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Health agent seeks new nursing contracts as contact-tracing grant ends; board supports plan
Summary
Health Agent Alexa Arieta told the Oak Bluffs Board of Health that a contact-tracing grant ends June 30; one town has opted out of shared funding and an active TB case means the island may need separate nursing contracts. Arieta asked the board to back her budget change to cover the work; the board agreed.
Health Agent Alexa Arieta briefed the Oak Bluffs Board of Health on June 2 about upcoming changes to nursing and contact-tracing coverage islandwide as a contract renewal approaches July 1.
Arieta said the existing shared VNA nursing arrangements involve separate town contracts plus a shared island-wide contract for services such as wellness clinics. She reported the contact-tracing grant currently held by Betsy VanLandingham expires June 30 and that "one town has opted out" of the shared contribution, complicating the cost-sharing. She said West Tisbury has chosen to add the contact-tracing service into its own VNA contract at roughly double the prior cost and that Chilmark remained undecided.
Arieta emphasized the public-health implications: "With Alpha-gal being a newly reportable disease, along with foodborne illness, Tularemia, Tuberculosis (TB), etc., it is important that this work gets done. We currently have a case of TB so now we will have to have two separate nursing contracts doing contact tracing," she said. To maintain coverage, Arieta said she added the cost to Oak Bluffs' budget and is exploring joint contract structures with Tisbury and Edgartown and potential approval from town administration.
The board recorded that it was in full support of the Health Agent's plan to pursue budget adjustments and joint-contract negotiations; minutes do not record a formal vote on a contract award. The Health Agent will pursue administrative approvals and report back to the board on contract outcomes and budget implications.
