Minutes - December 10, 2020 - Board of Health Meeting

Members Present: 

Ms. Maureen Cassidy (Chair)
Ms. Aina DeViet (Vice-Chair)
Mr. John Brennan
Mr. Bob Parker
Mr. Ian Peer
Mr. Matt Reid
Ms. Arielle Kayabaga

Regrets:

Ms. Tino Kasi

Ms. Kelly Elliott

Others Present:

Dr. Christopher Mackie, Medical Officer of Health (Secretary Treasurer)
Ms. Stephanie Egelton, Executive Assistant to the Board of Health (recorder)
Dr. Michael Clarke, CEO (interim)
Mr. Dan Flaherty, Manager, Communications
Mr. Alex Tyml, Online Communications Coordinator
Dr. Alexander Summers, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Ms. Heather Lokko, Director, Healthy Start
Ms. Maureen MacCormick, Director, Healthy Living
Ms. Emily Williams, Director, Healthy Organization
Ms. Jessica Reimann, Epidemiologist

Chair Maureen Cassidy called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.

Ms. Arielle Kayabaga joined the meeting at 7:15 p.m.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest

Chair Cassidy inquired if there were any disclosures of conflicts of interest. None were declared.

Approval of Agenda

It was moved by Ms. Aina DeViet, seconded by Mr. Ian Peer, that the AGENDA for the December 10, 2020 Board of Health meeting be approved.
Carried

Minutes

It was moved by Mr. Matt Reid, seconded by Mr. Peer, that the MINUTES of the November 26, 2020 Board of Health meeting be approved.
Carried

It was moved by Mr. Matt Reid, seconded by Mr. Peer, that the MINUTES of the December 3, 2020 Finance & Facilities Committee be received.
Carried

Reports and Agenda Items

Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting Summary (Report No. 057-20)

Ms. Cassidy, Vice Chair of the Finance and Facilities Committee presented the meeting summary from December 3rd.

It was moved by Mr. Bob Parker, seconded by Mr. Peer that the Board of Health received and approved Report No. 031-20FFC, re: “Emergency Purchase Award – Laptops” for information.

Carried

Social Determinants of Health during COVID-19 (Report No. 058-20)

Dr. Alexander Summers, Associate Medical Officer of Health introduced his report, and introduced Jessica Reimann, Epidemiologist to answer questions that the Board had.

Discussion and key points of this report included:
• Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on priority populations and how to support them
• That the data is used to inform pandemic response
• Consulting with groups and learning why MLHU is seeing certain groups affected by COVID-19
• Noting MLHU’s lead on being the first health unit in the province to collect demographic data of COVID-19 positive persons
• Noting that MLHU’s methodology of research is drawing from provincial guidance, consistency with other health units and existing methods used by PET and HE teams

It was moved by Mr. Parker, seconded by Mr. Reid, that the Board of Health receive Report No.058-20 re: “Social Determinants of Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic” be received for information.

Carried

Verbal COVID-19 Update

Dr. Summers gave his verbal update on COVID-19.

Discussion and key points of this verbal update included:
• The uptick in COVID-19 cases in the region (as of December 10), reaching up to 52 cases in a day
• Approval of the Pzifer BioNTech vaccine on December 9
• MLHU reaching the threshold for the Province to move the region into the “Red” tier
• Christmas season will look different, and the challenge will be to promote not grouping together
• Increasing cases in local schools, however transmission within schools is limited
• Work within the health unit is increasing, and more staff are being redeployed
• Noting the hard work of MLHU staff during this time

It was moved by Ms. Arielle Kayabaga, seconded by Ms. DeViet that the Board of Health receive the verbal report re: “COVID-19 Update” for information.
Carried

Summary Report – December 2020 re: Bill 216 The Food Literacy for Students Act, 2020 (Report No. 059-20)

Maureen MacCormick, Director of Healthy Living presented the Summary Report – December 2020 on Bill 216, the Food Literacy for Students Act, 2020.

Discussion and key points of this report included:
• Bill 216 would bring food literacy education to every grade (1-12) a part of the Ontario curriculum
• Healthy Living’s existing work in promoting food literacy and offering curriculum supports in schools, but on hold until Fall 2021 at the earliest
• MLHU’s existing work in food literacy with the Poverty Panel
• The Board noting their excitement to support this bill

It was moved by Mr. Reid, seconded by Mr. Parker that the Board of Health receive Report No. 059-20 re: “Summary Report – December 2020 re: Bill 216 The Food Literacy for Students Act, 2020” for information.
Carried

Medical Officer of Health Activity Report – December (Report No. 060-20)

Dr. Christopher Mackie, Medical Officer of Health presented the Medical Officer of Health Activity Report for December 2020.

It was moved by Mr. Parker, seconded by Mr. Reid, that the Board of Health receive Report No. 060-20 re “Medical Officer of Health Activity Report – December” for information.
Carried

Correspondence

It was moved by Mr. Parker, seconded by Mr. Peer, that the Board of Health receive correspondence items a) through d) and endorse item e).
Carried

Other Business

The Board discussed holding an upcoming session for strategic planning, within the Governance Committee.

It was moved by Mr. Parker, seconded by Mr. Reid that the Board of Health direct the Governance Committee to schedule a Strategic Planning Session before the end of January 2021.
Carried

Next Board of Health Meeting – January 21, 2021

Confidential

At 8:17 p.m., it was moved by Mr. Peer, seconded by Mr. Parker, that the Board of Health move in-camera to consider matters regarding labour relations and identifiable individuals, litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the Middlesex-London Board of Health, and advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.
Carried

At 11:05 p.m. it was moved by Mr. Reid, seconded by Ms. DeViet, that the Board of Health return to public session.
Carried

Adjournment

At 11:08 p.m., it was moved by Mr. Parker, seconded by Mr. Reid, that the Board of Health direct the Governance Committee to schedule a Strategic Planning Session before the end of January 2021.
Carried

At 11:11 p.m., it was moved by Ms. Peer, seconded by Mr. Parker, that the meeting be adjourned.
Carried

Maureen Cassidy
Chair

Christopher Mackie
Secretary-Treasurer