Health center keeps current insurance for employees

At its November 9 meeting, the Nodaway County Health Center Board of Directors voted to keep the current health insurance plan which saw a five percent premium increase.

The board considered plans under the Affordable Care Act, but those would have raised the monthly rate from 14.6 to 47.6 percent more than the current plan.

The center received a letter from the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory (MSPHL) praising it for submitting 67 percent of TB tests within 24 hours of collection. The MSPHL is receiving 54 percent of the tests within 24 hours, a 21 percent increase from 2014.

Tom Patterson, health center director, asked Tabitha Frank, RN, to be on the 2017 Missouri Immunization Conference planning committee for the May conference.

The center’s immunization program has a VFC childhood immunization assessment rate of over 90 percent.

The 457b retirement plan needs to be legally reviewed for amendments. Currently, two employees are eligible to contribute. Two more will be eligible in summer 2017 and one in January 2018. Patterson requested that the board revise the budget to pay for the legal review at the December meeting and work on the review during the January and February 2017 meetings.

The center gave 1,202 flu vaccinations in October. Frank held 38 off-site flu clinics, including five at county school parent/teacher conferences. Patterson stated that the health center is planning a drive-in flu clinic for October 2017.

The board gave Patterson permission to disperse surplus items. The items are currently stored in a room that Patterson wants to use for other purposes.

The board held a closed session to discuss employee performance.