Health Board uses new AV equipment

The Nodaway County Health Center board had the opportunity, November 19, to use the new audio-visual equipment which had been installed in the health center’s meeting room.

The board undertook a state training session for health boards after the regular meeting.

Administrator Tom Patterson is looking into filling the position left by the recent death of board member Marlin Kinman. The board is inclined to wait until the April 8, 2025, election. To file for the position, interested people would need to file at the health center during open hours, between Tuesday, December 10 and Tuesday, December 30. There will be only one opening on the ballot with the term lasting until April 2026.

Linda Shelby of Arnold Insurance brought information about the health center’s current plan, which had been grandfathered in under the Affordable Care Act. The plan had a 0.4 percent rate increase for next year. At the current time, the health center pays for three employees health insurance. To be eligible for the health insurance, employees must work 30 hours per week.

Patterson said with the extra projects, the generator and A/V equipment, he didn’t think the health center would have to appropriate extra funds. It will be known by the December meeting.

In October, there had been 50 COVID cases and one death.

Patterson reported the ELC Ed grant “is once again reviewing contracts that were previously approved. Our generator project was rejected again, but I was able to resubmit itemized components and they approved the generator itself for $46,211.33, about 80 percent of the projected costs. There is a possibility I can recoup some of that remaining with the PHEP or Adult Immunizations contracts.”

The October flu and COVID clinics “saw high demand for COVID and high dose flu, and seemingly normal demand for regular flu,” Patterson reported. “Typically requests for these immunizations will start to decrease as we go into the end of the year. We can anticipate a spike in cases between the holidays as is typical historically.”

The health board will meet at 10 am, Tuesdays, December 10 and 17.