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Health department signs five-year EHR agreement for school program; reports WIC decline and Lyme uptick
Summary
The health department requested approval of a five-year contract with August software for the school wellness EHR, funded in part by renovation grant dollars, and presented routine public-health updates including WIC enrollment declines, immunization workflow integration, and rising Lyme disease cases.
Kristen Pluta of the Jackson County Health Department asked commissioners to approve a five-year contract with August (the EHR vendor) for the county’s school wellness program. Pluta said the county planned to sign in March of the following year but sought the board’s approval to lock a 20% discount; the five-year agreement would total $55,200 and allow the department to use renovation funds that expire Sept. 30 rather than drawing from operational grant dollars.
Pluta said the department had been piloting the software since April and found it met program needs after earlier paper charting trials. She said the state’s children and adolescent health program has separate operational and renovation grants; renovation funds can pay for equipment and software required to stand up the school program.
In the monthly report, Pluta said WIC enrollment has been declining since the pandemic-era automatic enrollment period and that automatic enrollment tied to Medicaid is ending; families will soon need to submit financial documentation again to qualify. To increase vaccine uptake, the health department is coordinating immunization clinic staff with WIC appointments so eligible children can be vaccinated during the same visit. Pluta also noted a statewide increase in Lyme disease cases and said the department is tracking cases and sharing trends with health-care providers.
A motion to adopt the staff recommendation for the five-year contract passed by voice vote; the board also received the health department’s monthly and annual reports.
