Board of Health — Skokie, IL
Date: 2024-03-14

Skokie Board of Health
 Thursday, March 14, 2024
 7:00 pm
 Conference Room D&E, Village Hall, 5127 Oakton St

 AGENDA

I. Call to Order

II. Approval of Agenda

III. Approval of Minutes: February 8, 2024 Meeting

IV. Board of Health Chair Report, Dr. Ed Linn

V. Director’s Monthly Report, Mike Charley, Director of Health and Human
 Services

VI. Ongoing/New Items of Business
 A. Skokie Health Equity Symposium Update, Mike Charley & Sibyl Yau
 B. Special Events Sub-committee
 C. Communications and Education Process
 • Cannabinoids Awareness Sub-committee, Dr. Dave


VII. Public Comments

VIII. Adjournment

 Next Regular Meeting: April 11, 2024 @ 7:00 p.m.




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Skokie Board of Health
 Thursday, April 11, 2024
 7:00 pm
 Conference Room D&E, Village Hall, 5127 Oakton St

 MINUTES

In attendance: Dr. Swapna Dave, Dr. Bruce Gaynes, Dr. Michael Gottesman, Margaret Keeler, Dr. Girijia
Kalyan Kumar, Dr. Edward Linn (Chair), Dr. Kyungran Shim, Dr. Romil Sood, Patricia Urbanus, Irtaza Usman,
Rohit Pandya, Dr. William Werner, Dr. Larry Williams, Sibyl Yau, Staff Liaison: Mike Charley
Not in attendance: Maureen Hanlon, Juliet Haido, Heidi Nickisch Duggan, Jan Shiffman, Ruth Varma, Trustee
James Johnson, Trustee Keith Robinson

I. Call to Order @ 7:00 PM

II. Approval of Agenda: Approved, first by Dr. Sood, second by Keeler

III. Approval of Minutes: March 14, 2024 Meeting: Approved, first by Dr. Sood, second by Keeler

IV. Rat Control Program: Cameron Hendricks, Environmental Health Supervisor: Cameron
 presented information on Health and Human Services’ (HHS) rat program. His presentation
 included: Recognizing signs of rat activity, navigating the process of requesting a property survey
 for rat burrows, understanding the methodologies employed in treating rat burrows and the
 essentials of post-abatement property maintenance practices.

V. Board of Health Chair Report, Dr. Ed Linn: Dr. Linn reported that there have been human cases
 of H5N1 primarily in rural areas of the southwest, where the virus has transitioned from the
 poultry industry to cattle. The two documented human cases thus far have been individuals who
 had direct contact with these animals. It's important to note that transmission has been limited
 to very close contact with infected animals, and there have been no instances of human-to-
 human spread thus far.

 Regarding measles, Dr. Linn highlighted ongoing cases in the Chicago area, extending into the
 surrounding collar counties. Vaccination remains the cornerstone of prevention efforts. While
 vaccination rates in the Chicago area are commendably high, surpassing 95%, regional
 discrepancies exist, with some areas reporting lower rates. Dr. Linn underscored the presence of
 vaccine exemptions, allowing individuals to opt out of vaccination. Consequently, schools
 assume a critical role in monitoring student vaccinations and must remain vigilant to prevent
 disease transmission. Mike Charley noted that the Department of Health and Human Services
 (HHS) has been actively disseminating crucial information to school nurses, emphasizing their
 pivotal role in disease prevention.

 In Skokie, there have been no reported cases of measles to date. However, five residents have
 recently been identified as having been exposed to a confirmed case. HHS personnel have
 engaged with each of these individuals to ensure they are adequately protected against the
 virus.
VI. Director’s Monthly Report, Mike Charley, Director of Health and Human Services: Mike Charley

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 communicated that budget hearings are approaching. HHS’s hearing date is April 25 and the
 BOH’s budget hearing is May 1. HHS has a new Public Health Program Coordinator/Analyst and
 her name is Sher Lindo. Mike commented that the AARP Tax Program is ending on April 12. The
 program offers free income tax preparation for seniors and individuals with disabilities. HHS
 assists the AARP volunteers in scheduling and maintaining appointments. Mike provided a few
 updates on measles, including current case counts for Illinois (62 cases) and for the US (113
 cases).

VII. Ongoing/New Items of Business
 A. Special Events Sub-committee: Review Special Events Calendar: Mike Charley
 distributed a comprehensive event calendar to the Board of Health (BOH) members,
 detailing upcoming community events by date. Any involvement of the Health and
 Human Services (HHS) department in these events was clearly indicated on the
 calendar. Mike assured the BOH members that HHS would proactively reach out if
 additional assistance was required for any event. Furthermore, he encouraged BOH
 members who were interested in participating in and providing education at any event
 to directly contact him for coordination.

 B. Communications and Education Process: Dr. Dave relayed that a specialized sub-
 committee has been established to delve into the realm of cannabinoids. The group
 comprises Dr. Dave, Maureen Hanlon, Heidi Nickisch Duggan, and Dr. Williams. They
 unanimously agreed that inviting a subject matter expert to the upcoming meeting
 would be a prudent move. Dr. Linn took the initiative and reached out to Jerrold B. Leikin
 MD, a distinguished authority in cannabinoids and health. Dr. Leikin, who boasts
 expertise in toxicology, intensive care, and emergency medicine, expressed his
 willingness to present at the May BOH meeting.


 Furthermore, Dr. Linn shared his insights from a recent episode of "Backstory" on WGN,
 hosted by Larry Potash, which offered a captivating historical perspective on cannabis
 (https://wgntv.com/backstory/from-reefer-madness-to-big-business-cannabis-
 comeback-story/). Dr. Shim suggested the possibility of eventually extending the
 cannabinoid discourse to the public and trustees. Both Dr. Linn and Dr. Dave endorsed
 the notion, envisioning it as a future step once the BOH garners sufficient information to
 disseminate to the public.

 Dr. Williams highlighted the potential manifestation of psychosis symptoms associated
 with cannabinoid use, cautioning against misdiagnosing conditions such as bipolar
 disorder. He advocated for the inclusion of a behavioral health expert in future
 discussions.

 Adding to the conversation, Dr. Kumar pointed out the longstanding use of cannabis
 products by patients in the south and west sides.

 C. Youth Mental Health: Identification & Access to Care Webinar: Dr. Werner mentioned
 his recent participation in a webinar hosted by the Institute of Medicine of Chicago,
 which featured insightful presentations from various professionals including a
 behavioral health expert, a school nurse, and a psychologist. He noted that the webinar
 will soon be accessible online at no cost, with the link to be shared once available.

 During the discussion, Dr. Werner highlighted concerns about youth mental health in
 relation to social media usage. Additionally, Dr. Gaynes recalled a past presentation to

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 the BOH on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), emphasizing its continued relevance
 to the current discourse on youth mental health. He suggested that another
 presentation on ACEs could be beneficial for the BOH.

 D. Future Discussions/Presentations: Dr. Linn noted that Dr. Gottesman has expressed
 interest in sharing what he knows about long-term care facility regulation. This will be
 discussed as a topic for a future BOH meeting.

VIII. Public Comments: No Public Comment

IX. Adjournment at 8:45 PM

 Next Regular Meeting: May 9, 2024 @ 7:00 p.m.




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