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Advisory board leans to post outreach-worker role while seeking nurse hours in Salmon VNA contract
Summary
The Greater Burrows advisory board discussed hiring a part-time community outreach worker versus a regional public-health nurse and agreed to pursue a contract addendum with Salmon VNA to add nurse hours; if that fails, the board will post the outreach-worker job and reconvene in August to finalize.
The Greater Burrows Partnership for Health advisory board debated whether to hire a part-time community outreach worker or to expand nursing hours under its contract with Salmon VNA during its July 9 meeting.
Mikaela, the partnership's shared service coordinator and epidemiologist, presented two existing job descriptions and said the board could limit a new hire to part-time hours (16—19 hours a week at the top of the posted range). She described a preference to avoid high per-diem costs by amending the Salmon VNA contract to include additional contracted nurse hours rather than rely on per-diem nursing staff.
"We'd like to try the addendum so we're not doing per diem," Mikaela said, explaining that the current contract provides 30 hours and that an addendum could allow for an additional part-time nurse within that framework.
Board members expressed mixed views. One member said a nurse might be better suited for health education and trainings but worried the position's pay level would not attract candidates; another noted the region has struggled to recruit nurses when the position has been posted previously. Multiple members voiced support for the community outreach-worker option as a practical alternative that could still accomplish outreach and education goals if the added nurse hours are not available.
The group identified two options: plan A is to negotiate an addendum with Salmon VNA to add contractual nurse hours; plan B is to post the community outreach-worker position and structure expectations so the hire can conduct trainings if required. Mikaela and Isabella said they would draft a job posting based on the selected job description and aimed to post it by next week if plan A does not materialize.
The board also discussed preserving some budget capacity so it could still hire an outreach worker even if additional nurse hours are added to the Salmon VNA contract. Members agreed to meet in August to review Salmon VNA's response and finalize the hiring approach.
Next steps: staff will inquire with Salmon VNA about contract addenda and circulate a proposed job posting for the community outreach worker; the board set an August follow-up to finalize decisions.
