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Grundy County health staff report steady program activity, push for certification and staffing fixes
Summary
At a Board of Health meeting, county health administrators outlined progress on a local health department certification process with Beal Consulting, a recent Illinois Department of Public Health visit, workforce concerns and succession planning including approved changes to finance and administrative job descriptions.
Tanya, health department administrator, told the Grundy County Board of Health at its September meeting that the department is about three-quarters of the way through the fiscal year and continuing routine program work while pursuing a local health department certification. “75% through the fiscal year, 75% through the fiscal year, and 71 of the subsidy has been utilized,” she said.
The certification work will be completed with Beal Consulting; the department’s current certification expires 2026-12-05, Tanya said. She said the certification will include an organization self-assessment tool recommended by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and that she will share Beal’s recommendation and the self-assessment tool with board members when available.
Why it matters: local health department certification influences which programs and formal supports the department can access from the state and helps structure internal quality reviews. At the meeting, administrators framed certification as part of broader efforts to strengthen governance and clarify responsibilities across divisions.
During the meeting Tanya reported that Dr. Borrell from IDPH visited on Sept. 28 and met with division directors and staff. She said Dr. Borrell and an assistant director reviewed wages and other supports and expressed interest in the county’s plans for senior services and a possible epidemiology (epi) unit. “We are on their radar,” she told the board, and said state leadership offered support if the county needs it.
Board members and staff discussed workforce and team communication at length. Tanya described a recent leadership retreat and follow-up team-building exercises intended to improve clarity on responsibilities. She described use of a RACI framework (Responsible/Accountable/Consulted/Informed) to designate who approves and who is consulted on decisions.
Staff turnover and succession planning were central to the administrative discussion. The board approved a modification to the director of finance job description to consolidate responsibilities and create clearer succession and checks-and-balances after the department’s finance and administrative staffing changed in recent months. The change was presented as necessary because the department expects an upcoming retirement by Tammy Cutler and wants at least two months of overlap and training with any new hire.
Financial and operational highlights presented at the meeting included a monthly breakdown of revenues and expenses: staff reported year-to-date revenue at roughly 51% and expenses at roughly 54% and reiterated that roughly 71% of the county subsidy had been used through August. The board approved the financial report and a claims list totaling $10,000.51.
Other program updates reported to the board included environmental health’s upcoming tick surveillance (three of six drags planned for the fall), approval of the full tobacco-prevention grant for retail assessments and compliance checks under the Smoke Free Illinois Act, and senior-program staffing developments: two care coordinators completed certification.
Decisions and votes: the board moved, seconded and voted by voice to approve the programmatic and operations report, the financial report, claims, and the job-description changes discussed during the meeting. No roll-call vote totals were recorded in the transcript; each motion was approved by voice vote with “Aye” and carried.
Discussion vs. decision: much of the meeting was reporting and discussion—on certification tools, IDPH engagement, team-building and process improvements—followed by formal approvals of administrative documents and routine financial items. Several board members pressed staff for specifics on who completes the IDPH self-assessment and for updates on a separate building renovation project; staff answers indicated some matters remain in progress.
Next steps noted in the meeting: staff said they will circulate the recommended self-assessment tool after Beal Consulting identifies which tool will be used, pursue the planned hiring and overlap/training period for the incoming finance staff, and continue coordination with IDPH on certification and wage concerns. The department also said it will share any further details on the proposed senior community center and epi unit as they develop.
