The WIC funding for 2014 remains up in the air waiting for the appointed House Senate Conference Committee to come up with a budget and pass it by Dec. 15. And the Richland County Board of Health also heard from Environmental Health Director Matt Work, who added that 28 people were reported sick from a possible foodborne outbreak.
If the budget is not not passed by Dec. 15, there could be another continuing resolution. If neither of these happens, they could face another government shutdown. Current funding expires Jan. 15. WIC (Women, Infant & Children) Director Tina Picman reported at the Nov., 18 health board meeting that one of their long-term, full-time nutrition assistants will be retiring at the end of the year and Picman hoped to replace her soon.
“Hopefully we will know Dec. 15; but if we don’t, we could be facing a lot of unknowns. We can’t hire anyone new until we know what’s going to happen,” said Picman.
Picman also shared that the WIC caseload has gone down. “Ohio’s birthrate in 1990 was 166,686. In 2007, it was down to 150,784 and now in 2010 – the most recent statistics – it was down to 139,034. That’s down 27,652.” The board discussed some of the reasons for this, from families having fewer children to families moving away from the area due to so many lost jobs since 2008.
Director of Nursing Amy Schmidt reported that there has been one report of botulism in a Mennonite infant, possibly from honey. The child was hospitalized at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. There were two influenza cases reported last week and six children this week with two adults being hospitalized so far.
Environmental Health Director Matt Work added that 28 persons were reported sick from a possible foodborne outbreak. “The good news is the illnesses were brief and not severe,” said Work.
The source isn’t known, but it could possibly be restaurant-related. Some food samples have been collected and have been sent down to Ohio Department of Health labs to see if they could diagnose any organisms that could explain the outbreak.
Selby Dorgan, manager for the health promotion and education division, explained that all five levies did pass with most in the range of a 60 percent pass rate. However, voter turn-out was quite low at 24.79 percent.
In other news for the board, the Health Commissioner position has been posted in various media resources as well as career sites. The deadline for applications is Nov. 27.
Director of Fiscal Operations Kevin VanMeter shared that the current budget is in line with where the board wants to be. The only concern has to do with the state monies they should receive in the next month. “State subsidy money usually comes in late November to early December, and to be quite honest, that’s if we’re going to get it. State subsidy money is something that could just disappear without any warning,” said VanMeter.
WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. WIC helps income eligible pregnant and breastfeeding women, women who recently had a baby, infants, and children up to five years of age who are at health risk due to inadequate nutrition.
“Hopefully we will know Dec. 15; but if we don’t, we could be facing a lot of unknowns. We can’t hire anyone new until we know what’s going to happen,” said WIC Director Tina Picman.
