By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Wood County Board of Health heard good, bad and frustrating news Thursday evening. The good – patient numbers at the Wood County Community Health Center are up, surpassing goals for last year. The bad – cases of norovirus in the county are up, including an outbreak at a local nursing home.
And the frustrating – a couple restaurants continue scoring multiple critical violations again and again.
First the good news. Lindsey Ruivivar, CEO of the Community Health Center at the Wood County Health Department, reported to the board that the center surpassed the goal set for patients seen last year.
While the goal of 2,750 individual patients had been set for 2024, the actual number of patients seen reached 2,836, Ruivivar said.
The health center also saw an increase in the number of total encounters with patients, with just over 7,300 in 2023, growing to just over 7,700 in 2024.
Efforts continue to reduce the number of “no-shows” for appointments, with the greatest numbers recorded for those who fail to show up for dental and mental health appointments, Ruivivar said.
Next, the board heard the latest on infectious diseases in Wood County and the rest of the nation. Rachel Aeschliman, director of nursing at the health department, updated the board on whooping cough, bird flu, and Norovirus.
Whooping cough, also known as Pertussis, peaked in November, and is now trending downward. Last year, the Wood County Health Department received reports of eight confirmed cases – the highest number reported in any year during the past decade.
As for bird flu, Aeschliman is monitoring the national numbers, and reported Ohio had two confirmed cases in animals last year. Efforts are being made to test wild birds, and to share information with the agricultural community, especially dairy farms.
Norovirus is seeing an upswing locally, and across the nation. “We are not an exception,” she said.
The symptoms include serious nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration. Aeschliman said Wood County has seen double the number of cases compared to recent winters, and the health department has been working with a local nursing home that had an outbreak of the virus.
“It’s very contagious. It lives on surfaces, and lives on surfaces for a long time,” she said.
Aeschliman cautioned that hand sanitizers don’t work against Norovirus, but hand washing is effective.
And finally, to the distressing food inspection reports noted by board member Richard Strow. He referred to the number of repeat critical violations at the Te’Kela restaurant at 25481 N. Dixie Highway, Perrysburg.
During the past year, the restaurant in January was found to have six critical and six non-critical violations, followed in June by five critical and eight non-critical, and then in December with six critical and six non-critical.
“They’re a repeat offender,” Strow said. After scoring several critical violations, the restaurant cleans up its act for the follow up visit, but then seems to go back to its lax operations, he said.
He suggested the restaurant may need some “tough love.”
Te’Kela is “jam packed” on the weekends, Strow said.
“Are we exposing people of Wood County and Lucas County to unnecessary risks?” he asked. “They need a pretty hard talking to.”
Another restaurant, Roi Et, in Northwood, also had issues with repeated violations, beginning last July with five critical and 11 non-critical, then in August with three of each, followed in October with six of each, and in December another seven critical and five non-critical. Earlier this month, the restaurant was found to have five critical and eight non-critical.
Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Robison said the health department may need to review its food inspection processes, looking specifically at enforcement and due process policies.
Also at the meeting, the board voted to honor public health hero Ned Baker, who died on Jan. 4, in Bowling Green. Robison noted that his first job in public health was as an intern with the National Association of Local Boards of Health, an organization founded by Baker, with its first national office here in Bowling Green.
“He certainly was a giant in the field,” Robison said of Baker.
Wood County Board of Health President Nilgun Sezginis said she also had the privilege of working with Baker.
“It was an honor to meet with him,” she said.
Baker had a distinguished career in public health, where he dedicated himself to improving sanitary conditions and public health systems in various communities. Over his 65-year career, Baker was recognized for his work in the field of public health. He served as president of the Ohio Public Health Association and was a founding member of the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH) as well as its first executive director.
