By Larry Penkava
The Courier Tribune
ASHEBORO, N.C. — Public health, safety and well-being were the focuses last Tuesday during an update on implementation of the Randolph County Strategic Plan.
The breakfast meeting was held at the JB & Claire Davis Center of Randolph Community College’s Continuing Education and Industrial Center.
County Manager Hal Johnson moderated the session, which included updates by Donovan Davis, director of Randolph County Emergency Services; Susan Hayes, director of Randolph County Public Health; Lt. Col. John Reid, director of field operations for the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office; and Cathryn Davis, Randolph County risk manager.
Donovan Davis talked about Mobile Integrated Health Care, or Community Paramedicine, designed to fill gaps in care using paramedics.
He said many patients don’t have access, transportation or knowledge of how to navigate the medical community, relying on 911 service for non-emergency conditions. Such calls can lead to longer EMS response times and affect patient care and cost, he said.
Mobile Integrated Health Care would identify such patients, Davis said. “When a patient goes home (from the medical facility), a paramedic could follow up to assure the patient is continuing” to follow guidelines issued by the provider.
Community paramedics could also be involved with mental health crises. Currently, such patients are taken to emergency rooms for evaluation, then sent home. New strategies focus on collaborating with agencies such as Daymark, which has plans to convert its Walker Avenue facility to serve more patients on a 24-hour, seven-day basis.
“Collaboration with other agencies has opened doors to help fill gaps for those underserved by health care,” Davis said.
Hayes said that for Randolph County to attract business and encourage economic growth, “we have to address health issues and create a culture of health.” That involves determining what is needed to make the county a better place.
“Randolph County ranks 47th (of the 100 North Carolina counties) for health outcomes,” Hayes said. “We have lots of work to do.”
Part of the work involves educating people with knowledge about health and wellness and providing more areas for physical activities in a safe environment. Hayes said there needs to be access to fresh fruits and vegetables to people living in food deserts — “close enough to walk.” She also mentioned smoking cessation programs, noting that lung cancer is the No. 1 type of cancer in Randolph County. She said the No. 1 cause of death is cancer in all its forms.
Reid said the “best law enforcement tool we have” is the smartphone. The Sheriff’s Office is now on Facebook and Twitter, he said, with a goal of strengthening lines of communication with the public. “You are the most valuable asset we have.”
The first class of the Sheriff’s Citizens Academy just graduated, Reid said. The goal for the academy is to improve law enforcement by being more transparent and educating the public. “Then citizens can make more informed decisions,” he said.
The next academy class will be next spring. Applicants must pass a background check and be citizens of Randolph County.
Reid said the academy consists of an overview of the Sheriff’s Office, the judicial process and emergency management; insights into patrol operations, criminal investigations and K9 division; tours of the training center and the jail; experiencing a driving simulator; and understanding arrests, searches and seizures.
Awareness of risk is imperative in successful implementation of strategic planning, said Cathryn Davis. Risk management, she said, supports maximum safety for citizens, employees and visitors by addressing and managing all risks.
“The root cause of failure is not identifying risk,” Davis said. “Risk management is a must-have for Randolph County strategy. Identified risk is the opportunity for success.”
Davis said that at the top of her strategy is the formation of a countywide Risk Management Advisory Council, inviting a wide range of public safety partners to carry out a risk management process of checks and balances.
Copyright 2016 The Courier-Tribune