HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

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Jim O'Bryan
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HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Jim O'Bryan » Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:19 am

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

The Health & Human Services Committee will meet Monday, November 9, 2020 at 5:30 PM.

Under the orders of the Governor and Director of Health of Ohio, and pursuant to Ordinance 06-2020, adopted March 16, 2020, the Committee will meet remotely and can be accessed by the public using the following information:



PUBLIC COMMENT PROTOCOL (Updated 9/20)

The public is invited to comment on agenda items. All public comment must be submitted through the eComment portal available HERE.

Written Comments
Written comments may be submitted in advance of the meeting or during the meeting using the eComment platform.

Requests to Speak
The public is invited to participate in the remote online meeting by making a request to speak via the eComment platform. Requests to speak must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Following your request, you will receive an email with the credentials to join the meeting. For the security of the meeting, please do not share this information.

­­­­­The agenda is as follows:

Approval of the minutes of the July 27, 2020 Health & Human Services Committee.

COVID-19 situation briefing

RESOLUTION 2020-69 - A RESOLUTION to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least five members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force after the earliest period allowed by law, authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with the District Advisory Council of Cuyahoga County, Ohio General Health District for the provision of public health services within the City of Lakewood in an amount not to exceed $284,114.00 for a one-year period commencing January 1, 2021. (Referred to HHS 10/19/20)

John Litten, Chair

Tristan Rader, Sarah Kepple; Members

.


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
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Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Tue Nov 10, 2020 4:40 pm

A Few Notes

1. Between 2019 and 2022, the City of Lakewood will pay Cuyahoga County Board of Health approximately $1,136,000.

2. We can see a kind of duplicate taxation here where Lakewood taxation provides additional funding to Cuyahoga County for services that Lakewood use to provide for itself. Keep in mind, that Lakewood residents already fund Cuyahoga County through a broad system of taxation. This is the kind of double-dipping that "regionalist" policies result in.

3. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Lakewood might have a very strong rationale to return some of these functions (and funds) to its own supervision and control.

4. I have previously encouraged our elected officials to consider this.

5. I have been met with counter arguments that sound in "structural impossibility".

6. I remain skeptical of these arguments. You should too.

7. Our municipal leaders need to break-out of the disaster mold set by the failed Summers' administration.

8. We can demolish our hospital, but we can't form a new health department or health function during a pandemic?

9. A year from now we will see another $284,000 payment to CCBH.


Mark Kindt
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Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:24 am

More Points to Note

1. When the Lakewood Health Department was closed for cost-savings reasons, our city owned its own hospital that provided significant charity care to Lakewood and the broader community.

2. When the Lakewood Health Department was closed for cost-savings reasons, the city expected that Lakewood Hospital Association and its contract partner were planning to remodel and expand the hospital under a program that Mr. O'Bryan has described here numerous times including the architectural rendering.

3. During a growing pandemic of historic proportions, it is more than reasonable that the city expand its delivery of public health services and seek public funding for that expansion.

More comments after I view the recording of the meeting.


Mark Kindt
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Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Wed Nov 11, 2020 11:02 am

Comments on the November 9th HHS Committee Meeting

I appreciate the work of this Committee and the presentation by Dr. Allan from CCBH.

This discussion clearly emphasizes to me again that Lakewood should have additional and immediate new civil infrastructure for public health services to support the CCBH or other governmental agencies in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Please watch the meeting video. This is very important.


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Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Jim O'Bryan » Wed Nov 11, 2020 11:44 am

[quote="Mark Kindt"]More Points to Note

2. When the Lakewood Health Department was closed for cost-savings reasons, the city expected that Lakewood Hospital Association and its contract partner were planning to remodel and expand the hospital under a program that Mr. O'Bryan has described here numerous times including the architectural rendering.

Mark



You understated this.

The FitzGerald/Summers regime actually started closing the hospital, and moving assets to private groups run by friends and supporters, before they shut down our Health Department.

They both overlay perfectly which should bring into focus even more sharply the judgement of those still on Council.

At no point did any of them have the health and welfare of Lakewoodites on their minds.

.


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
cmager
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Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby cmager » Wed Nov 11, 2020 12:13 pm

Mark Kindt wrote:More Points to Note
1. When the Lakewood Health Department was closed for cost-savings reasons, our city owned its own hospital that provided significant charity care to Lakewood and the broader community.

2. When the Lakewood Health Department was closed for cost-savings reasons, the city expected that Lakewood Hospital Association and its contract partner were planning to remodel and expand the hospital under a program that Mr. O'Bryan has described here numerous times including the architectural rendering.

3. During a growing pandemic of historic proportions, it is more than reasonable that the city expand its delivery of public health services and seek public funding for that expansion.

More comments after I view the recording of the meeting.

So then, the Three Arches Foundation should fund a Lakewood Health Department. That's an appropriate analog and far better use of Lakewood's funds than bike lanes in Brooklyn. How about it, Three Arches leadership, nee alleged Lakewood public/private leadership?


Mark Kindt
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Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Wed Nov 11, 2020 1:57 pm

Lakewood Is Not Prepared

I've been doing the Paul Revere number since last April with little applause and mostly boos. After 7 months, I have gained absolutely no traction. I think we are now going backward. Dr. Allan told that to the committee.

I am no longer prepared to listen to any claims that Lakewood cannot build and fund the necessary civil infrastructure for community public health needs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The idea that this cannot be done is absurd.

The presentation and discussion at the November 9th HHS meeting prove my point.

1. Dr. Allan told the committee what we face and for how long. It's obviously a growing public health emergency for many of us.

2. The Committee discussion was a sort of "throw-up-our-hands" -- It's up to the County.

This meeting clearly emphasizes to me again that Lakewood should have additional and immediate new civil infrastructure for public health services to support the CCBH or other governmental agencies in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. Particularly, the engineering question about ventilation systems. No need to have Dr. Allan waste his time on that. We have a City engineer. We have a planning department. Retain a consulting epidemiologist. Retain public health professionals.

I was even more troubled to witness the fact that the committee meeting was dominated by former Lakewood Hospital Association members or affiliates. --Next meeting should be held from their hole in the ground at the corner of Detroit and Belle.

Lakewood is not prepared to embrace its role in the mitigation of this pandemic. It is understaffed. Please no more public relations campaigns. I will continue to address high Lakewood case numbers in my other Deck thread --"The Burden II".

Be well. Stay safe.


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

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Wed Nov 11, 2020 3:19 pm

What I heard

1. The expert that the City is paying for (Dr. Allan with a staff of 165) is telling our elected officials that we are facing a nasty surge in Covid-19 cases and that "lives are in the balance." Yes, that is the phrase he used!

2. Between 1:10 and 1:15 in the committee meeting, the committee is discussing why the concept of additional public health services in Lakewood during a pandemic cannot be undertaken as a public policy objective.

You'll have to reach your own conclusion of what they meant.

No one in the public has ever suggested that Lakewood replicate the services provided to it by CCBH. As a city of 50,000 residents, the burden of Covid-19 falls upon it and it needs a temporary public health function proportional to the threat that these residents face during the course of the pandemic through 2021. CCBH cannot carry our load.


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Jim O'Bryan
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Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Jim O'Bryan » Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:35 am

Mark Kindt wrote:What I heard

1. The expert that the City is paying for (Dr. Allan with a staff of 165) is telling our elected officials that we are facing a nasty surge in Covid-19 cases and that "lives are in the balance." Yes, that is the phrase he used!

2. Between 1:10 and 1:15 in the committee meeting, the committee is discussing why the concept of additional public health services in Lakewood during a pandemic cannot be undertaken as a public policy objective.

You'll have to reach your own conclusion of what they meant.

No one in the public has ever suggested that Lakewood replicate the services provided to it by CCBH. As a city of 50,000 residents, the burden of Covid-19 falls upon it and it needs a temporary public health function proportional to the threat that these residents face during the course of the pandemic through 2021. CCBH cannot carry our load.



Mark

I know I am speaking to the choir, but this is what blows my mind.

Council seeks this advice, pays for the advice then ignore the advice.

While this could be seen as a step in the right direction where last council and administration paid and engineered studies they wanted to prove flawed ideas great.

To be staring in the face of this, and ignore it seems a bit immature and foolish.

But hey, what do I know?

.


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 » Thu Nov 12, 2020 9:32 am

The Echo Chamber of "Can't Do!"

At Monday night's meeting of the HHS Committee, Dr. Allan from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health gave a very pessimistic appraisal of Covid-19 spread and impacts. He used some pretty dire language--"Lives hang in the balance." I take him at his word and trust his authority as a public health official.

--Similar assessment from the Ohio Governor yesterday evening. Dr. Allan also told the committee that he expected this coming Friday's report to be even worse than last Friday (!)

Despite his negative assessments, we heard a ringing chorus of "can't do" in the meeting as our elected officials disclaimed the ability to organize, staff, and fund a new health department function during a national pandemic.

Please watch the video and make your own judgment. The discussion starts about 1:10 in the video.

I appreciate Mayor George's explanation, but the strength of her rejection of this concept is likely to foreclose future avenues to organize, staff, and fund needed public infrastructure required to mitigate the pandemic as it continues through 2021. The HHS Committee has set a terrible and irrational precedent for itself.

Here's my example:

"We've been told the flood is coming, but we won't buy sandbags to protect our community".

Obviously, I understand that the City has a contract with CCBH and that during this national pandemic CCBH needs continuation of this funding. That is not my point.

My point is this. Lakewood needs to recruit and fund staff to provide public health services and public health expertise for its community of 50,000 residents.

I have been arguing for this since April 2020.
Frankly, at no time did Covid-19 impacts improve since I presented this to our elected municipal officials.

That is exactly what Dr. Allan told them on Monday night.


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

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Thu Nov 12, 2020 11:01 am

The CCBH Map for Lakewood

It speaks for itself. The orange is my highlighting.

CCBH-COVID19-Epi-Brief_11.6.2020.jpg
CCBH-COVID19-Epi-Brief_11.6.2020.jpg (129.59 KiB) Viewed 18052 times


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Jim O'Bryan
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Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Jim O'Bryan » Thu Nov 12, 2020 11:35 am

Mark Kindt wrote:The CCBH Map for Lakewood

It speaks for itself. The orange is my highlighting.

CCBH-COVID19-Epi-Brief_11.6.2020.jpg


Up over 100 cases in the past two weeks!

It's bad you know.

.


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 » Thu Nov 12, 2020 3:17 pm

Mark Kindt wrote:The Echo Chamber of "Can't Do!"

At Monday night's meeting of the HHS Committee, Dr. Allan from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health gave a very pessimistic appraisal of Covid-19 spread and impacts. He used some pretty dire language--"Lives hang in the balance." I take him at his word and trust his authority as a public health official.

--Similar assessment from the Ohio Governor yesterday evening. Dr. Allan also told the committee that he expected this coming Friday's report to be even worse than last Friday (!)

Despite his negative assessments, we heard a ringing chorus of "can't do" in the meeting as our elected officials disclaimed the ability to organize, staff, and fund a new health department function during a national pandemic.

Please watch the video and make your own judgment. The discussion starts about 1:10 in the video.

I appreciate Mayor George's explanation, but the strength of her rejection of this concept is likely to foreclose future avenues to organize, staff, and fund needed public infrastructure required to mitigate the pandemic as it continues through 2021. The HHS Committee has set a terrible and irrational precedent for itself.

Here's my example:

"We've been told the flood is coming, but we won't buy sandbags to protect our community".

Obviously, I understand that the City has a contract with CCBH and that during this national pandemic CCBH needs continuation of this funding. That is not my point.

My point is this. Lakewood needs to recruit and fund staff to provide public health services and public health expertise for its community of 50,000 residents.

I have been arguing for this since April 2020.
Frankly, at no time did Covid-19 impacts improve since I presented this to our elected municipal officials.

That is exactly what Dr. Allan told them on Monday night.


MEMO to HHS Committee: If you won't build the infrastructure; you can never get the money. Today, the State of Ohio announced $200,000 grants to each of 113 of Ohio's local health departments.


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

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Thu Nov 12, 2020 3:18 pm

Mark Kindt wrote:The Echo Chamber of "Can't Do!"

At Monday night's meeting of the HHS Committee, Dr. Allan from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health gave a very pessimistic appraisal of Covid-19 spread and impacts. He used some pretty dire language--"Lives hang in the balance." I take him at his word and trust his authority as a public health official.

--Similar assessment from the Ohio Governor yesterday evening. Dr. Allan also told the committee that he expected this coming Friday's report to be even worse than last Friday (!)

Despite his negative assessments, we heard a ringing chorus of "can't do" in the meeting as our elected officials disclaimed the ability to organize, staff, and fund a new health department function during a national pandemic.

Please watch the video and make your own judgment. The discussion starts about 1:10 in the video.

I appreciate Mayor George's explanation, but the strength of her rejection of this concept is likely to foreclose future avenues to organize, staff, and fund needed public infrastructure required to mitigate the pandemic as it continues through 2021. The HHS Committee has set a terrible and irrational precedent for itself.

Here's my example:

"We've been told the flood is coming, but we won't buy sandbags to protect our community".

Obviously, I understand that the City has a contract with CCBH and that during this national pandemic CCBH needs continuation of this funding. That is not my point.

My point is this. Lakewood needs to recruit and fund staff to provide public health services and public health expertise for its community of 50,000 residents.

I have been arguing for this since April 2020.
Frankly, at no time did Covid-19 impacts improve since I presented this to our elected municipal officials.

That is exactly what Dr. Allan told them on Monday night.


MEMO to HHS Committee: If you won't build the infrastructure; you can never get the money. Today, the State of Ohio announced $200,000 grants to each of 113 of Ohio's local health departments.


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

Re: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Postby Mark Kindt » Thu Nov 12, 2020 4:38 pm

Mark Kindt wrote:
Mark Kindt wrote:The Echo Chamber of "Can't Do!"

At Monday night's meeting of the HHS Committee, Dr. Allan from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health gave a very pessimistic appraisal of Covid-19 spread and impacts. He used some pretty dire language--"Lives hang in the balance." I take him at his word and trust his authority as a public health official.

--Similar assessment from the Ohio Governor yesterday evening. Dr. Allan also told the committee that he expected this coming Friday's report to be even worse than last Friday (!)

Despite his negative assessments, we heard a ringing chorus of "can't do" in the meeting as our elected officials disclaimed the ability to organize, staff, and fund a new health department function during a national pandemic.

Please watch the video and make your own judgment. The discussion starts about 1:10 in the video.

I appreciate Mayor George's explanation, but the strength of her rejection of this concept is likely to foreclose future avenues to organize, staff, and fund needed public infrastructure required to mitigate the pandemic as it continues through 2021. The HHS Committee has set a terrible and irrational precedent for itself.

Here's my example:

"We've been told the flood is coming, but we won't buy sandbags to protect our community".

Obviously, I understand that the City has a contract with CCBH and that during this national pandemic CCBH needs continuation of this funding. That is not my point.

My point is this. Lakewood needs to recruit and fund staff to provide public health services and public health expertise for its community of 50,000 residents.

I have been arguing for this since April 2020.
Frankly, at no time did Covid-19 impacts improve since I presented this to our elected municipal officials.

That is exactly what Dr. Allan told them on Monday night.


MEMO to HHS Committee: If you won't build the infrastructure; you can never get the money. Today, the State of Ohio announced $200,000 grants to each of 113 of Ohio's local health departments.


What I know, they know. Their expert has just told that that "lives hang in the balance". It's a third surge! The response to my October 22nd letter was mostly "can't do" - "won't do". I've been polite and professional with them.



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