The Board of Health met 02/08/2023. There were no action items, but there were a number of information items, the first one of which was the presentation of the Level III Health Department Designation to the Appleton Health Department.
I’ve prepared a complete transcription of the discussion for your downloading pleasure.
Chris Culotta, a regional director with the WI Department of Health Services Division of Public Health came to Appleton to present the Level III Health Department Designation to the health department. He explained to the Board of the Health, “Wisconsin is unique that we have three levels of health department. Level one is basically the lowest level of services provided; level three is the highest. One’s not better than another. It’s just what does the local community value for their residents?”
He said that DHS performs compliance checks on all 85 health departments in the state on a 5-year rotating basis. Back in October of 2022, Appleton underwent its formal 5-year review during which it was determined that it met the requirements to continue being designated as a level III health department.
Mr. Culotta highlighted some of the areas in which Appleton was strong and some of the areas that were “growth opportunities.”
STRENGTHS
- The Maternal/Child Health Program – He said that Appleton was a leader in its outreach on things like breastfeeding.
- Fox Valley Public Health collaboration – The Appleton Health Department had strong relationships throughout the Fox Valley.
- Appleton’s Monkeypox response – Mr. Culotta raved about the leadership role Health Officer Charles Sepers had taken in response to Monkeypox.
[I’m sorry, but…lol. (1) I wasn’t aware we were still calling it Monkeypox. (2) Monkeypox was a thing for like 2-weeks, so I question how much of a response was really necessary. (3) For me, Appleton’s Public Health credibility regarding Monkeypox was utterly and completed destroyed when Board Chairperson Cathy Spears publicly in a Board of Health meeting implied that her smallpox vaccination was the thing keeping her from getting a disease that was predominately centered on men who engaged in unsafe and promiscuous sex with other men.]
GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
- New Blood – Since the last review, Appleton has elected a new mayor and hired a number of new directors including a new Health Officer and a new Police Chief. This provided a new opportunity to bring in fresh ideas.
- Appleton’s Health In All Policies Directive – The turnover in administration has opened an opportunity to reinvigorate that policy and take a look at what health in all policies means for Appleton going forward.
- The Inequities In Appleton’s Welcoming Nature – Per Mr. Culotta, Appleton has a reputation for being a welcoming city but it should consider “articulating the inequities” in that. “Okay, it’s a welcoming place, but what does it look like to the different resident populations of Appleton?” [“Equity” and “inequity” are such buzzwords now, and quickly becoming toxic and alienating at that, something Mr. Culotta does not seem to be aware of.]
- Improving Community Health Strategies – The Health Department could move to a “community health strategist” role where it did not have to do everything but could continue to work with community partners to identify needs to work on.
View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1070892&GUID=2FAC71A7-6F63-40F0-A9F9-5A1DE92DEF00
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