIKE MORE SPECIFICS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THEM AT A LATER TIME.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF I WAS TO THINK OF TWO THINGS, I THINK ONE IS JUST AN INCREASED AWARENESS AND HELPING US, ONE OF THE THINGS WE STRUGGLE WITH IS THAT THERE'S JUST, THESE ARE FOLKS, UH, THE FOLKS THAT TEND TO, UM, HAVE THE MOST BARRIERS TO ACCESSING THIS CARE TEND TO BE FOLKS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH SOME SORT OF TRANSITION.
AND SO IT'S OFTEN DIFFICULT TO SORT OF NAIL THEM DOWN OR EVEN NAIL DOWN A PROVIDER.
WC SAID, IF WE COULD JUST HAVE AN INCREASED AWARENESS WITH THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY TO START TESTING PEOPLE MORE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY SIGNIFICANT AND VERY HELPFUL.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ON MY SIDE OF THINGS, LIKE JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS CORE FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND YOU KNOW, MY PROGRAM IS FULLY GRANT FUNDED AT THIS POINT, AND WE'VE ENCOUNTERED A LOT OF INSTABILITY IN THE LAST YEAR.
AND SO JUST ADVOCATING THAT THIS IS BOOTS ON THE GROUND EVERY SINGLE DAY, MY TEAM IS OUT THERE TRYING TO FIND THESE FOLKS AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I'VE PUT THAT AS A FUTURE DISCUSSION.
UM, OH, OH, WE'LL LOOK AT THIS.
[4. Discuss prioritization of core public health services vs. broader human services. ]
ARE MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS TO DISCUSS PRIORITIZATION OF CORE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES VERSUS BROADER HUMAN SERVICES.UM, I WANTED TO PUT THIS ON OUR AGENDA.
BASED OFF OF THE, THE COMMENT THAT DR.
WA MADE FOR US LAST MONTH, WHICH WAS, WE NEED TO DECIDE AS A COMMISSION WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON AND WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, I PULLED UP A COUPLE OF THINGS JUST TO LIKE LAUNCH THIS CONVERSATION, BUT I AM HOPEFUL THAT FROM JUST SOME FEEDBACK AND INSIGHTS THAT WE CAN START TO LOOK AT WHAT THE NEXT SIX MONTHS LOOK LIKE FOR THE COMMISSION, WHAT TOPICS WE WANNA COVER, UH, LOOKING AT DIFFERENT PILLARS.
SO AGAIN, REMEMBERING THAT OUR SCOPE AS A COMMISSION IS THE POPULATION LEVEL.
UM, SO OF COURSE, I THINK THIS WAS THE PERFECT, THE TWO PERFECT PRESENTATIONS TO HAVE, UH, TO LEAD INTO THIS CONVERSATION, WHICH IS, UM, WHAT ARE WE, IF WE WANNA PUT THESE IN FOUR PILLARS OF SORTS, UM, WORKING ON WITH PREVENTION
[01:00:01]
AND PROMOTION, LOOKING AT BOTH THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL SLASH PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, UM, EMERGING HEALTH THREATS.AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE SYSTEMS, WHICH I KNOW WE WILL, WE WILL WORK WITH THE EBBS AND FLOWS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH FUNDING RIGHT NOW ON THAT LAST ONE.
BUT THINKING ABOUT OUR TRUE, OUR TRUE SCOPE AS A COMMISSION, UM, I KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL PASSIONATE IN WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE.
UM, BUT BEING ABLE TO MOVE THAT NEEDLE, I MEAN, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BABIES, LIKE I FEEL LIKE THAT IS A HEART JERKER FOR EVERYBODY, AND A WAY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT DISEASE PREVENTION, UM, LONG-TERM PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTION, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE.
I MEAN, IF WE WANNA KEEP ON THE TRACK OF KIDDOS, UH, FOR THOSE KIDDOS NOW, UM, THAT ARE, ARE NOW GETTING CONGENITAL SYPHILIS, RIGHT? UM, HOPEFUL THAT, I KNOW WE HAVE COMMISSIONER K*M HERE WHO CAN TALK TO US ALL DAY ABOUT VACCINE ACCESS.
UM, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO TALK ABOUT INFECTIOUS DISEASE MONITORING, MONITORING, BUT I'M, I REALLY WOULD LOVE FOR US TO THINK INTENTIONALLY ABOUT THE POPULATION SUPPORT THAT'S NEEDED, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE FUNDING CUTS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND HOW CAN WE ACTIVATE OUR COMMISSION TO HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONVERSATION? UM, I KNOW WE WANNA GO HEAVY HITTER AND ASK FOR THE BUDGET TO BE INCREASED AND, UM, DROP ROLE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO EVEN WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE TODAY, UM, TO PRIORITIZE SOME OPPORTUNITIES? UM, HOW CAN WE LOOK AT ACTIVATING THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY? WE HAVE COMMISSIONER RICE HERE WHO IS A MEDICAL EXPERT, RIGHT? WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT CAN WE DO, UM, INTENTIONALLY.
AND SO I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE, BUT I'M HOPEFUL THAT, THAT, THAT THIS IS A TRUE DISCUSSION SO THAT WE REALLY CAN PRIORITIZE MATTERS, UH, AT HAND, UM, AT THAT POPULATION LEVEL.
ONE ADDITIONAL THOUGHT IS THAT OBVIOUSLY THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION IS KIND OF CHARGED TO THINK IN TERMS OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, MAYBE THE PUBLIC HEALTH STRUCTURE HERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HEAR ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S BUILT AND MANAGED BY THE, UM, YOU KNOW, BY, BY MAYBE BY GRANTS, BUT MAYBE, I MEAN, YOU'RE PART OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, YOU'RE PART OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, DIFFERENT THINGS ARE IN THAT STRUCTURE.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO WONDER OUT LOUD, MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, UM, BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, ENTITIES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A CONVENER ROLE THAT WE COULD PLAY THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THIS, THAT WE'D SAY UNITED WAY, WE, WE KIND OF, HERE'S A PROBLEM WE'RE WORKING ON.
WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING IN THIS AREA AND, AND OTHER KINDS OF, YOU KNOW, UM, LARGE PHILANTHROPICS AND OTHER KINDS OF THINGS.
NOT NECESSARILY THAT WE'RE GONNA SOLVE IT, BUT, UM, THE QUESTION KIND OF IS, IS THERE A, A LARGER CONVENING ROLE THAT WE MIGHT PLAY THAT HAS SORT OF A BIGGER VISION, NOT BIGGER, IT'S THE WRONG WAY TO SAY IT, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S BEYOND THE CITY OR THE COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TALK ABOUT.
AND SO I THROW THAT OUT THERE AS JUST A QUESTION.
DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD WORK EXACTLY, BUT I'VE SEEN OTHER THINGS EVOLVE AS COMMUNITY, UM, EVOLVED THINGS.
I MEAN, IN THE TECHNOLOGY WORLD, A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENED AROUND MCC, AND IT WASN'T THE CITY DOING IT, BUT THE CITY CONVENED PEOPLE AND THEY GOT THESE PEOPLE INTERESTED AND THESE PEOPLE FUNDING AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS STIRRED INTO WHAT WE NOW THINK OF AS AUSTIN'S TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE.
CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE EIGHTIES SAY.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A PUBLIC HEALTH, YOU KNOW, VISION THAT COULD BE SOMEHOW, UM, IN THAT CONTEXT, OR MAYBE NOT.
NO, MY, MY THOUGHTS WHEN I WAS HEARING THIS ARE, YOU KNOW, CAN WE, UM, LEARN TO NAVIGATE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IS, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH LIKE OUR, OUR, OUR BELOVED HEB, RIGHT? UM, CAN WE PUT SOME LITTLE STICKERS IN THE MAMA'S AISLE? I DON'T KNOW.
RIGHT? LIKE, I'M THINKING ABOUT CAMPAIGN AND AWARENESS, RIGHT? IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BUY DIAPERS FOR THEIR BABIES, THEY'RE GOING TO SEE A NOTICE OF YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR MEDICAL PROVIDER.
I DON'T KNOW, RIGHT? LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY TO PUT INTO PLACE OR WHO EXACTLY TO ACTIVATE.
UM, OR, UH, YOU'VE MENTIONED IT BEFORE, BUT IT WAS, UM, COUNTY PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE, COMMISSION, SOMETHING THAT MEETS, AND IT'S A BUNCH OF DOCTORS THAT GET TOGETHER, IS THAT US TALKING TO THEM AND SAYING, HEY, WE'RE GETTING MADELINE IN FRONT OF THEM TO SAY, HEY, UH, COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY, YOU KNOW, CAN WE GET YOU TALKING?
[01:05:01]
YEAH.CAN WE GET YOU EDUCATED? CAN WE GET YOU TESTING MORE OBAMAS? RIGHT.
UM, I THINK WE, THIS IS, YES, IT'S A DISCUSSION, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO A, A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, AND AS A REMINDER, AS DIRECTOR AND JUANITA ALWAYS TELL US, WE HAVE OUR OWN COMMUNITIES, UM, AND HOW CAN WE TAP INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES TO ACTIVATE THEM ON THE THINGS WE NEED DONE? MAYBE THAT'S IT, RIGHT? UM, MAYBE WE START SIMPLE.
OTHER IDEAS? I'M WONDERING IF IT'S MAYBE JUST, UH, US DRAFTING A RESOLUTION THAT, UM, WE ASK THAT RESOURCES BE SET ASIDE TO ALLOW FOR, UM, A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO BE, UM, ENGAGED OR TO BE, UM, UNDERTAKEN BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN WE LET OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT, UM, WE, AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DO WHAT THEY DO BEST, AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO PRESCRIBE THAT HERE.
WA, PLEASE, DIRECTOR, IF I, IF I MAY, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS CHALLENGING DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS, UM, THE EXTRAORDINARY FOCUS FROM ELECTED BODIES ON DIRECTING PROGRAMS. UM, AND NOT SAYING THAT WE KNOW EVERYTHING AND WE'RE JUST GREAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, LOOKING BACK, IN ADDITION TO, UH, SEEKING TO INFORM PROGRAMS, I ALWAYS, AND I, I JUST HAD THE CONVERSATION UPSTAIRS WITH THE GROUP, UM, AGAIN, LIKE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND WANTING TO AMPLIFY OUR MESSAGE.
HOWEVER, HOWEVER, I THINK WE'VE GOT THE PROGRAMMATIC PIECE DOWN RIGHT? UM, WHERE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS FOCUS IS ON RESOURCES AND ON POLICIES.
UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IF WE WOULD BE PREPARED AS A COMMUNITY FOR THE NEXT PANDEMIC.
I THINK PROGRAMMATICALLY THERE WAS A LOT OF LESSONS THAT WE LEARNED AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO INCORPORATE IN OUR RESPONSE.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE THAT EVERYBODY LIVING IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT IS STILL NO BETTER OFF THAN THEY WERE DURING THE PANDEMIC OR BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
AND SO IF OUR RESPONSE IS GOING TO BE TO JUST CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY PROGRAMS, GREAT.
HOW DO WE ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES? AND I THINK THAT IS THE, THE PLACE, THE POSITIONAL POWER THAT THIS BODY HAS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, CONNECT TO ELECTED, TO, UH, PUT FORTH RESOLUTIONS ABOUT POLICIES AND, AND, AND RESOURCES FOR TWO YEARS NOW.
AND YOU'VE JUST NOW EXPLAINED THIS TO US.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE HEP AND, UH, CONGENITAL CEPHAS JUST PRESENTED ON THEIR, THEIR ITEMS, AND OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE DOING EXTREMELY WELL.
7% DECREASE PROGRAMS KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO PERHAPS INSTEAD OF SUGGESTING PUTTING THESE FLYERS AND AISLES OR WHATEVER, WHICH WE COULD CERTAINLY DO, YES, BUT NOT IN, MAYBE IN A FORMAL OFFICIAL DIRECTION WAY.
UM, AND I GUESS JUST THINKING AS A PROGRAM MANAGER MYSELF, I DON'T WANT YOU TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO,
UM, YOU CAN GIMME THE RESOURCES, YOU CAN GIMME THE, AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED TO, TO DO, SAY, THAT'S IT.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK I, I AGREE WITH THAT.
I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT, AND I'LL SAY NOTHING MORE.
BUT INEVITABLY, I'M GONNA SAY ONE MORE THING, WHICH IS TO SAY, UM, I GOT IT.
BUT THE WHOLE UNIVERSE OF WHAT COULD BE DONE FOR BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL TO DECREASE CORONARY ART DISEASE IS NOT LIVING INSIDE THE, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM.
NOW, AGAIN, MAYBE YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE COMMISSION'S FOR, IS TO LOOK INWARDLY AT THOSE STRUCTURES.
BUT I WANT BLOOD PRESSURE MACHINES EVERY PLACE.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF UNITED WAY COULD HELP, OR SOME SOCIAL SERVICES IS SOMETHING THAT'S A OR DE FOUNDATION OR SOMEBODY ELSE.
IF THEY CAN PUT UP 350 BLOOD PRESSURE, YOU KNOW, ME, YOU KNOW, MEASUREMENT TOOLS
[01:10:01]
AND, AND THE DATA SET THAT'LL COLLECT IT.IF YOU'RE WILLING TO GIVE IT ACROSS ALL OF THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, MAYBE THAT'S JUST COMPLETELY A, A GOOFY PIPE DREAM.
BUT SOMEDAY WE'LL HAVE BETTER CONTROL OF BLOOD PRESSURE ACROSS OUR WHOLE COMMITTEE AND ALL, ALL COMMUNITIES, AND WE'LL HAVE LESS CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, I THINK, AND LESS HEART ATTACKS AND ALL THAT STROKE STUFF AND ALL THAT STUFF.
MAYBE THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT JUST PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT IT'S KINDA LIKE EVERYBODY HEALTH.
I THINK THAT'S A, A, A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE.
UM, TO, TO RELATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID TO A REAL TIME EXAMPLE, THE COUNCIL WANTED US, OR THIS DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO INCREASE ACCESS TO NALOXONE, RIGHT? DIDN'T GIVE THE SPECIFICS OF WHERE OR HOW, BUT THEN THE STAFF TOOK THAT AND WORKED WITH COMMUNITY.
AND WE HAVE THE VENDING MACHINES, AND WE HAVE IT IN SPECIFIC LIBRARIES AND SPECIFIC PART LOCATIONS.
SO YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, RIGHT? LIKE HOW, AND THAT, THAT'S A POLICY RIGHT NOW AS PART OF CITY POLICY, WE HAVE VENDING MACHINES FOR NALOXONE IN OUR BUILDINGS.
ANOTHER ONE IS, UM, THE ISSUE OF MENSTRUAL EQUITY.
WHEN THAT CAME TO OUR ATTENTION, AND THAT WAS NEW FOR ME, BUT THERE ARE WOMEN IN COMMUNITY WHO CANNOT AFFORD, UM, THEIR MONTHLY NEEDS.
UH, AND SO AS COUNCIL DIRECTOR, THE CITY MANAGER, TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE COULD USE CI CITY ASSETS TO IMPROVE MENSTRUAL EQUITY, AND NOW IN LIBRARIES AND PARTS AND OTHER BUILDINGS, WE HAVE FREE SUPPLIES OUT FOR WOMEN.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE ON LIKE THE, THE RIGHT TRACK.
IT'S KIND OF DEFINE GIVING THE OVERARCHING POLICY AND THEN LETTING THEIR PROFESSIONAL STAFF FIGURE OUT WITHIN THEIR RESOURCES AND THEIR CAPABILITIES HOW TO IMPLEMENT.
UM, HOW DID THIS WORK? SINCE I'M NEVER HERE, I'M IN PERSON.
I MEAN, UM, SO BASED ON SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS LAST PRESENTATION WAS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ACTIVATING, YOU ALREADY KNOW WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS ACTIVATING SOME CHWS, PAIR THEM UP WITH SOME PROVIDERS, UM, IN THAT SENSE OF EDUCATION, UH, RIGHT NOW, I KNOW THAT FUNDING IS VERY CRITICAL AND HOW EVERYTHING IS JUST KIND OF LIKE HOW TO ADJUST, RIGHT? SO MY THINKING RIGHT NOW, UH, THE ONLY THING THAT IS BEING REIMBURSED FOR CHWS IN CASE MANAGEMENT IS ACTUALLY FOR CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN, UM, FOR MEDICAID AND CHIP, WHICH COMES TO, HEY, INSTEAD OF USING, UTILIZING SOME RESOURCES THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THIS POCKET OR THE, YEAH, THIS POT, UH, PUT 'EM INTO MAYBE THE CLIENTS OR INDIVIDUALS THAT DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE, THAT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE COVERED.
UM, NOT ONLY THAT, ALSO UTILIZE YOUR CHWS IN THE SENSE OF EDUCATION.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST ROLES ABOUT UTILIZING YOUR CHWS, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY HAVE BUILT COMMUNITY, THEY HAVE BUILT, UM, RELATIONSHIPS GENUINE WHERE THEY TRUST THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST THERE TO LIKE EVEN JUDGE YOU, LOOK AT YOU LIKE YOU'RE, THEY'RE JUDGING YOU WHEN YOU'RE COMING UP WITH SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THIS.
UM, I THINK RIGHT NOW THE ONLY THING IS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UM, THIS CASE MANAGEMENT FOR CHWS TO GET REIMBURSED, UM, AND FOR CHIP.
SO THEY DON'T GET, COME OUT OF POCKET SO MUCH IN THAT SENSE.
UM, SINCE IT'S ONLY FOR CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN.
AND, AND THOSE ARE PRETTY MUCH WHAT THEY JUST TALKED ABOUT, THE TARGET, RIGHT? UH, WHICH THAT WOULD KIND OF FREE UP SOME, SOME OF THAT FUNDING TO DO OTHER THINGS.
ANOTHER TOPIC OF CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE TOUCHED ON BEFORE THAT LIKE, EVERY TIME WE THINK OF A RECOMMENDATION TO GIVE, THAT'S A SINGLE ISSUE MATTER.
WE'VE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT MAKING AN OVERALL RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE THE A PH BUDGET, WHICH TO ME SEEMS LIKE A REALLY GOOD WAY TO PRESERVE THE FUNDING AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE ALL THESE CUTS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT RECOMMENDING IT SHOULD BE 5% OF THE CITY BUDGET BEFORE, WHICH I DON'T THINK IT'S OUTLANDISH.
UM, AND I THINK WE'D ALL SUPPORT THAT, BUT JUST A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION TO HAVE FOR SURE.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD HELP EVERY ISSUE.
YEAH, I WAS TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT, UH, THE COMMISSIONER JUST SAID AND HOW WE, WHAT DO WE DO NEXT? LET'S SAY WE ALL AGREE ON THE 5%.
UM, IS IT KIND OF PUTTING TOGETHER
[01:15:01]
THE RECOMMENDATION AND IS THE TIMING TO DO THAT EARLY NEXT YEAR? OR KIND OF WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS IF WE WANNA MOVE TO TOWARDS ACTION? I WONDER IF, UM, IF WE HAVE THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO DO THAT.BECAUSE I WONDER IF SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY, WELL, GEEZ, HOUSING IS AN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T FUND IT THERE, YOU KNOW, X AND Y AND Z ARE, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH IS, IS, THAT'S NOT OBVIOUSLY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING.
BUT IN OTHER WORDS, THE WHOLE ARRAY OF THINGS THAT THE CITY DOES, THERE MAY NOT BE CLEAR LINES ON SOME THINGS, WHICH WE WOULD SAY, WELL, THAT'S PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY IN CITY OR COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT, BUT WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK THE EXPERTS ABOUT? IF IT WOULD BE CONFUSING TO SAY THE CITY BUDGET SHOULD BE 5% PUBLIC HEALTH, OR IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR, YOU KNOW, TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH WOULD BE THE SPECIFIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT VERSUS THE TOPIC OF PUBLIC HEALTH? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION DIRECTLY TO STAFF.
UM, I THINK IF YOU SAID A 5% INCREASE TO PUBLIC HEALTH FOR THE CITY BUDGET, THAT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE PUBLIC HEALTH.
I MEAN, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU GO WITH, I'M JUST COPYING INCREASE OR AN INCREASE TO 5% OF BUDGET OF LIKE THE CITY BUDGET.
'CAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER, THAT 1.9, ONE POINT SOMETHING LIKE, NOT EVEN 2%.
SO AN INCREASE THAT YOU WOULD PROPOSE COULD SPECIFICALLY BE FOR, FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THAT WOULD DIRECTLY TRANSLATE TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, NOT CENTRAL HEALTH, BECAUSE THEY'RE A SEPARATE TAXING ENTITY AND NOT TRAVIS COUNTY.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A SEPARATE ENTITY AS WELL.
SO IT WOULD BE FOR THE CITY'S PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, I, TO ANSWER THE VICE CHAIR'S QUESTION, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S TOO EARLY TO START.
UH, BECAUSE WE'RE IN THIS, UH, NEW BUDGET PROCESS WHERE OUR FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET IS NOT FORMALIZED YET.
WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE RESULTS OF THE TRE.
AND DEPENDING ON THAT OUTCOME, THERE MIGHT BE SUGGESTIONS OF OTHER AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES TO CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO, INFORMING, ADVOCATING, UH, ASKING QUESTIONS ON THAT END WOULD BE PRUDENT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, FACING NOW IS THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND ALL THAT THAT IMPLIES, AND THE IMPACTS TO DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ON FEDERAL FUNDS.
UM, AND SO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL SAY IT, I KNOW IT'S BEING RECORDED.
IF I, IF I HAD MY WISH FOR A DAY FOR THE CITY TO BUILD, UM, SOME, SOME CAPACITY TO SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH WITH LOCAL DOLLARS, WOULD BE THE WAY THAT I WOULD GO.
BECAUSE NOW WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT LOSS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INSTABILITY, RIGHT? UM, WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHUTTING DOWN AND, AND HOW THAT COULD IMPACT SERVICES AND STAFFING DIRECTLY.
AND SO IF THERE WAS A, A PLANNED APPROACH OVER TIME TO ALIGN RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, LOCAL SOURCE, YES, SIR.
AND A PHASED APPROACH, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ALL OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE CITY HAS TO, TO FACE AND ALL OF THE OTHER VERY IMPORTANT SERVICES THAT THEY'RE SEEKING TO FUND, OR WE ARE SEEKING TO FUND.
I WAS GONNA FOLLOW UP TO, TO VICE CHAIR, UM, LYNCH OUT OF, I THINK WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE IS TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, UH, INTENTIONALLY.
UM, AND TAKING THE GUIDANCE FROM OUR STAFF, UH, TO WRITE HIGH LEVEL NARRATIVES IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS VERSUS GETTING DOWN INTO THE FINITE DETAILS OF EXACTLY HOW WE THINK THAT THIS THING CAN BE DONE.
UM, HAVING FROM THE DIRECTION OF, OF, OF DIRECTOR STIRRUP OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS VERY GENERAL STATEMENT WAS MADE TO COUNCIL, AND THEN THE CITY WAS THEN ABLE TO HAVE THAT FUNDING, THE PROGRAMMING, AND BUILD THE PROGRAMMING IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.
UH, AND SO I THINK FIRSTLY, WE AS A COMMISSION, MAYBE REMOVE OURSELVES FROM THAT VERY
[01:20:01]
DETAILED, INTRICATE LEVEL AND SAY, THIS IS THE BIG DOG.THIS IS THE BIG IDEA THAT WE HAVE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA FORMULATE IT ANYMORE.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY, UH, APPROPRIATE RESPONSE OF, INSTEAD OF GOING INTO ALL OF THOSE DETAILS WHEN WE WORK ON OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, I ALSO THINK ANOTHER ASPECT IS LOOKING INTO ORDINANCES.
UM, WHAT EXISTS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT AND WHAT DOESN'T, AND HOW DO WE PUT TOGETHER A, A HIGH LEVEL REQUEST FOR LOCAL ORDINANCE FOR THAT SPECIFIC AREA.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE ARE LIMITED IN OUR OUTSIDE RESEARCH SUPPORT, UM, BUT BEING ABLE TO HAVE VERY INTENTIONAL, UH, RESEARCH THAT'S DONE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE RIGHT LANGUAGE TO SAY, GO AND DO THESE THINGS, UM, ACTIVATING THE CHWS, RIGHT? IS THAT, IS THAT A WAY THAT WE CAN SAY, HEY, THIS IS, WE THINK THAT IT COULD COST THIS MUCH.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW TO ACTIVATE THE CHWS THAT ARE LEFT AT A PH, BUT WE'D LOVE IT.
WE'D LOVE IF THEY COULD GO AND, AND HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH MEDICAL, UH, MEDICAL STAFF.
UM, BUT MAYBE INSTEAD WE HAVE OUR CHWS MAKE SOME BETTER SIGNAGE FOR OUR MEDICAL STAFF.
AND THAT IS LED BY THE MATERNAL CHILD HEALTH PROGRAMMING EFFORTS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY HOW IT LOOKS, WHAT IT DOES, WHERE IT GOES.
UM, I'M USING THIS BECAUSE I'VE DONE IT WITH PHYSICIANS ON BLOOD PRESSURE, AND IT WAS SIMPLY PUTTING A POSTER ABOVE THE BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF, AND SUDDENLY BLOOD PRESSURE TESTING WAS IMPROVED.
UM, MY ASK OF THE COMMISSION IS TO, UH, COME BACK NEXT MONTH WITH WAYS THAT WE CAN SPEAK AT A HIGH LEVEL WHILE WE HAVE STAFF PRESENT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, THAT'S PROGRAMMING.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT PROGRAMMING.
UH, THAT'S MORE OF A POLICY THAN IT IS A RECOMMENDATION OF, YOU KNOW, OUR BIG ASK.
UM, BECAUSE I, I FEEL LIKE WE, WE HAVE SOME REALLY AMAZING, UM, INDIVIDUALS ON THIS COMMISSION THAT CAN PUT TOGETHER THE RIGHT LANGUAGE, UM, AND HAVE STAFF SAY, YES, THIS IS A GOOD DIRECTION FOR US TO GO.
NO, PLEASE DO NOT SEND THAT TO THE COUNTY.
'CAUSE WE HAVE SOME OTHER THING FIGURED OUT.
UM, AND THAT'S TRULY WHAT I WANTED THIS DISCUSSION TO BE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR HAVING THIS CON THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, BEFORE WE GO TO OUR, OUR UPDATES, UM, ANY FINAL COMMENTS PLEASE? JUST ALONG THE LINES, LINES OF THE BUDGET, I'LL REMIND US THAT, UM, THERE IS A BOND PACKAGE THAT'S BEING WORKED ON RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ADVOCATE FOR A DH SERVICES, THE COLONY PARK, THE BRUMBERG AREA, I BELIEVE AS WELL.
UM, SO JUST POINTING THAT OUT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT BUDGET SEASON.
WE CAN START ADVOCATING FOR THESE THINGS.
CAN YOU SAY ANYTHING MORE ON THAT? NO.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY CAME AND PRESENTED TO US A WHILE BACK.
UH, BUT THE CENTERS WOULD INCLUDE A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, MAYBE WIC, IMMUNIZATIONS, CHILDCARE.
I THINK THE COLONY PARK ONE MAY INCLUDE A PUBLIC LIBRARY.
SO LOTS OF GREAT CIVIC SERVICES, AS THEY CALL 'EM.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S LISTED? I MEAN, UM, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE SAYING THEY'RE SOMEWHAT FOCUSED, EACH OF THOSE, AND THAT'S A BOND PACKAGE THAT WOULD BE VOTED ON AND IS, I'M NOT SURE ENTIRELY SURE HOW IT WORKS.
UH, THE LEAD FROM OUR DEPARTMENT DID COME AND PRESENT ON THE BOND PACKAGE MONTHS AGO, SO WE COULD ALWAYS REVIEW THAT MEETING.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, LOTS OF DEPARTMENTS GET TO PROPOSE THINGS.
ONLY A HANDFUL GETS INTO THE BOND, THEN THE BOND GETS VOTED ON.
SO EVEN IF WE ADVOCATE NOW TO GET THIS INTO THE BOND PACKAGE COME NOVEMBER 26TH, WE WOULD STILL NEED TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATE THAT THEY VOTE FOR IT.
RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT EVEN A GUARANTEE IF IT GETS INTO THE BOND.
REASON I ASK IS, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH KINDS OF THINGS THAT IF, IF I HAVE A LIBRARY, MAYBE THERE'S AN EDUCATION CENTER AND A, AND A, AND A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER ROOM OR SOMETHING.
SO THERE'D BE WAYS TO TAKE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEY'RE ALREADY PLANNING AND, AND GIVE IT A, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME PART OF THE, AN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH PIECE TO IT, OR TRAVIS COUNTY, WHATEVER.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, UM, AN ADDITION TO, OR SINCE YOU'RE GONNA SPEND $23 MILLION FOR A LIBRARY, LET'S PUT A SPACE FOR TWO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN THERE.
[01:25:02]
OR MAYBE IT'S TOO SPECIFIC, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, UM, THINKING OUT LOUD.WHICH THEN I GUESS I WOULD COME BRING AROUND ABOUT DOING THE TRANSPORTATION THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT MANY MONTHS BACK, WELL, MAYBE A WHOLE YEAR AGO, ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
UM, I KNOW THAT AT ONE POINT I WAS, UH, ASSIGNED THAT ASSIGNMENT, BUT WE NEVER GOT ANYWHERE WITH ANYBODY FROM CAPITAL METRO RESPONDING TO ANY OF OUR EMAILS.
SO I DID ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO, UM, AMELIA CASAS, UM, AS PART OF THAT DIRECTION, UH, WHICH I WILL LOOP YOU IN NOW.
UH, SO JUST TO SEE ABOUT THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, SHE DID TALK ABOUT THAT THERE'S A CAPITAL METRO MEETING HAPPENING.
UM, AND MAYBE GO AND SPEAK ON THAT.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO, SHOULD WE APPLY, GO IN THERE AND TALK ABOUT THIS SO THEY COULD PUT IT IN THAT BOND FOR CAPITAL METRO OR NOT.
UH, BUT WE, I WILL CALL IT FOR WHAT IT IS, IT'S SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
NOW WE HAVE A CLINIC AND WE HAVE NO TRANSPORTATION.
UH, YOU MIGHT SAY IT MIGHT BE, UM, CONFLICT OF INTEREST BECAUSE I LIVE IN BELLE VALLEY.
WELL, I HAVE A VEHICLE, SO IT'S NOT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
I'M NOT TRYING TO BRING CAPITAL METRO TO DEL VALLEY FOR MY OWN BENEFIT.
IN THAT SENSE, IT'S FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY AS A COMMUNITY, UM, WORKER AND ADVOCATE FOR MY COMMUNITY IN ALL COMMUNITIES.
BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, DELL VALLEY IN THAT AREA, CRESCENT MAYER, I'M NOT JUST SPEAKING, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK IT'LL OPEN THE DOOR, UH, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY MOVEMENT OR CONVERSATIONS IN THESE AREAS.
I THINK THAT IF WE COULD START A CONVERSATION IN DALE VALLEY, THEN THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO ADAPT MORE TO LIKE HORNSBY AND THOSE AREAS WHERE THERE'S NO TRANSPORTATION YET, THERE'S CLINICS.
UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT BACK AROUND WHERE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT OR PUT IT BACK ON THE TABLE.
CAN WE SPEAK TO SOMEBODY? CAN WE PUSH THROUGH IT? BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE A WHOLE CENTRAL HEALTH CLINIC.
UM, NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LIBRARY RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
I, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S THE BOND THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT CODA.
CODA IS ACTUALLY BRINGING A WHOLE THEME PARK.
THEY JUST ANNOUNCED IT SOMETIME LAST WEEK.
SO TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC THERE HAS JUST BEEN JUST OUT OF CONTROL IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY LOOK INTO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CODA FOR US TO KNOW WHAT ROAD WE'RE GONNA TAKE.
IT'S EITHER ELROY AND I THINK WE HAVE A PATHWAY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF EIGHT 12.
SO TRANSPORTATION IS ESSENTIAL.
THIS IS AFFECTING THE COMMUNITY IN THE SENSE OF BEING ABLE TO GO TO THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, GOING TO GO BUY GROCERIES.
OF COURSE, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT.
UM, AND THEN EVEN GOING TO WORK AT THIS POINT, ARE THEY RUNNING LATE? DO THEY HAVE TO BE, HOW ARE WE KNOWING WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CODA? WHAT KIND OF CONCERTS IS HAPPENING? WHICH IS GREAT.
IT'S SOMETHING TO BRING, IT'S AMAZING TO BRING MORE AUSTINITES, BRING MORE, MORE TOURISTS TO DO.
BUT THIS IS AFFECTING A COMMUNITY.
HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WHEN YOU, AS SOON AS, THE ONLY WAY WE KNOW IS WHEN WE SEE CONSTABLES AT ELROY AND RIGHT IN FRONT OF CENTRAL HEALTH IS BECAUSE THEY'RE DIRECTING TRAFFIC.
AND IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT.
GOD FORBID, GOD FORBID, THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES HAPPEN AT CODA.
HOW ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF THAT, AND HOW DO WE HAVE A STRATEGY TO HAVE PEOPLE TO WALK? SO I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK I'M, I'M, I'M THINKING BROADER, BUT I AM THINKING ABOUT RETHINK, UH, KIND OF ADDRESSING THE TRANSPORTATION ASPECT FOR DELL VALLEY, WHICH WOULD HELP US OPEN UP FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
AND I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, CAP METRO IS OBVIOUSLY NOT PART OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND SO THEY WOULDN'T BE PART OF THIS BOND PACKAGE, WHICH IS THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSPORTATION TO BE LOST AND NOT BE CONSIDERED.
SO PERHAPS A RECOMMENDATION FROM US IS THAT CITY OF AUSTIN IDENTIFIES ITS CLINICS AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND DEVELOPS A PLAN FOR, FOR TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, OR WORKS WITH CAP METRO OR WHATEVER.
UM, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, BUT I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE YEAH, CAPTAIN METRO'S NOT PART OF US, SO ALL OF SUDDEN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION IN THAT REGARD.
UM, BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY PROD THEM TO DO THAT OR THINK ABOUT IT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE? I'LL JUST ECHO WHAT YOU JUST SAID AND WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
REALLY, IT WOULD BE A STUNNING IDEA THROUGH WHATEVER MECHANISM TO SAY EVERY CITY HEALTH CLINIC OR CENTRAL HEALTH HEALTH CLINIC OR WHATEVER MUST HAVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
[01:30:01]
WHERE THEY NEED TO BE BY LOOKING AT THE PATIENT POPULATION OF EACH CLINIC AND SAY, 90% OF THESE PEOPLE THAT COME TO THIS CLINIC, THEY NEED TO BE ON ONE, A BUS ROUTE OR A SOMETHING ROUTE, OR A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ROUTE, WHATEVER IT WOULD BE.AND THEN YOU WOULD SORT OF HAVE A, A FORCED ALGORITHM TO DEFINE WHERE, WHERE TRANSPORTATION SHOULD BE TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT SERVING THE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY MORE THAN IT IS TO SEE THE PEOPLE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
ANYWAY, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WRAP THAT INTO SOMETHING, BUT I THINK THAT IS, IS AN INTERESTING, AND I MEAN, UM, EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD AS IT RELATES TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT TODAY EVEN.
ANYWAY, SO I THINK IT'S INTERESTING.
I THINK THERE IS A, A WAY TO POTENTIALLY WRAP, WRAP THIS INTO A PUBLIC HEALTH THING.
I WILL SHARE A DOCUMENT WITH DANNY AND JUANITA TO SHARE OUT WITH THE COMMISSION.
UM, THERE'S THIS THING CALLED THE NEAR EAST AUSTIN PLAN THAT CAME OUT ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, MAYBE FOUR NOW.
UM, HUGE BO HUGE, HUGE, UH, PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY, UM, VANISHED, VANISHED INTO THIN AIR.
AND THE WHOLE THING WAS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION IN EASTERN CRESCENT, UH, PUTTING IN SIDEWALKS IN THAT AREA, UM, INCREASING THE FOOD ACCESS.
UM, AND SO I WILL, NOW THAT I'M ON THIS SIDE OF THE TABLE, UH, YOU KNOW, SINCE THEY HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT, WONDER WHERE IT WENT.
AND I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER WAY FOR US TO, UH, AS A COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO SAY, UH, THIS IS NOT ON A PH BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY FROM A PH, IT WAS FROM THE OVERARCHING CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, YOU HAD SOME MONEY, WHAT HAPPENED TO IT? AND HOW DO WE GO AHEAD AND STILL ADDRESS THOSE THINGS THAT YOU LAID OUT AS A PRIORITY? UM, THIS WASN'T, THIS WAS A, A VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT, UM, PLAN.
AND, UM, I THINK WE ALSO LOOK AT IT FROM AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, SINCE WE HAVE EXPERTS ON OUR, ON OUR COMMISSION AND ACCESS TO THEM OF, UM, I WILL SAY ALSO AS A PREVIOUS RESIDENT OF DEW VALLEY, MY EMS SPIDEY SENSES WITH TINGLE, I'M LIKE, IT'S LIKE A WHAT, A 25 MINUTE DRIVE WITH NO TRAFFIC TO A LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER ALL THE WAY.
THE FIRST ONE WOULD PROBABLY BE MIKE.
MIKE, WHICH ONE? TURN YOUR MIC ON? IT WOULD PROBABLY BE ST.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UNLESS YOU HAVE, I THINK THERE'S AN URGENT CARE, BUT THAT'S STILL LIKE ON FIRST STREET EXIT CONGRESS ON THE SIDE.
UM, ALSO COMING BACK, IS THAT, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S A TRAVIS COUNT.
I MEAN, IT'S AN AUSTIN, BUT CODA GOT ANNEXED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SO WE KNOW THERE'S A PILE OF MONEY SOMEWHERE, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT, UH, MONEY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP IT AT AUSTIN.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE IT'S TRAVIS COUNTY BECAUSE THERE IS MONEY COMING IN FROM CODA.
UM, THERE IS A TRANSPORTATION.
THERE'S JUST ONE LINE, 2 71 THAT JUST RUNS FROM PIERCE ROAD INTO A, A SUBDIVISION INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND BACK AND COME BACKS OUT, YOU KNOW, UM, IF NEED SUPPORT.
UM, I'VE, I THINK I HAD SENT OUT SOME PICTURES AT ONE TIME OR SOME VIDEOS TO JUANITA ABOUT, UM, HOW ROSS AND ELROY, THERE'S A STREET WHERE THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS.
PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK FROM ELROY ROAD IN THAT AREA ALL THE WAY THROUGH THERE TO GET TO THE FIRST BUS STOP, WHICH IS ON PIERCE LANE.
IT'S, IT'S, UM, AND THEN THERE'S STILL BUILDING TWO OTHER COMPLEXES, WHICH IS ALSO MAKING IT REALLY LIKE TIGHT IN TRANSPORTATION, UM, IN TRAFFIC WISE.
UM, BUT I KNOW THERE, THERE HAS TO BE THAT, UH, DOCUMENT AVAILABLE AND I, WE SHOULD KNOW THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME, A POT OF MONEY SOMEWHERE, BECAUSE AS I THINK I FOUND THAT ARTICLE ON THE NEWS THAT YEAH, UM, CO GOT ANNEXED BY AUSTIN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
JUST WANNA KNOW, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY.
UM, ANY FINAL COMMENTS? NOTES? WONDERFUL.
[5. Receive updates from commissioners on assigned action items. ]
ITEM IS TO RECEIVE ANY UPDATES FROM COMMISSIONERS ON ASSIGNED ACTION ITEMS. UM, IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY UPDATES ON ANY PROGRESS, I KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER DOHA IS STILL WORKING ON, UM, FINALIZING BOTH OF HER RECOMMENDATIONS.THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE REVIEWED BY, UM, TWO OF OUR STAFF DIVISION DIRECTOR LAURA PTO AND COURTNEY LUCAS, AND WERE RETURNED, WERE SENT TO HER THIS WEEK,
[01:35:01]
I THINK, OR LAST WEEK.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUICK UPDATE.
UM, ANY OTHER UPDATES ON ACTIVITIES WORK THAT IS BEING DONE OUTSIDE OF OUR MEETINGS? I'M STILL WORKING ON DRAFTING A PROPOSAL FOR SEXUAL HEALTH FUNDING, AND I HAVE A PENDING MEETING WITH DR.
BOX THIS MONTH, SO JUST, IT'S IN PROGRESS.
YEAH, I GUESS I COULD ONLY SHARE THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LAST MEETING, OUR LAST MEETING AND THIS MEETING.
I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT AS, AS IT RELATES TO THIS SORT OF COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, HEALTH PROVIDER, MAYBE KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEE OR WHATEVER THAT IS, UM, EVOLVES A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO IT WAS A QUICK MONTH, AND SO I HADN'T REALLY BEEN ABLE TO DO MUCH, BUT I THINK THESE CONVERSATIONS COULD MAKE ME THINK THAT I SHOULD BE SORT OF THINKING ABOUT THAT DIFFERENTLY AND THEN ASKING FOR SOME COLLEAGUES TO JOIN THE, THE FUND, UM, AND THINK ABOUT THAT IN THIS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY.
YEAH, I DID EMAIL MY, UM, MY ASSIGNMENT, WHICH WAS THE OPIOID RESPONSE AND HOUSING ACCESS.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WERE, I WAS SUPPOSED TO PRESENT IT OR JUST PASS IT, OR THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO JUST PASS IT ON TO YOU, UM, TO THE, THE COMMISSION, UM, ABOUT JUST KIND OF LIKE IDEAS THAT I HAVE PUT TOGETHER FOR THE OPIOID AND HOW TO HANDLE THAT, AND THEN THE HOUSING ACCESS.
SO, AND YOU SHARE THOSE WITH JUANITA AND DANNY? YES.
UM, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE REVIEW THOSE FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
AND IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS, UM, AS LONG AS WE DON'T HAVE A WALKING FORUM, UH, MAYBE SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO DANNY AND JUANITA AND THEN THEY CAN GET THOSE TO, UH, COMMISSIONER LUHAN AND SHE CAN PROVIDE UPDATES TO US.
UM, VICE CHAIR, ANYTHING? YEAH.
UH, I HAVE NOT YET, BUT I'M PLANNING TO THIS MONTH TO REACH OUT TO FACULTY AT THE, AT UT IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SCHOOL, SEE IF THERE'S ANY INTEREST IN USING THE DATA FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN MULLING OVER, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR.
I ALSO DID WANNA USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, ASK DIRECTOR STIRRUP IF, UH, YOU COULD CONNECT US TO THE ONE VOICE SURVEY PEOPLE.
UM, I FORGOT TO REMIND YOU LAST TIME, SO THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, ANY FINAL ITEMS, PLEASE, COMMISSIONER? I'M STILL JUST DOING RESEARCH.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH ADRIAN AT SOME POINT, JUST FIND HER IN THE HALLWAY AND CORNER HER.
UH, JUST, JUST ASK SOME QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT WOULD NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE DEPARTMENT OR, YOU KNOW, NOT BE IN LINE WITH THE GOALS OR WHATEVER.
SO THAT'S ON MY LIST FOR THIS MONTH.
UM, I'M GONNA TRY TO HAVE SOMETHING IN WRITING BEGINNING OF JANUARY, UM, A DRAFT AT LEAST.
UM, AND AGAIN, I AM, TAP ME IN TO, TO, TO SHARE, TO SUPPORT WHEREVER I CAN.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER MY ACTION ITEM, BUT MY NEW ACTION ITEM IS TO START PUTTING TOGETHER WHAT WE, WE, UM, PLOT AND PLAN ON, UM, FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
SO I WILL, UM, ASK ALL OF YOU, IT CAN BE THREE OR FOUR SENTENCES.
IT CAN BE AN ENTIRE, NO, NOT AN ENTIRE DOCUMENT.
IT COULD BE AN ENTIRE PARAGRAPH OF FEEDBACK, UH, AND, AND IDEAS.
UM, IF YOU COULD GET THOSE TO DANNY JUST SO THAT YOU, SHE AND I, WHAT I TYPICALLY DO IS, UM, WE PUT A STRATEGY TOGETHER, RIGHT? ON WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHO COMES AND TALKS TO US, UM, WHO WE NEED TO COME AND TALK TO US.
BUT I THINK THAT, UH, OVER THESE NEXT MAYBE TWO MONTHS, RIGHT, WE HAVE NOVEMBER AND THEN OUR RETREAT IN DECEMBER WITH THE GOAL OF OUR RETREAT BEING A TRUE STRATEGY TIME FOR US TO PUT OUT WHAT DOES JANUARY THROUGH JUNE LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR IN 2026.
UM, WE'VE DONE IT SOMEWHAT BEFORE WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DEADLINES AND DUE DATES, UM, BASED ON BUDGET, BUT I THINK WE CAN, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S NEW THINGS HAPPENING WITH BUDGET, RIGHT? SO, UM, WE, WE WANNA BE PREPARED SO WE'RE NOT IN THAT SCRAMBLE MOMENT OF GETTING SOMETHING OUT, UM, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE FALL IN LINE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHETHER IT'S CITY, COUNTY, UM, OR BEYOND.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL, WHAT SHE, AND I'LL BE WORKING ON BETWEEN NOW AND
[01:40:01]
NOVEMBER.I WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE A DRAFT TOGETHER FOR OUR NOVEMBER, UM, MEETING, UM, SO THAT WE CAN REVIEW THAT AND THEN HAVE LIKE A REAL CONVERSATION IN DECEMBER.
UM, SO PLEASE, IF YOU CAN IN THE NEXT WEEK AND A HALF OR SO, UH, MAKE SURE YOU PRIORITIZE SENDING THOSE TO JUANITA WHILE, WHILE DANNY IS OUT, UH, SO THAT SHE CAN GET THOSE WITH US.
AND ANY, UM, I'LL WORK ON FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND YOU KNOW, DANNY USUALLY GIVES ME THE, THIS IS WHAT WE GOT GOING ON PENDING, UM, SO I'LL MAKE SURE I FOLLOW UP WITH HER.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS BEYOND WHAT'S COME OUT OF TODAY THAT ARE PRESSING THAT WE MAY HAVE MISSED? NOT DOCUMENTED, HEARD, BUT NOT SAID FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, PLEASE? NOTHING THAT CAME FROM TODAY'S MEETING NECESSARILY.UM, I HEARD ON THE NEWS LAST WEEK THAT A NEW NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER WAS OPENED, AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A PARTICULAR PROGRAM THAT'S IN CHARGE OF THE CULTURAL CENTERS, LIKE THE MEXICAN AMERICAN, ALL THE OTHER ONES, AND IF MAYBE THEY COULD JUST COME AND PRESENT ON, YOU KNOW, UM, THEIR SERVICES AND HELP US, YOU KNOW, GIVE FEEDBACK ON, YOU KNOW, CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE COULD BE DOING, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING I JUST FORGOT, SO I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU, IF YOU REMEMBER.
UM, WE WERE ALSO TALKING ABOUT, I GUESS TODAY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CAMPAIGNS AND HEALTH INFORMATION AND STUFF.
AND OUR A P H'S PIO TEAM DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF CREATING CAMPAIGNS AND PUTTING INFORMATION OUT.
IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO HAVE THEM COME AND PRESENT SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT INFORMATION IS BEING PUT OUT BY A PH.
I DON'T HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, SO I DON'T EVER SEE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, EVEN THOUGH I APPROVE THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE MAY NOT SEE EVERYTHING THAT GOES OUT, SO I THINK IT'D BE GOOD TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND PERHAPS WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IF NEEDED.
YOU WANT THAT FOR YOUR NOVEMBER MEETING? IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THE TIMELINE OF THE BUDGET WORK THAT THE COUNTY DOES, UH, WE SUBMIT OUR BUDGET IN APRIL, SO IF YOU HAVE, UH, MAYBE SCHEDULE SOMETHING FOR THE MARCH, UH, TIMEFRAME FOR THE MARCH MEETING TO THINK ABOUT.
AND, UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA BE A VERY DIFFICULT, UH, FISCALLY DIFFICULT YEAR FOR, FOR THE, FOR ALL OF US.
UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, PRIORITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO STATE AND RESTATE.
EVEN WHEN YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN, YOU STILL HAVE TO SAY IT'S STILL IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND IF WE HAVE THOSE TO YOU EARLY MARCH, UHHUH.
AND SO I'M GONNA TAKE A RISK OF SAY SOME, ONE MORE THING AND THEN I'LL HOPEFULLY GET US OUTTA HERE.
BUT I WAS ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVING THIS THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PUBLIC MESSAGES GO OUT FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR OTHERS, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW IF ANYONE THOUGHT THAT WAS A, I MEAN, NOT THAT YOU'D HAVE MAYBE AN ORDINANCE, BUT WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE MESSAGE OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IF EVERY NIGHT AT, YOU KNOW, AT THE, THE LAST 10 SECONDS OF THE 5 35 O'CLOCK NEWS, THE LOCAL PEOPLE SAID SOMETHING WAS AN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGE, OR STARTED THE NEWS THAT WAY, OR EVERY SINGLE BUS WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE SOMETHING THREE TIMES A YEAR.
THEY'RE ALLOWED TO, THEY HAVE TO GIVE US A, YOU KNOW, THIS BIG A SPOT ON THE SIDE OF THE, OF A, OF A BUS CAPITAL METRO THAT SAYS, BRUSH YOUR TEETH.
BUT WHATEVER, SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, UM, MEASURE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE, BUT WHAT MESSAGES WOULD WE WANT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM TO BE PUTTING OUT IF WE HAD A BIGGER MICROPHONE AND COULD SOMEHOW WIELD THAT MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN WE MIGHT NOW? AND MAYBE WE ALREADY DO THAT MASSIVELY NOW, I JUST DON'T KNOW.
BUT JUST THROW THAT OUT AS SOMEBODY MADE ME THINK OF THAT.
I THINK YOU DID JUST TALK ABOUT PIO AND WHAT, WHAT COMMUNICATIONS OUT THERE.
I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTION, HOW BIG COULD IT BE? YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION FOR OUR PIO CONVERSATION.
MAYBE WE COULD EVEN LET THEM KNOW.
WE'RE GONNA ASK THAT AHEAD OF TIME SO THEY CAN HAVE SOME FORMAL ANSWER FOR US.
THE HEALTH AUTHORITY MIGHT ALSO WANNA PIPE IN WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS AS WELL.
SHE, I DUNNO, SHE'S ON, SHE'S NOT ON ANYMORE.
WE'VE, MAYBE WE COULD, IF YOU COULD, UH, SEND THAT TO JUANITA AND WE CAN GET THAT TO, AT LEAST TO DR.
[01:45:01]
PRESENTATION INDIVIDUALS TO, UH, BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT WITH INTENTION.AND LOOK AT THAT WITH NINE MINUTES TO SPARE.
DR. WRIGHT, I TELL YOU WHAT, I TELL YOU WHAT, VERY NICELY DONE.
I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UM, I JUST GOT MESSAGE, UM, STAFF IS ASKING, ARE YOU LOOKING TO GET AN UPDATE FROM THE CHILD REPORT? UM, OF COURSE THAT HAS JUST BEEN APPROVED, DR.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME IN AND DO
WE, THAT IT'S NOT JUST ME, BUT WE, WE HAVE OTHER PARTNERS WHO ALSO WANT TO COME IN TOGETHER SO THAT THEY CAN PRESENT.
WE HAVE, I THINK SAN DAVID, UM, A SESSION SITTING AND OTHER PARTNERS, UH, THEY WANT TO COLLABORATE TO SEE IF, HOW WE CAN SHARE THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER.
AS LONG AS WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU TAKE PRECEDENCE.
SO WE WILL MOVE ANYTHING THAT WE HAD FOR NOVEMBER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE HERE WITH US.
WE HAVE NOVEMBER 5TH TO GET THAT TOGETHER.
UM, WELL THEN WE WILL, UH, WE WILL SEE THAT ON OUR, OUR NOVEMBER, UH, AGENDA, FUTURE, FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AS WELL.
UM, IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE, OKAY, I WILL CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED AT 4:22 PM THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE.