HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

The jumping off discussion area for the rest of the Deck. All things Lakewood.
Please check out our other sections. As we refile many discussions from the past into
their proper sections please check them out and offer suggestions.

Moderators: Jim DeVito, Dan Alaimo

User avatar
Jim O'Bryan
Posts: 14102
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:12 pm
Location: Lakewood
Contact:

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Jim O'Bryan » Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:00 pm

Mark Kindt wrote:As I have written in other posts this fall, it has been made clear to me that the City of Lakewood does not believe that it has the ability to restore or fund a department of health at this time or in the near future.

I appreciate that Mr. O'Bryan started this thread and that we could each witness public policy in actual formation between the City and the County.

Be well. Stay Safe.



Mark

It is still a good idea. But as it was explained to me, it would take changes to charter again, which means a vote at some point. Then it could be another 5-10 years before the new Health Department could or would be certified. Until then, all we have is a department that costs money and has no real oooooomph behind it. OF course that could be where #-Arches steps up and starts to heal some of the damage most of their board brought onto this community.

We can all play games like let's pretend we are a charity giving money away at fancy parties. But no Lakewoodite should ever forget, the money that would have brought our hospital up-to-date and fully functional was absorbed by that group. Much of the same group working overtime to close our hospital and largest employer. A good start to helping us all forget that would be funding a new health department.

Another thing Lakewoodites always forget, the Health Department used to oversee Lakewood restaurants. Now with that closed we are at the mercy of the county, and when and if they ever come by and check on food safety. For a group that wanted us to become vacation land on the lake, killing the Health Department was insidious. Of course why have a department that would say closing a hospital for $1 is stupid.

While the Health Department is out of reach right now it will be interesting to see if Council can focus on more than 30 days ahead of themselves, and look long term.

Thanks for sharing the words and the time, merry christmas!

.


Jim O'Bryan
Lakewood Resident

"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg

"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:47 am

The Organic Holistic View of Lakewood

I've had a few conversations with Steve Davis and a few with Ken Warren both of whom have now moved on to more celestial realms and activities.

Jim O'Bryan is the ONLY person that I have ever met in Lakewood who articulates a long-term organic and holistic view of Lakewood and its future on a realistic basis.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:57 am

I'm curious as to why the HHS Committee has not posted committee meeting minutes since last July?


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Tue Jan 05, 2021 2:46 pm

More than 9,000 Ohioans have died from Covid-19.

Since this Deck thread was started Covid-19 cases have more than tripled in Lakewood.

No written minutes for the HHS Committee meeting that is the subject of this Deck thread.

What am I missing?

Mr. Litten?

Ms. Kepple?

Mr. Rader?


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:10 am

The Simple Facts

1. Yesterday, I emailed Councilperson Rader and he responded promptly to my questions.

2. The HHS Committee did not meet between July and November.

3. November minutes have not been approved because the Committee has not met since November.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Wed Jan 06, 2021 11:59 am

A Little More

The HHS Committee only meets on an "as-needed" basis. The Committee has met 6 times in 2020 and those meetings each had a significant focus on Covid-19 issues.

I have determined this from reading the 2020 HHS Committee minutes posted between March - July 2020.

Having met 6 times in 2020; this exceeds 2019 (5), 2018 (3), and 20178 (4).

Be well. Stay safe. All.


Dan Alaimo
Posts: 2137
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:49 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Dan Alaimo » Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:08 pm

Mark Kindt wrote:A Little More

The HHS Committee only meets on an "as-needed" basis. The Committee has met 6 times in 2020 and those meetings each had a significant focus on Covid-19 issues.

I have determined this from reading the 2020 HHS Committee minutes posted between March - July 2020.

Having met 6 times in 2020; this exceeds 2019 (5), 2018 (3), and 20178 (4).

Be well. Stay safe. All.


"As-needed."
Not needed as the biggest healthcare crisis in our lifetimes became worse?


“Never let a good crisis go to waste." - Winston Churchill (Quote later appropriated by Rahm Emanuel)
Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:07 pm

This Interactive Chart

I remain more than comfortable with my April 2020 recommendation along with my October 2020 follow-up recommendation to the City of Lakewood that it re-establish a City Health Department.

Almost ten months have now passed and as you can see from this interactive chart there was a steady growth of cases through that period and right-up to the date of Dr. Allan's presentation ("lives hang in the balance") on November 9th posted above. His prediction of a worsening situation also seems correct.

https://usafacts.org/visualizations/cor ... oga-county

Again, I want to encourage our local elected and appointed municipal officials to seriously evaluate the need to add additional staff resources (full-time, part-time, contractors and/or professional consultants) and the necessary funding to step-up the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

These are difficult times and I appreciate their hard work and public service. If they need more resources, please staff-up. This is not going to get any easier anytime soon.


User avatar
Jim O'Bryan
Posts: 14102
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:12 pm
Location: Lakewood
Contact:

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Jim O'Bryan » Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:56 am

Mark Kindt wrote:This Interactive Chart

I remain more than comfortable with my April 2020 recommendation along with my October 2020 follow-up recommendation to the City of Lakewood that it re-establish a City Health Department.

Almost ten months have now passed and as you can see from this interactive chart there was a steady growth of cases through that period and right-up to the date of Dr. Allan's presentation ("lives hang in the balance") on November 9th posted above. His prediction of a worsening situation also seems correct.

https://usafacts.org/visualizations/cor ... oga-county

Again, I want to encourage our local elected and appointed municipal officials to seriously evaluate the need to add additional staff resources (full-time, part-time, contractors and/or professional consultants) and the necessary funding to step-up the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

These are difficult times and I appreciate their hard work and public service. If they need more resources, please staff-up. This is not going to get any easier anytime soon.



Mark

While I have been told by many the problems of starting a Health Department, it makes more sense then what they are spending and time investment on public art.

I get it, far easier to do public art, and people think it is cool and that the city is doing something when they are not.

And I am a big supporter of public art. But I like living a whole lot more.

.


Jim O'Bryan
Lakewood Resident

"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg

"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:52 am

Time To Staff Up Now

60-days have now passed since the HHS Committee meeting posted above. I have seen no evidence that Covid-19 cases in Lakewood are declining.

I encourage this Committee and the City of Lakewood to make timely decisions to "staff-up" to protect its residents, employees and visitors during worsening pandemic conditions.

I don't care how they do it or what they call it. It needs to be done.

(To Mr. O'Bryan's obvious point, neither public art, nor bees, should have any priority during a public health state of emergency).

This Committee and the City of Lakewood have been on notice since May 2018 that there are specific vulnerable populations in each Lakewood neighborhood.

That fact alone more than justifies specific public health staffing in this City of 50,000 residents. --Full-time, part-time, contract employees, nurses, doctors, public health consultants.

I'm sure this Committee and the City have access to their own internal EMS data. It is good, or bad, or is it secret?

ACT ON IT!


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:48 pm

No Public Meeting - No Public Access

My final observation on the topic of the Health & Human Services Committee is this.

There is NO public access to these Committee meetings, if they are never held.

Only ONE meeting has been scheduled and held since last July and no future meetings are scheduled on the City website.

Even bees are getting more attention than the pandemic.

It's all crickets...


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Jan 18, 2021 5:56 pm

Again, I make the very simple point that the HHS Committee had not posted any meeting minutes since July 2020.

Virtual meetings are not public meetings, even under the legislative dispensation, if they are NOT held.

I remain disappointed that the HHS Committee cannot post timely minutes for those rare meetings that actually are held.



Return to “Lakewood General Discussions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 36 guests