Jordahl: Sorry. I imagine your presentation will be relatively brief compared to some of those that I've allowed to go before you. Need to learn how to do this.

Employee Wellness Program Director Sher Hawn: I'll try to be brief. I promise that I won't go through all of these folders that I brought with me.

Duffy: Great.

Hawn: Basically I just wanted to report on the County Employee Wellness Program. I've been doing this pretty much annually. This year I waited a little bit longer in the year because I wanted to also be able to report to you some of the changes that we've implemented as a result of the focus groups that we did this summer. But before I go into that, I just wanted to tell you quickly I do have some participation statistics that I'd like to share with you in terms of FY '98. I'm extremely pleased to report to you that in FY '98, 53% of our County employees participated in the Wellness Program, and that's up from 45% in FY 97. The other fairly dramatic figure related to the statistics is that we had 1,142 contacts. That'd be a duplicated count. The year before in FY 97, we had 744. That's up 35%. Carol's heard this in the Wellness Committee meeting. The other interesting figure, and then that's all I'm going to go into now unless you want more in depth at a later time. Of the 233 County employees that participated in FY 98, 98 of those were new. I've had people frequently say to me well you probably keep reaching the same people. You've got a hard-core group of people that love to participate in this stuff. This to me really is very dramatic in that 42% of our participants in FY 98 were new. I'm defining new as new employees, new to the program so we're seeing them for the first time, or someone who had been away from the program for at least a year. Some people come and then we don't see them for awhile and then they will show up again. 98 of those people, or 42% of them last year were new participants. That's all I'm going to say about the participation except that I'm really pleased with our County employee group when we're over half of our employees who are participating. That's well ahead of other counties. When I polled other counties a few years ago, their participation levels were somewhere around 10-15%. And I'm sure they've probably improved too. But still I haven't talked to anyone that's getting half of their employees that are coming through the program. The other aspect that I wanted to report to you on, what we've done this fall as a direct result of the focus groups that we conducted this past summer. You remember approving us doing the focus groups, and I really appreciated the fact that the Board supported us doing that, because what we really wanted to do was look at barriers that were keeping people from participating. We did that through these focus groups and then tries to immediately implement as many changes as we could to address some of those things that we found out through the focus groups. We had 12 focus groups and 89 employees that participated this summer in those facilitated focus groups. The greatest single request from all departments was more on-site programming. They want us to continue to bring programs to them in their departments. Including educational programs and medical screening. We found out that many employees can't leave their work site to come to some of the programs that we had been holding here at the County Admin. building at a central location. We also learned that County employees feel that the Wellness Program is a great employee benefit, which we were glad to find out that believed that. They want easy access. That's a repetitive statement. The best way for them to attend programs, they told us over and over and over again, is for us to bring it to them. They consider medical screenings a very valuable asset to the wellness program. They appreciate the wellness program staff scheduling and performing on-site screenings during their work time. That's a key aspect of this program that has been in place for years and to me that's why we have the high participation rate. They're very appreciative of the economical manner that they can do the screenings. Most departments again want more screenings and more types of screenings. We kept hearing that over and over and over again and I've tried to address that. The medical screenings have assisted many employees with knowledge on problem conditions in a timely and an economical fashion. That's a quote that I just lifted directly form the report. Another quote: The medical screenings are an excellent preventative for employees to prevent problem conditions as well. They're feeling like they're finding things early and that also that it's preventative in nature and I'm actually half done. We also found out that County employees appreciate having an accessible program staff that they can trust to maintain confidentiality. That's one thing that I asked the grad student to find out. If people felt like the program was promoting confidentiality and they felt total trust in coming through that program and not having fears about the information that's generated through assessments and screenings. Finally, we also found out that they want the Lunch and Learn programs that we do, the educational programs, they want those brought to departments more frequently as well, instead of doing those at central locations. I just want to tell you very quickly what I've tried to implement since getting that information late Fall. Since they kept telling us they wanted more and more screenings and educational programs we increases the screening and immunization clinics that we always offer in the Fall, from 2 to 5. We used to do 2 of them at central locations. This past fall we did 5. We took them to departments that we've never been to before for those particular programs. We did one here; we always like to do one centrally located. We did one at the Sheriff's department, one at County Conservation, one at Secondary Roads, and one at Human Services. We tried to take the one stop shopping approach with those clinics so that people could schedule a 10 minute appointment zip in and during that time they could do a cholesterol screen, a diabetes screen, blood pressure screening. They could get a tetanus shot if they hadn't had one in 10 years and they could also do the flu vaccine. I remember a couple of you zipping in taking advantage of that.

Jordahl: Boy zipping, no kidding.

Hawn: We had 59 people in those 5 clinics. We had 59 people that did blood pressure checks. 46 people did diabetes screening. 39 people did cholesterol screening and half of those needed follow up. They receive a letter from us that encourages them to share that information with their physician.

Jordahl: You say those, that refers to the cholesterol screenings?

Hawn: Yes.

Jordahl: Do you have statistics on the others?

Hawn: I can get those for you. I just happened to lift that one as I was putting this together. 36 people got tetanus shots and that's really much more than we expected.

Duffy: That arm still hurts.

Hawn: Still sore probably. 96 people got flu shots, which was double what we had last fall. People are telling us that they're very happy to have access to that in these clinics. I'll spare you my going into huge detail about the potential for saving money in terms of the flu shots. If we even keep 5 people from getting the flu this winter in terms of potential for reducing sick days, etc. etc. it's well worth it.

Stutsman: And too, just having those 100 people be able to tackle 10 minutes to get a flu shot versus having to take off an hour or half a day to go to the doctor and get it done.

Duffy: Do you have a flu shot, Sally?

Stutsman: No. The only time I get the flu is when I...

Duffy: Jonathan?

Jordahl: Oh, yes sure.

Stutsman: ...get the shot. So I resist.

Duffy: Carol did.

Hawn: We also had a backup plan for people that really wanted to do it and couldn't do it in one of the clinics. They could actually come to the Health Department and our... Lynn Cubit, one of our nurses was more than happy to do the shot at the Health Department. So I'm really pleased with that. Another thing that I changed this fall was we had done skin cancer screening for 2 years in a row. We had always held it centrally at the Health Department. This year I decided to take it to Secondary Roads because those guys, those employees have so much exposure to the sun...

Stutsman: Oh.

Hawn: ...with their jobs and also a lot of them farm. So we took it out there and I had no idea what our response was going to be and it was incredible. We had 35 participants, 2/3 of those were Secondary Roads employees. The rest of them... We had several guys from County Conservation which we had...

Stutsman: Oh, I was going to say who else was... Who are the other third.

Hawn: County Conservation and then just a varied from other departments, people that really wanted to come out and do it. The really neat thing about that screening is that it's totally free and it's done by University of Iowa dermatology residents. I'd love to get them more than once a year, but I managed to get them once a year. I think that's all we can expect at this point, but they do 10 minute appointments. We set up screens and have bright lights. We have everything set up for them and they conduct the screening. To protect confidentiality I'm not going to share a whole bunch of statistics with you at this point. But what I will say in the last 3 years that we've done this screening we have all... The residents have found between 25 and 50% of the people that have gone through, and it's always been 35 to 40 people, 25 to 50% needed referral. That could be anywhere from discovering a melanoma, which I know they have done, they told me, to seeing a situation that they said to the person, go today or go this week, to having them contact their doctor and do a follow... Follow whatever the situation is, not that it needs immediate attention, but they want it followed. So half of those people that have participated have required follow-up.

Jordahl: That is pretty scary.

Hawn: It is.

Jordahl: Because the others... What about people who didn't get a screening done? Wow. I think maybe if that statistic were widely knows among County employees you'd see a much larger participation rate.

Hawn: Yes.

Stutsman: The people that went too, were they suspicious of something or just a preventative.

Hawn: I'd say some of each...

Stutsman: OK.

Hawn: ...probably half and half. There were many people that showed up. I was just so impressed with the Secondary Roads employees. Some of those guys showed up with shorts and T-shirt because they wanted specific areas of their skin assessed. Other people just wanted to have a routine check because they'd never done it before or they didn't feel like their physician did it good enough because it was a general exam. That's something that I really want to keep offering. If we need to maybe we can at least extend it for an hour or 2 during that one day that they come, to accommodate as many people as we can. We're going to keep trying to move that one around too. So that we get different people each time.

Stutsman: That might be something to maybe even look into in contracting with physicians for a day to do it.

Hawn: Uh-huh.

Stutsman: If the cost benefit is there.

Hawn: Yes.

Stutsman: There again if you catch one case...

Hawn: Yes. It's worth it.

Stutsman: Yes.

Hawn: Well worth it.

Jordahl: I don't know how closely you want to hold these statistics, I mean we do have the media here. It strikes me this would be a really important thing for the newsletter to talk about. Say, we had thus many people screened and guess what.

Hawn: Uh-huh.

Jordahl: We found these many cases, you might want to participate next time around.

Hawn: Yes.

Jordahl: This could be you.

Hawn: Yes, I think that's a very good point. That would be a great way to use the newsletter as sharing some of this information because I think a lot of people would be very motivated.

Jordahl: Yes.

Hawn: I know I was. I went through it.

Jordahl: If you had statistics on flu, that'd be fun too.

Hawn: Yes.

Jordahl: This many people got inoculated, this many cases per year, kind of track those 2 things together.

Hawn: Yes. I just have one final... Did I interrupt, Jonathan?

Jordahl: No, no.

Hawn: I just have one final thing I wanted to say that I've done is, we're trying to take programs out to departments, as I said, educational programs. I've done 2 stress management programs this fall in 2 different departments that requested them.

Stutsman: Which department, I don't know.

Jordahl: (Inaudible) confidentiality.

Hawn: I basically reached about 50 employees. That was just mainly refreshing people on relaxation techniques. Taking through some techniques and refreshing their memories of some things you can do in your car during the work day. Not the type that take a half hour where you close the door and turn off the lights because that obviously wouldn't be appropriate in most work settings. But the quick things that you can do to deal with stress.

Jordahl: Uh-huh.

Stutsman: We can do that here can't we.

Jordahl: Turn the lights off?

Hawn: Finally I had a BSN student who took... Who did CPR classes in 2 locations that requested them. One was the Health Department and one was Senior Dining. We finally got down to Senior Dining and offered CPR there. We're in the process of planning another one in January for another department.

Jordahl: The Ambulance Department...

Stutsman: Yes.

Jordahl: ...does that too. Do you coordinate with them?

Hawn: We borrow their stuff sometimes. There have been occasions where I actually confer with them and have one of them do the teaching. So we try and coordinate that.

Jordahl: I'm thinking systematic program where every County employee had this training on a cyclical basis to keep refreshed and stuff would be, I think, a really good use of tax payer dollars.

Stutsman: Uh-huh.

Jordahl: We'd have everybody ready to go.

Hawn: I think that's a good suggestion I should talk to Mike about us working on that together so that it's offered.

Jordahl: We'd have 400 partially trained First Responders out there.

Hawn: That was the... Oh, I'm sorry.

Peters: I just wanted add one thing to Sher's presentation. As a long time County employee and a long time member of the Wellness Committee, I think one of the largest reasons that the Wellness Program is such a success is the continuity that we have had with Sher as the Wellness Educator. The employees have complete faith that whatever is told to her is kept in confidence and she has demonstrated that over all these many years. I think another thing too, is... Myself that I have learned, is as the years go by my needs have changed.

Jordahl: Uh-huh.

Peters: I hate to admit this, but I got that flu shot this year.

Duffy: That's the first time you ever had one.

Peters: Well, I always told Sher I was never going to get because the last time I got it, which was a long time ago, I thought the flu was going to kill me.

Stutsman: That's exactly my experience. I know why people die of this stuff. It was not pretty.

Duffy: (Inaudible).

Jordahl: And you didn't get a flu shot?

Stutsman: No, because that was the year I got it, is I got the flu.

Peters: I got so sick the first time...

Stutsman: Oh, me too.

Peters: ...but I did get it this year. But I really think that a large portion of the success of this program is due to Sher's leadership and the demonstration that everything is confidential. And her willingness to look at new aspects of how to bring the program to the employees, change the program to meet the employees' needs. By the way, she didn't pay me.

Stutsman: I was going to say, how much did she pay you.

Hawn: I was just going to say... Thanks, Carol.

Duffy: I'd like to say a word on that.

Hawn: Thank you, I appreciate that.

Duffy: I think Sher's successful because she cares for people. One thing, I don't know if you know or not, that Sher helps with home delivered meals on Thanksgiving.

Stutsman: No, I didn't know that.

Duffy: Thank you. This time you had a long trip.

Hawn: It was fun though.

Duffy: Appreciate it.

Hawn: Thanks, I appreciate you comments. I'm actually ready to wrap this up.

Jordahl: Yea, good.

Duffy: Are you really? Good.

Hawn: Actually...

Jordahl: We've got to go back to our budget discussion.

Stutsman: I'm going to have to leave.

Hawn: I just wanted to say that I really think that the orientation sessions that have been held recently for the Employee Assistance Program, has really created some increased awareness for both Wellness and the Employee Assistance Program. I think we kind of have a renewed interest going in terms of prevention. I've been at a lot of those sessions and employees are just totally receptive and really ecstatic that the Employee Assistance Program has been added as an employee benefit. I just wanted to say that I think this Board was really open from the beginning when we started talking about the Employee Assistance Program. I just want to thank you for your support for both programs, the Wellness and the Employee Assistance, because they're incredible benefits. If you have any questions.

Jordahl: Thanks a lot, Sher.

Hawn: Thank you.

Stutsman: Thanks for the update.

Jordahl: All right. I heard some sentiment that we maybe we ought not to return to budget discussion until perhaps we have more Board members here. I don't know. We have received minutes from the Emergency Management Commission and the Social Welfare Cluster Board for October 28th and November 2nd, respectively.

Jordahl: What's the Board's preference on the budget discussion? Should we postpone that to either a separate work session or to next Tuesday's already overcrowded meeting?

Stutsman: Carol, there really aren't that big of changes.

Peters: No.

Stutsman: Are you just looking for direction on the second page that you gave out. I think we gave direction on that.

Peters: That and I also just want to brief you on one other very small item. Well, small to some people, big to us. Last year in your Capital Expenditures worksheet, I was under the impression that you had budgeted $5,000 to be put aside for the purchase of a copy machine next fiscal year. You were going to put 5,000 last year, 5,000 this year. OK. I'm still researching that and it seems that maybe that original $5,000 fell through the cracks somewhere. Rosemary can not find an account number for it. So I just wanted to make you aware of that.

Stutsman: So that we are probably going to have to include another 5,000?

Peters: (Inaudible) be 10.

Stutsman: Oh, the whole purchase price.

Peters: Because we can't find the 5 from last year.

Stutsman: I don't remember copy. I remember the phone system.

Peters: See, I had a document with that on there. Due to the fact that I didn't staff the budget meetings last year, I...

Jordahl: I don't recall the copier discussion either.

Stutsman: Yes, I remember the... Anyway, so we'll have to think about...

Peters: Yes. So I may have to revise that one line item.

Stutsman: OK.

Jordahl: So what is the significance of the gray blocks on here, Carol.

Peters: I might just have a copy. This is the proposed Board's budget.

Duffy: We've got 2 people in the audience.

Peters: Basically the lighter blocks only shows a difference between the 2,000 base, which is this year.

Jordahl: Uh-huh.

Peters: If we want to go into next year. Then the darker ones, as you can see, are the increase...

Jordahl: Uh-huh.

Peters: ...that we're requesting. Basically what I did on the lighter blocks was just tweak the amounts a little bit. Changing them from the original amounts in one area or another. The darker blocks, if you will look at it, is the actual... those are the increases that we are requesting. You'll see the largest increase, if you're looking at the darker blocks, is for staff transportation, schools, and schools, and lodging. That was so that Deana could attend some professional schooling and conferences in the budget area.

Jordahl: Uh-huh.

Peters: I did increase the telephone because we are running ahead of the budget on that. We are also getting some increased line charges on that. Then again for staff registration fees, that's for both Deana and myself. The dues increased to, it's in the lighter block, but those were increased to 300 to include the professional fees for Deana. The other ones that were increased were schools and lodgings by $100 for each Board member.

Jordahl: Where's that? Oh, transportation schools. No.

Stutsman: Schools and... It does...

Peters: Schools and lodging... meals and lodging.

Stutsman: You're looking at Joe and Don Sehr's. Move down a little bit further.

Jordahl: I've got SL and JJ...

Peters: Steve's...

Jordahl: ...but just it's 400 instead of 500.

Stutsman: She's increased it $100.

Jordahl: You said 500, didn't you Carol?

Peters: No, 100.

Stutsman: Yes.

Jordahl: Oh, OK.

Stutsman: So Charlie Duffy, Sally Stutsman, and Jonathan Jordahl.

Duffy: I'm going to have to Des Moines more times on this Economic Development thing.

Stutsman: What about Mike Lehman?

Jordahl: Yes...

Duffy: What about Mike?

Jordahl: ...Mike Lehman and the to be announced Supervisor?

Peters: I was just sharing with him the SL will become ML.

Stutsman: OK.

Jordahl: Yes, but JB...

Peters: Will become...

Jordahl: ...meals and lodging, school's line has been kept at 300.

Stutsman: Same with SL's.

Jordahl: Those should both go to 4.

Stutsman: No, no. SL's has been increased.

Jordahl: Yes. The JB meals and lodging needs to go to 400.

Stutsman: Because we'll replace JB.

Peters: Right. Oh, I'm sorry. Right. Uh-huh.

Stutsman: Yes.

Peters: Now if there are other changes you want to make in there for supplies or equipment or whatever, you know.

Stutsman: OK.

Jordahl: What is Staff Development NACo refer to?

Stutsman: We had put money in there for one Board member to go to the National...

Peters: Generally the Chairperson. Yes.

Stutsman: ...NACo meeting.

Jordahl: OK.

Peters: That was all inclusive, that included the registration fee, the travel, motel, everything.

Duffy: I thought we did that just for one year.

Jordahl: Did Joe go to that?

Stutsman: Uh-uh.

Peters: No.

Duffy: (Inaudible).

Jordahl: So we didn't utilize that line of the budget, then?

Peters: No. But I did carry that on over.

Jordahl: Yes.

Stutsman: Uh-huh.

Jordahl: I think it's good to have it there in case we wanted to do that, but I think we should fairly carefully at whether we think that meeting is going to be worth that money.

Peters: That's precisely what he did.

Duffy: Yes, that's right.

Peters: He had scrutinized the agenda quite carefully and...

Jordahl: Uh-huh.

Stutsman: Sometimes I think those regional meetings are more valuable than that national one in Washington DC. Depends on your interest, that deals more with legislative issues and stuff. But Washington is so expensive, it just wipes out...

Peters: I know there's the one regional one that several...

Duffy: I agree.

Peters:...Supervisors went to and they found it very, very beneficial.

Stutsman: Yes, yes. I think it's... transportation isn't such a factor. A lot of times you can drive. I think that one was even in Dubuque. I think Milwaukee was where the last one was.

Jordahl: We might want to consider flexing that line to be used...

Stutsman: Oh, sure. That's what's nice...

Jordahl: ...possibly...

Stutsman: ...we do have that flexibility to... I'm going to have to leave. I've got another meeting I've got to go to.

Jordahl: Yes. We're grinding around here, the support staff question needs to be addressed and we probably ought to have the Board here for that.

Peters: Would you like that back on next Tuesday or...

Jordahl: I think we ought to talk about it. It would be best if Mike were going to be here when we discuss that.

Stutsman: Mike's been excellent to go to all of these meetings.

Jordahl: Yes. You've been... A big A+ for attendance, here in the last few weeks.

Duffy: (Inaudible) gratis by the way.

Supervisor Elect Mike Lehman: I thought we'd just put Joe's stuff in mine just for County purposes (inaudible) take it out and put it back in (inaudible).

Jordahl: You pretty good with meals, are you?

Lehman: (Inaudible).

Duffy: That's right, we'd better give him an extra $100.

Jordahl: All right. So we've postponed the support staff discussion until the next meeting. Does anybody have anything they want to add to or discuss about this list? Sally's...

Stutsman: No, I think...

Jordahl: ...about ready to depart here.

Stutsman: Yes, it looks good.

Jordahl: So we'll just do put support staff discussion on for next Tuesday. Any reports, quick before you leave?

Stutsman: I'll save it.

Jordahl: Charlie?

Duffy: I don't think so.

Jordahl: Discussion from the public? The public is tired of... OK. Well then, we will recess this meeting until... It says recess, what does it say recess? Until Thursday or until 1:30?

Duffy: Are we going to do anything this afternoon?

Stutsman: Uh-uh.

Jordahl: No, I don't think we do have an agenda this afternoon.

Peters: Next Tuesday you want to support staff, space allocations, and other; all three on next week?

Stutsman: Other? What's other?

Jordahl: Whatever.

Stutsman: Oh.

Duffy: I thought we were going... We're not going to do anything?

Stutsman: Uh-uh. Not today.

Jordahl: This afternoon we're not.

Duffy: I had 1:30 down.

Jordahl: I think we had set it aside, but didn't schedule (inaudible). My daughter has a doctor's appointment this afternoon.

Recording Secretary Casie Parkins: That was tentative.

Jordahl: Tentative. OK. I think we're probably ready to recess, but I'm just asking why we're recessing. When are we recessing to? Is it until Thursday? OK. Recess the informal meeting until Thursday the 10th.

Recessed at 11:25 a.m.; reconvened on December 10, 1998 at 5:43 p.m. with Bolkcom and Lacina present.

(Continued in Part 5)