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Logan County’s oldest home health program that has operated for more than 45 years will no longer exist after this month, as the Logan County District Board of Health acted at their Wednesday afternoon meeting upon previously announced plans to close the program.
Logan County Home Health is housed and staffed by the Logan County Health District, 310 S. Main St., Bellefontaine. The program has been accredited since 1970, but had been in operation even before that time, officials said.
The closure of this health district division, effective Jan. 31, was announced in November following the defeat of the LCHD’s 0.8-mill operating levy.
While Logan County Home Health was self-sustaining and did not receive levy funds, Logan County Health Commissioner Dr. Hoddinott said it had been difficult for the small program to survive in recent years because of other home health agencies that now serve Logan County.
“We weren’t receiving as many referrals and as many patients, so it just wasn’t financially feasible for us to keep going with home health,” he said in November. “We’ve been hearing lately how hard it is for smaller home health programs to make it.
“We hated to close the program because of the contacts we have with the community and because of the extra public health nurse capacity it gives us. Our home health program also has received a number of awards.”
Recent awards received by the program include the Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems Award and the HomeCare Elite Award, as previously reported in the Examiner.
With the closing of the program, three home health nurse positions and two home health clerical staff positions will be eliminated, and retiring home health nurse Linda Kite also will not be replaced.
Wednesday, members accepted the resignation of home health nurse Teresa Haynes, effective Jan. 18, and the abolishment of the remaining home health positions. Home health supervisor Leigh Barnes likely will continue working after the official Jan. 31 closure to “tie up loose ends,” officials said.
In other budget-related matters, reduced lobby hours have been put in place this week, as follows: 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday. WIC hours will not be affected by the reduced lobby hours.
Nursing Director Kay Schoer detailed some of the reductions to nursing-related services that will be implemented. Only one late immunization clinic will be offered each month — from 2 to 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month — and TB skin testing now will only be offered on Mondays and Tuesdays during lobby hours.
Certain vaccines also may no longer be available for adults because of the cost of the specific immunizations, and the nursing division is looking at an administration fee increase for immunizations.
In organizational matters, the board named Bob Harrison as chairman and Robin Price as vice chair for 2016. They also recognized 12-year member and longtime chairman Don Spath at his last meeting.
“We owe a great deal to Don for his leadership,” Mr. Harrision said.
“Don is a great example of the type of board member we need,” Dr. Hoddinott said. “He’s very involved with our leadership committee and takes the time to step out into the community on many occasions. And I’m happy to call him a good friend.”
In other action, the board;
• ordered Stemble’s Meats LLC, Joe LeVan, 18 E. State Route 273, Belle Center, to correct an Ohio Administrative Code violation of using a triple sink that has rough interior welds, by installing a triple sink that meets the Ohio Food Safety Code within 30 days;
• ordered Speedway, 600 E. Sandusky Ave., Bellefontaine, to correct an issue with the drain hoses from the soda pop unit and a paper towel dispenser at a triple sink within 30 days;
• ordered Jac-N-Do’s Pizza, Tim Valentine, 302 W. Main St., Russells Point, to correct an ORC violation with no cove base molding along a back wall rear addition of the food service operation within 30 days;
• ordered Lakeview Marathon, Bharat “Bob” Shah, 12500 State Route 235, Lakeview, to correct issues with an outdoor Dumpster, hoses on the mop sink faucet, coffee machine and an open pipe on the floor within 30 days;
• ordered Padrone’s Pizza of Belle Center, Howard Greene, 101 S. Elizabeth St., Belle Center, to correct issues with an outdoor Dumpster and flooring inside the business within 30 days;
• ordered Mark Brumbaugh, owner of a collapsing building at 210 W. Columbus Ave., Bellefontaine, a former antique mall and deli, to remove or stabilize the structure within 30 days; and
• approved well variance requests from Judith Regula of Jackson Center for a property at 7434 West St., Russells Point, and Henry and Linda Ernst of Piqua for a property at 10838 Scioto Drive, Miami Island, Huntsville.
The next meeting is 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3.
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