Carroll health board reviews performance data, hears grant updates

Carroll County Board of Health members participated in a continuing education activity during their regular meeting Wednesday, Feb. 18. Office Administrator Amy Campbell presented on performance management, showing board members a dashboard with 2025 data on the Carroll County General Health District’s measures. Categories included nursing, environmental health, administration, community health and strategic planning. Data for each category’s programs were mapped onto graphs showing how actual numbers compared with target values.

One section, for example, showed how many of the district’s programs were operating within budget. Viewed cumulatively, the district found only 45% of programs last year were “on target” with spending. Many graphs included sections labeled “The Story Behind the Curve,” which explored possible reasons for underperformance in greater detail.

The dashboard has not been published on the district’s website. Campbell said the district is working to make it publicly available later this year.

“One of the things that came out of Stronger Together was having a centralized data-sharing mechanism between community partners,” she said.

Health Commissioner Kelly Morris previously highlighted the need for funding in that area in the district’s OneOhio grant application.

On the OneOhio grant, Morris said this year’s application was submitted Feb. 5. Major goals include expanding substance use prevention education in county schools to include grades five and six, which would require onboarding an additional health educator, and obtaining a coordinator for Stronger Together. The coordinator would organize activities that, so far, have been handled by Morris and Campbell.

“We’d like to turn that work over to someone else,” Morris said.

Morris also shared a tentative timeline for Stronger Together meetings with You Thrive, the consulting agency. March 10 will serve as the first steering committee meeting, followed by a community champion meeting sometime in April and work group meetings in May. Morris also said she recently became chair of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board, a role she will hold through June 2027.

In the office administrator’s report, Campbell provided updates on her strategic planning financial planning training through the Public Health Services Council of Ohio. The first in-person session was held Jan. 29, and a virtual session was held Feb. 12. Before the next meeting in March, Campbell said she will compile historical financial data from 2017 to 2025, focusing on revenue and expense drivers. She said her work so far has revealed an overdependence on grants.

“That’s something we want to try and move away from,” she said.

Campbell said the challenge will be finding other sources of consistent cash flow.

Speaking for the nursing division, Jessica Slater reported the district held its first mobile outreach clinic, which provides rapid testing for hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis.

“They also have a provider that orders treatment and mails treatment to the person’s home,” Slater said.

Home visits also are available at no charge for those with transportation barriers. The clinic will come to the health district once a month.

The communicable disease report showed increased influenza- and RSV-related hospitalizations. The county also recorded one influenza death and one COVID-19 death in January. Slater said both patients were elderly. Vector-borne diseases remain a concern, especially Lyme disease, with 15 cases reported in January.

The February pop-up pantry served 99 families and 289 individuals despite inclement weather. The district also conducted the Neighbor2Neighbor Hygiene Drive, collecting 727 items and $120 in cash donations.

Campbell delivered the financial report. Year-to-date revenue was $110,358 and year-to-date expenses were $203,188. The balance, including the 2025 carryover of $787,116, was $694,286. Campbell attributed the January gap between revenue and expenses to having three pay periods and a lack of revenue from the environmental health division due to weather that prevented inspections.

In other matters, the board:

— Approved the January budget.

— Approved payment of January expenses totaling $203,187.74.

— Approved an appropriation amendment to move $1,000 in the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Fund from the salary line item to the health insurance line item to cover expenses.

— Approved out-of-county travel requests totaling $2,970.43.

— Approved a $400 refund to Tonya Carroll for a point-of-sale inspection at 9058 Southview St., Minerva, that was later canceled.

— Approved an agreement with the Columbiana County Health Department for registered environmental health specialist services to assist in the food program from April to July at $60 per hour, not to exceed $9,000.