Health director reviews year, reports workforce and service stats; board approves bad-debt write-off

Billy Walker, director of the Alexander County Health Department, presented an end-of-year report summarizing the department’s work under the 10 essential public-health services, workforce-development activity, program statistics and the semiannual bad-debt write-off. Walker reported the health department has 37 authorized positions, 35 of which were filled during the reporting period, giving a vacancy rate of 5.4%. He said primary-care and dental services were the highest-demand areas and that maternal-health services are being provided through a referral relationship with Catawba County after the local maternal-health provider left.

Walker reviewed workforce-development steps including training (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, required public-health nursing certification), cross-training and internal orientation practices. He noted demographic and retention metrics: 40% of staff are older than 50 and some staff are within five years of retirement; retention and succession planning are department priorities.

The department requested and the board approved a semiannual bad-debt write-off for services provided Jan. 1–June 30, 2025. Walker provided comparative historical write-off figures for context: $1,239.93 last year and $2,941.43 the year before, but the transcript did not list the exact total proposed for the current six-month period; commissioners asked staff to provide receivable percentages for public reporting. Walker also said staff are doing weekly calls with the state about a recent measles exposure and will conduct a tabletop training to prepare for possible local cases.

Commissioners approved the debt write-off by unanimous vote and directed staff to provide additional receivable detail on request.