Dec 28, 2007
Advisory health board agrees with needs assessment
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The Advisory Board of Health has been working in earnest for the past few months dissecting the needs assessment of the health department and the overall health status of the town.
All five health board members were at the Board of Selectmen meeting last week to give a preliminary update to the selectmen on their progress.
Despite some “issues not really being issues,” the health board largely agreed with Elaine O’Keefe, who performed the needs assessment: Darien is healthy.
“Darien has a good health status relative to other towns in the county, as well as the whole state,” said Peter Ryan, health board chairman.
In its examination of the assessment, the health board identified several issues pertaining to the health of the town, including childhood immunization rates and student physical fitness tests.
While the data on immunization rates, compiled by the state Department of Public Health, shows Darien, at 75 percent compliance, below both neighboring towns and the state average, Ryan pointed out that it’s “a very stringent process” and the data “limits accurate and realistic” extraction of the rates.
He said the state is very exact on the dates for child immunization, which lends to the town’s low compliance. However, he said, if you take out what’s considered compliant, and just look at overall rates, the town is in the 90 to 95 percent range.
“Bottom line,” Ryan said, “we don’t have an issue with childhood immunization rates.”
Ryan also said the physical fitness tests show Darien, at a 42 percent passing rate, above the state average of 33 percent.
“Again,” he said, “we don’t see an issue here.”
While Ryan said the assessment was an excellent resource and “without it, we would’ve been flying blind,” he conceded that it didn’t capture all potential issues. He mentioned at-risk behaviors specifically.
Selectmen David Bayne asked if there were any issues he knew of in addition to at-risk behaviors. Ryan mentioned a more comprehensive look at senior health, but said most of the issues had not been appropriately discussed by his board, so he didn’t wish to bring them up at that time.
Selectmen Callie Sullivan asked Ryan about Lyme disease, which is higher in Darien than neighboring towns, and how the health board plans on tackling the issue.
He said they will be exploring how neighboring towns have addressed the issue and look to use the best processes.
“It was something pointed out in the assessment, that our Lyme rates are higher than neighboring towns as well as the state as a whole,” Ryan said. “It is an issue that certainly is germane to our community and we’ll be looking into it.”
Ryan also said the assessment didn’t capture every demographic in town and his board will be looking to hear from “additional stakeholders.”
The health board included a mission statement in its report and looked for the approval from the Board of Selectmen. Klein said they will review the mission statement and get back to the health board.
The statement read as follows:
• Advise the selectmen on existing and emerging public health issues pertinent to the community and provide recommendations to address these accordingly;
• Identify and communicate public health resources readily available through community agencies;
• Work closely with the health department to foster an efficient and comprehensive approach to public health;
• Advise as to the appropriate infrastructure and finances required to meet the town’s public health needs.
In the report, the health board expressed a preliminary timeline of their work, including obtaining input from constituencies not in the assessment, and working with the health department staff on the 2008 budget by January and completing a formal review of the town’s health and an evaluation of existing and emerging issues by March.
The health board will also actively monitor and advise the health department staff regarding ongoing initiatives.
First Selectman Evonne Klein told The Darien Times last week that she thought it was “an excellent first presentation” and looks forward to their recommendations.
E-mail Darien Times reporter Austin Amoroso at aamoroso@darientimes.com.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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