The Central Nevada Health District Board met last week in a regular meeting to discuss unfilled positions and to receive an update on the activities needed to be completed on the way to finalizing the district and meeting the State of Nevada requirements by the July 1 deadline.
Jeff Weed, Civil Deputy District Attorney reported that Administrator Antonina Capurro has recently resigned, and Human Resources Director Geof Stark reported that the position is currently being filled on an interim basis by Caleb Cage.
According to Joe Sanford, Civil Deputy District Attorney, the contract with Cage runs through June 30, giving him the transitional management of completing the needed steps and documents to finalize the creation of the health district.
Stark provided an update on current activities to fill other open positions, and the board approved, making an offer for the Clinical Services Manager to Deseree Reeves, at salary scale step 8. Additionally, Stark requested and the board approved filling positions up to step 13 based on budget availability.
He said his office is currently finalizing an offer for the Nurse Practitioner position, will be doing interviews on May 9 for the position of Public Health Preparedness, on May 15 will be interviewing for the Environment Health Manager position, the Grants and Fiscal Specialist on May 8, and the Office Specialist in Hawthorne on May 11. There is still an open position in Eureka for an Office Specialist, but there have been challenges in getting any applicants.
Shannon Ernst, Social Services Director, who has been instrumental in the creation of the Health District provided an overview of the process that must be met by the July 1 deadline. She provided a draft operations plan for board members with critical items highlighted for board members.
“There’s a lot to get done,” she said. “It is all hands on deck right now with each person working on a piece of the plan.” She told the board she may be asking for special meetings between now and the July 1 deadline.
According to Ernst, there are matters of facilities, equipment, supplies, and vehicles to supply for the four counties participating in the district. There are still clinical supplies to purchase and signs that need to be put up, so people know where they are going. She also said the Standard Operating Procedures with complete organizational policies and procedures will be brought back to the board before June 30 for their approval before it is sent to the state.
“We are still working on grants, we need to get Medicaid approval and then Medicare, and Dr. McDonald is working on other insurance that is crucial to the community,” she said.
In addition, Senior Civil Deputy District Attorney Jeff Weed asked the board to ratify the official notice that was posted on April 28, 2023, the 30-day notice to the public of the requirement to approve the district regulations before they are sent to the state Board of Health for approval at their meeting on June 2. “On May 30 this board will meet to review and approve the regulations that range from invasive bodily regulations, mobile home and RV parks, food and restaurants, public accommodations and facilities, infectious disease, and public pools, etc.,” said Weed. He said there are several regulations, and the process has used and modified the regulations from the Washoe County Health District. The draft regulations will be available at the District Attorney’s office if anyone from the public would like to review them before the May 30 meeting.
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