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Board hears Community Health Needs Assessment
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The Lafayette County Board listened to a presentation by Marlaina Morrissey who has been working with the Lafayette County Health Department for a year to help them gather the results of Community Health Needs Assessment.
    Community members were asked to take a survey about Lafayette County and the health needs of the county. The data in the assessment included secondary data collected by the state. The primary data was collected when 198 people that took the survey. Morrissey touched on a few key highlights from the secondary data:
    •A majority of the county is white, with the Hispanic population rising.
    •The county has an aging population.
    •We have a 4.3% unemployment rate.
    •The top employers are cheese plants.
    •8% of the county smokes, which is below the state average of 18%, but that does not include chewing tobacco.
    •Lafayette County was ranked 2nd with Richland County with having the lowest crime rate in Wisconsin.
    •The population to primary care provider in the county is 4,213 to 1. The county was ranked 71 out of 72 for this in 2015. The statistic does not include nurse practitioners or physician assistants.
    •Prostate and lung cancer were the highest known cancers in the county.
    •17.8% of hospitalizations were diabetes related.
    •50% of driving deaths involved alcohol, based on 2013 findings.
From the surveys taken by the community members:
    •Many did not think the county was a great place to grow old, which was an increased from 2010 results nor did they think there was adequate social support and that had tripled compared to 2010 results. There was varied satisfaction with health system: 32% disagreed we had an adequate health care system, with 9% strongly disagreed and 5% unsure. This was also an increase over the 2010 results.
    •42% of the people seek health care outside county.
    •23% reported binge drinking and 11% reported driving intoxicated.
    •Access to health care, good school, job opportunities and having a low crime rate, were the most important to the community.
    •Top health priorities for the county to address are: alcohol and drug issues, aging problems, overweight and obesity, and healthy lifestyle choices.
    Morrissey stated that with this information, the next step would be to reengage the Live Well Lafayette Coalition. Public Health Nurse, Lee Gill has spoken with the group to revive them and share the data to help work with the hospital and health department to possibly get grant monies to create programs and target these top issues.
    The Lafayette County Board also discussed and approved:
    •Resolution 19-16, a memorial resolution for William C. Moody. Steve Spensley was also approved and appointed to Moody’s seat until the end of his term.
    •Resolution 20-16, urging the Governor and Legislature to help adequately and sustainably fund Wisconsin’s transportation system.
    •Land use changes in Lamont Township.
    •Amended Resolution 15-16 to appoint Danielle Steger as the Health Department Home Care Supervisor/Administrator to be paid at a base rate of $27.83/hour with overtime paid at one and one half times, up from previous rate of $24.54.
    •Resolution 23-16, the increase the Health Information Coordinator/Coder/MDS Backup’s hourly wage by $1 per hour to compensate for positions additional duties.
    •Resolution 24-16, the recruitment of an ADON/MDS Coordinator In-Training to prepare for retirement of Lana Bryson, current ADON/MDS Coordinator and pay trainee an additional $1.50 per hour for 16-20 hours. Hospital Administrator Julie Chikowski commented that this position takes about a year to learn so she is grateful that Bryson gave them enough notice to be able to get someone trained and ready for the position when Bryson retires.
    •Resolution 25-16, the creation of the Economic Support Manager position with wage set at $21.50/hour. The Wisconsin Elders Act and a contract between the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Long Term Care and Lafayette County ADRC requires a manger to be solely devoted to the Aging and ADRC units.
    •Resolution 26-16, hiring a Temporary Program assistant at $10/hour during the months of June and July to assist the UW-Extension office during fair and other project responsibilities since the resignation of Family Living Educator Mary Knellwolf.
    •Resolution 27-16, the Village of Benton Patrol Officer to as a full-time union position with compensation currently at $20.82/hour.
    •Resolution 28-16, adding the SLANT (State Line Anti-Narcotics Team) position to a permanent, full-time union position as a Narcotics Investigator with compensation at $21.38/hour. This position was made available due in part to a two year Grant received from the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The other counties involved in the SLANT program are also making this position a full time position.
    •Resolution 29-16, to create a Finance Director position that allows for the County Finance Director, Nicola Maurer, to complete the upper level finance responsibilities of the Manor at an additional $20,000/year. Chikowski commented that Maurer learned the program that the hospital and manor use and was trained and skilled in the upper level finances. She also commented how they were saving money by asking Maurer to take on this responsibility.
    •Resolution 30-16, the compensation of day-to-day management responsibilities in public health during the recruitment of the Health Director/Health Officer for a temporary $1.50/hour until 30 working days after the newly appointed Health Director/Health Officer has been hired and working. Chairman Jack Sauer asked if there was no one able to step up and take responsibility. Supervisor Bob Boyle commented that everyone was taking equal responsibility and “it has been that way for the past month. Stuff that comes in is divvied up between all.”