Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff shortages limit Scotland County Health Department outreach, officials say
Summary
Department leaders reported four vacant full-time public-health nurse roles, loss of an HIV case manager, and two active TB cases that require daily observation; staff said the mobile unit has not been used since August 2024 because they lack personnel for off-site clinics.
Donna Page, director of nursing for Scotland County Health Department, told the informal meeting that staffing shortages are constraining services and outreach. Page said Heather Watkins joined as a part-time nurse practitioner through a contract with Emergis and that four full-time public-health nurse positions remain vacant; two PRN nurses are supplementing clinic coverage.
Page described recent operational impacts: the department's HIV case manager position ended when external funding exhausted, and she is covering medication assistance and related social services until positions are restored. "We still have 4 vacant full time public health nurse positions," Page said. She added that reduced staff numbers have limited clinic capacity and the department's ability to deploy the mobile outreach unit.
The department reported two active tuberculosis cases in Scotland County that require direct-observed therapy—staff must watch patients take pills five days a week during the initial eight-week phase—creating a heavy, time-consuming case-management burden. Page explained the county runs postpartum newborn home visits (started February 2024) billed to Medicaid; those visits are reimbursable but require nursing time.
Staff said the Wellness Warrior mobile unit was purchased in June 2021 with COVID funds and delivered in January 2024 but has not been used since August 2024 because the department lacks enough clinical staff to operate it safely on outreach events. "It has not been used since August 2024 due to a shortage of clinical staff," Page said. She and other staff described outreach efforts that continue when staffing permits, and they emphasized internal audits and monitoring to maintain program compliance as hiring proceeds.
Unidentified staff later said the county did not approve funding for a proposed HIV position this year, noting it "probably will not be funded this year," which staff said limits their ability to restore program capacity.
Page urged tracking of staffing and reimbursement details so the department can show how revenue and one-time settlements were applied to services.
