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Home My WebLink About1986-10-21 52Th BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING OCTOBER 21, 1986 The monthly meeting of the Board of Health was held Tuesday, October 21, 1986 in Room 111 of the Town Office Building Members present were Dr. Howard B. Asarkof, Chairman; Dr Donald Goldmann, Dr. Stan Finkelstein and Mr. George A. Smith, Jr., Director of Public Health Mr Smith said the Sanitarian, Jacqy Selway, was ill this evening and is unable to attend the meeting. He said there had been "door to door" salesmen selling meat and fish They had been taken to court by the police for being in town selling without the proper permits They were told to come into the Board of Health Office to obtain their applications and also were told to get a hawkers/peddlers permit from the state. The refrigerated cases at Sebastians had stopped functioning so George and Jacqy had to go there and they threw out some of the food Mr Smith reported that we had our annual flu vaccine clinic for the elderly, chronically ill, and the town employees We immunized 570 people We distri- buted 480 doses to the local nursing homes Mr Smith said that there were complaints to Jack Eddison that we turned some people away but that was not so if they were eligible to receive the vaccine We do not give the vaccine to anyone under 65 years of age that is not chronically ill, or a town employee Mr Smith told the Board that we will be having our Hazardous Waste Day on the 25th of October. The Board of Health discussed the Visiting Nurse Association and the services that they provide with the Health Department through a contact with them. Dr. Asarkof told our new member, Dr. Finkelstein, that Mary mails each member of the Board a copy every month of the bills, etc , of the visiting nurses, and they look it over. The Board brought up how the V.N.A. charges the Board of Health $20 00 per phone call (visit) This must be instead of going out and finding out about the communicable diseases in a person. The Board said the Visiting Nurses should be doing simple little things for the Board of Health such as going out and checking communicable diseases, doing our blood pressure screening clinics, flu clinics, etc., and any other little thing the Board feels is needed as far as public health is concerned One member said they don't want it to be just a simple nursing program but want to be "doing important" things The level of professionalism has increased and the nurses want to do "hyper-cal" and home I V therapy and if they feel giving B-12 shots is a way to achieve this that is what they want to do The Board feels there is a need for home care because the elderly are being released from hospitals earlier than they used to be We must have someone in town determine the eligibility and the need and have town meeting then appropri- ate such monies after the need is determined The program right now needs much improvement 5284 The Board of Health is in business to do public health work such as communicable diseases and the general welfare of the public's health and going out and chang- ing bandages of a resident is not the work of a public health department. The Board of Health is not the one to be paying the V N A. nurses for doing this type of work Mr. Smith said if the nurses are doing "Board of Health" type nursing they should be promoting the Board of Health but they are always promoting just them- selves. Dr Asarkof said they are the VISITING NURSES OF ARLINGTON, ETC and he thinks they make a profit Dr Finkelstein said they are charted as a non-profit organization. Dr Asarkof said that for this fiscal year budget they requested that the Board allow them to charge more for each visit. He feels they also collect from Medi- caid or Medicare for the same visit they charge us Dr Asarkof said he does not see why, on their statistics sheet, they charge the Board of Health for "new born care " Why should we pay for that, he wanted to know Dr Finkelstein said someone should write to the Town Manager telling him that the Board is concerned about the welfare of the elderly and the need to help them out if they cannot pay, but someone should do a study He feels that the way it is set up right now, it is our responsibility and we were made out to be the bad guys Dr. Asarkof said we were already made out to be the bad guys. There was one case he explained to Dr. Finkelstein of a woman who became ill, the V N A. handled it improp- erly and then proceeded to put the blame on the Board of Health Dr Finkelstein said it is the town's responsibility to study and decide how the program will be run - with the endorsement of the Board of Health. Dr Asarkof said the Council on Aging is upstairs right now meeting with the Human Services Committee in regard to the Visiting Nurses Mr Smith said that the Board of Health should be simple and straight forward on this issue. The nurses are working outside the realm of public health He said we are into something we shouldn't be in. Part of the answer is to just tell them we want the nurses to do public health work Staff our clinics, follow-up on communicable diseases, etc Anything further than that should be further studied by the town. Dr Goldmann said we have set the policy and we are not going to take care of the individual health needs of the poor The town should decide if they want to appoint someone to examine the whole picture The Board wants this to be settled. After further discussion, the Board has agreed that a letter should be written suggesting that a study/survey should be done in regard to handling this problem of aiding the poor with medical care Dr Goldmann wanted to know when they were going to deal with the AIDS policy The Board and the Director agreed to take it up at their next meeting. Board of Health Meeting 10/21/86 continued D The following permits were signed by the Board Animal Permits Daniel Palant 12 chickens 16 Slocum Road Seasons Four For the holiday season six each of sheep, goats, 1265 Mass. Avenue peacocks, ducks, geese, turkeys Francis W. K. Smith 2 horses, 7 goats, 25 chickens 4 Clematis Road Catering Permits Methyl Alcohol Licenses Rene's Catering Auto Engineering, Inc. 113 Front Street 436 Marrett Road Scituate, Ma Battle Green Shell Valls Catering 46 Bedford Street 7 Poe Road Billerica, MA Woodhaven Paint (now known as City Paint 424 Marrett Rd & Supply Co ) Mobile Food Server Richard D DeSalvatore Five Forks Shell Service Station 3 Stephanie Circle 286 Lincoln Street Wobaarn, MA Motel License 384 Waltham Street TARA-LEXINGTON (change of owner/name) Lexington Citco 727 Marrett Road CVS Pharmacy 1735 Mass Ave Swimming Pool Permits The Lexington Club (pool) Midnight Motors (a permit also for Jacuzzi) 433 Marrett Road 475 Bedford Street Ray Potter's Service Center, Inc Tara-Lexington (pool) 330 Woburn Street 727 Marrett Road Food Service Establishments Sunshine Convenient Food Mart Bellino's Bakery 373 Mass. Avenue 141 Mass Avenue Daka for Boston Properties Food Service Establishments CONTINUED 420 Bedford Street Council on Aging 1475 Mass Avenue The Kitchen 363 Mass. Avenue The Lexington Club (new owners) 475 Bedford Street Maunder's Market 1768 Mass. Avenue Canteen Corp for MITRE Corp. 91 Hartwell Avenue Canteen Corp for MITRE Corp (VENDING MACHINES) Putnam Pantry Candies 91 Hartwell Avenue 1666 Mass. Avenue Canteen Corp. for Raytheon Tara-Lexington (new owners, Flatley Corp ) (VENDING MACHINES) 727 Marrett Road 45 Hartwell Avenue Apple Vending For Tektronix, Inc (VENDING 482 Bedford Street MACHINES)