The Macon County Board of Health will have a Medicaid/Medicare required tobacco-free policy to approve at its next meeting in March, shortly before the state’s deadline to approve the changes.
The board heard a presentation on the need to update its tobacco-free policy at its Jan. 24 meeting. The new policy would restrict health department employees from smoking or using tobacco products while working, even off site, or within 50 feet of health department parking lots. Since animal control is a part of the health department, the tobacco-free changes would go into effect there as well. It also covers outside groups using the health department’s facilities.
Tobin Lee, director of Mountain Wise, told the board the changes go into effect April 1 statewide. Failure to comply could result in loss of Medicaid/Medicare funding for the county. The county health board’s next meeting is March 28.
The changes will not affect the social services department, which is housed in the same building as the health department, or the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, which is across the parking lot.
The board wanted to vote on the new tobacco-free policy that night, but Health Director Kathy McGaha said they will need to tweak the county’s policy to comply.
New faces, meeting dates
After unanimous votes, Jerry Hermanson and Ellen Shope were approved as the new chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Macon County Board of Health. The terms last through 2023.
The board also welcomed new member Carlos Vargas and honored outgoing member Teresa Murray, who has served the maximum allowed three terms of three years each.
The board discussed the need to replace Dr. Donald Dewhurst, who McGaha said will be retiring this summer. McGaha said Dewhurst is contracted hourly and the health department would like to hire a salaried position. Several board members spoke about how important Dewhurst has been to their programs. McGaha was confident that the recruitment packet they’re putting together would attract quality candidates.
The board meetings for 2023 are on the following dates: March 28, May 23, July 25, Sept. 26 and Nov. 14. The bi-monthly meetings are a new revision after being monthly in previous years.
After closed session, the board approved an evaluation recommendation for McGaha.
Vecinos planning 2024 open of new Franklin hub
Marianne Martinez, executive director of Vecinos, told the board about the organization’s plan to renovate and open its new Community Health Hub at the former Smoky Mountain Systems building on U.S. 23/441 Bypass.
Vecinos serves migrant farm workers and focuses on Spanish-speaking Latinx community members, people at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and those who are under-insured or have no reasonable access to healthcare.
The reason for the hub is the increase in the Latinx population and that Vecinos is currently at clinical capacity with limited new patient appointments available, Martinez told the board.
Martinez’s presentation focused on the organization’s plans to renovate and open the hub by spring or summer 2024. The building will have eight clinical exam rooms, four dental office rooms, four partner offices, a conference room, a community room and administrative area. Martinez said Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic will occupy the dental exam rooms and that other partners will come in and out.
Vecinos will still operate its mobile clinics. Martinez said there are around 400 migrant workers in the six westernmost North Carolina counties.
Currently, the only permanent Vecinos clinic is on the campus of Western Carolina University, and it is only open less than 10 hours a week. The new hub will be open “at least five days a week” and be open after the workday hours to serve more migrant workers who can’t leave during the day.
Martinez said Vecinos has budgeted $6.2 million for the project and has $5.5 million committed, raised or pending. On Jan. 26, the Nantahala Health Foundation announced a $50,000 investment for the hub.