With board chair Sheldon Monson absent due to illness, the Wadena County Board of Commissioners approved four agenda items dealing with Public Health at its Tuesday meeting.
Public Health Director Cindy Pederson put the agenda in play before Vice Chairman Bill Stearns with a presentation on Wellness Funds.
The board approved the charter of the Wadena County Employee Wellness Committee and its four new members. Joining Public Health's Erica Keppers on the committee will be LeeAnn Huebsch of Public Health, Erin Guck of Human Services, April Damlo of the Highway Department and Kim Schroeder of the Auditor/Treasurer's office. Huebsch will be the committee's coordinator.
The committee's job is to plan, promote, implement and evaluate county employee wellness programming.
Goals and objectives of the program in 2018 will be maintaining a foundation to support employee health, proving healthy food options, encouraging employees to increase their physical activity, encouraging employees to manage their stress, cultivating tobacco cessation support and coming up with a breastfeeding-friendly policy.
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The board also approved a memo of understanding with Southwest Minnesota State University to provide Public Health workforce development for the benefit of a four-year nursing student from Wadena County.
Pederson's proposal that new health insurance options for 2018 include a Preferred One option was adopted. The motion was to approve a provider agreement with Preferred One Administrative Services for one year with an automatic one-year renewal unless terminated.
The board also gave its approval to a program which provides access to families who need a safe place for their infant to sleep. An application, training and verification process is required. The motion was to allow Public Health to become a partnering agency with the Cradle of Hope Safe Slumber Program and to distribute portable cribs.
Four items related to waste disposal were removed from the agenda due to the absence of Otter Tail County Assistant Waste Management Director Zach Fjestad who was attending the funeral of a family member.
The board closed the shortened meeting by discussing the upcoming retirement of Seventh District Judge Sally Robertson April 5. Robertson has been on the bench for 22 years. She was first appointed to the post by Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson March 29, 1996.
