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Health director reports increased visits, commissioners approve small patient bad‑debt write‑offs
Summary
Health Director Tammy Martin reported increased appointments across county health programs and said staffing—particularly an LCSW—is the pressing need; the board approved writing off patient bad debts under $50 for accounts inactive a year or more and moved that item to add‑on action.
Health Director Tammy Martin briefed the Stokes County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 28 on the health department’s annual reports and staffing needs, saying the department recorded more appointments in fiscal 2023‑24 than the year before and that program demand has increased across clinical and environmental services.
Martin reported an increase of 695 appointments in 2023‑24 compared with the previous year and said WIC client counts, environmental health inspections and other programs have all increased. Staff are implementing expanded electronic health‑record capabilities to better track programs such as medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) and employee health, Martin said.
Commissioners pressed staff on staffing needs. Martin said the department is ‘‘fully staffed’’ but has one employee in training (expected to require about six months to complete training) and that recruiting a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) remains a top concern. She added that an on‑staff nurse practitioner is expected to complete a mental‑health certification in December and will provide at least two clinic days focused on mental‑health care.
Separately, the board approved an add‑on request to write off small patient bad debts. Staff asked the board to authorize write‑offs for accounts of $50 or less for patients who had not been seen in more than a year, in accordance with state practice cited by staff; commissioners moved that item to action and the motion carried.
Next steps: health staff will continue recruiting for clinical positions and will implement the electronic‑records changes to improve program reporting.
