Board of Health seeks to include new doctor

A new physician may be joining the Jasper County Board of Health.

At Thursday’s regular monthly meeting, board members voted unanimously to replace the sole physician who holds a seat on the board. Since the three-year term of Dr. Zachary Alexander is over, the board voted to recommend Dr. Stephanie L. Bantell of the Newton Clinic to join the board.

Board member Margot Voshell praised the idea of bringing Bantell, whose areas of interest include obstetrics, diabetes management, weight-loss medicine and cesarean deliveries.

“I think she would be an outstanding person to have on the board,” Voshell said.

The board will now recommend Bantell’s name to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors, whose approval is needed to formally appoint a new member.

The other main topic at Monday’s meeting was the ongoing effort of the recent formed Jasper County Public Health department to organize its facility and provide services. Director Becky Pryor spoke at the meeting — held in a break room of JCPH’s offices in the basement of the County Annex Building — discussed remodeling and expansion into what was formerly JEDCO Director Chaz Allen’s office.

“It’s been tough, but we’re staying open, and still helping people who come in,” Pryor said.

Pryor also discussed information shared at the 2016 Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public Health, held Tuesday and Wednesday in Des Moines. Not only was Voshell presented with a statewide service award at the conference, there was also information discussed about a wide variety of grant programs and ongoing health concerns.

The Zika virus was also a topic of discussion at the conference. The Center for Disease Control’s latest statistics show four Iowans have confirmed positive tests for the potentially harmful virus.

“The trouble is, so many Americans visited one of the high-risk spots for spring break,” Pryor said. “So if there are woman who have a pregnancy after one of those trips, that’s a really high-risk group.”

In other action Thursday, the board:

• Heard from Stacy Jobes, the maternal and child health director for the Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa, about a statewide program called iSmiles. The program provides a free dental sealant to youth through dental hygienists, targeting school districts where 40 percent or more of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced lunches.

• Heard from Pryor about two grant applications.

JCPH is  using paper charting and would like to upgrade to computers for that task; Pryor wrote for a $10,000 grant in an attempt to secure some technology. The board approved this application unanimously.

A separate grant application, with the Iowa Cancer Consortium, is to obtain sunscreen for sun-safety public events.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com