Department of Public Health Response to Grand Jury Findings

The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.

The Board of Supervisors disagrees with the impression created by the finding that the county’s response to the August 2008 tuberculosis incident in Needles was somehow “hampered by poor communication and coordination.” In fact, the incident was resolved with the utmost dispatch and with the best outcome possible in terms of mitigating the threat to the public’s health and safety. Within 13 hours of confirming that the patient was not complying with an Isolation Order, the Department of Public Health secured a civil order of detention, served the order on the patient, transported the patient to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, and assigned the patient to an isolation pod for treatment and observation. This process was accomplished under the supervision of the County Administrative Officer and with the consultation and cooperation of the Department of Public Health, the Sheriff’s Department, County Counsel’s Office, the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency, and ARMC.

The Board of Supervisors disagrees with an element of the finding. The finding refers to a position alternately labeled “Chief Medical Health Officer” and “Chief Medical Officer”. The position of “Chief Medical Officer” was eliminated several years ago during a reorganization. Since that reorganization, the county has had a “Health Officer” position, which is a position mandated and defined by state law. The qualifications for a county Health Officer are contained in at least two areas of California law. Section 101005 of the California Health and Safety Code reads in its entirety: “The county health officer shall be a graduate of a medical college of good standing and repute. His or her compensation shall be determined by the board of supervisors.” California State Code of Regulations Department of Health Services Title 17, Chapter 3, Subchapter 1, Article 3, Section 1300 reads: “The health officer shall be a graduate of a medical school of good standing and repute and shall be eligible for a license to practice medicine and surgery in the State of California; provided however that those health officers on a full-time basis as of September 19, 1947, shall be considered as meeting the requirements of this section.” 1