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Commissioners express reservations about United Way request but note HealthRight will coordinate with health department
Summary
County commissioners discussed letters of support for Milan Pushkar/HealthRight and United Way, with at least one commissioner voicing reservations about the United Way/MCR-related request; commissioners said Dr. Huggins and Laura Jones committed to closer cooperation with the county health department, including how needles are managed.
At its Dec. 23 meeting, the Monongalia County Commission reviewed correspondence and letters of support provided earlier for Milan Pushkar/HealthRight and for a United Way project serving Monongalia and Preston counties. One commissioner said they continued to have "major reservations" about the United Way/MCR request but expressed support for HealthRight with caveats.
Commissioners said a recent work session with Dr. Huggins and Laura Jones addressed those concerns and produced commitments for partnership with the county health department. According to the discussion, HealthRight agreed to channel needle distribution information and certain needle receipts through the health department to clarify what is handed out versus what is collected. A commissioner said HealthRight acknowledged that when buildings were cleared, "there were thousands of needles" counted, and that separating distribution from collection practices was a key outcome of the meeting.
Commissioners characterized the meeting as productive and said the health department will take a leadership role in consulting on procedures, and that interested parties will be invited to future discussions to develop solutions.
