City health board formed; coordinator sought

Carson City's new Health Board is a reality, even though it hasn't had a meeting.

City supervisors on Thursday officially approved forming the first Health Board, but then put a hold on its first meeting, which also was supposed to occur that day.

The city needs to properly publicize the board before it can meet and make its first decisions about hiring an immunization coordinator and accepting grants, said director Daren Winkelman.

"Now the work begins," he said. "It's a big step, and I think it's the right step."

City supervisors, the sheriff and a health officer are members of the health board that will centralize disease prevention, health issues and public information.

With the new designation, the health district can apply directly to the state and federal authorities for grant funding to address teen pregnancy, smoking, infectious-disease outbreaks and bioterrorism.

The first order of business expected for its first meeting is to accept a $140,500 grant to hire a full-time coordinator to organize immunization efforts. Another action will be to decide whether to accept a $40,000 grant from the state health division to continue planning to integrate HIV prevention activities into the city's public health service system.

The board may meet June 17.

The next step the board will take will be to hire a disease investigator, Winkelman said.

Contact Jill Lufrano at jlufrano@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.