Good Health | County Gets Great Health Check

That's the evaluation reported Thursday to county commissioners, collected is to initial day of their annual retreat."A strong worker is a improved employee," mentioned Angela Locklear, executive of the county's Wellness Program, that promotes a strong lifestyle and surety health care.
She reported an stepping up number of county employees are using the county's health hospital and pharmacy. She mentioned that, amalgamated with adjustments in worker health insurance, has the county $400,000 in the black in regards to health insurance expenses. Last year, the county was $400,000 in the red.
Locklear mentioned that 776 of the county's 1,035 employees have used the county-operated pharmacy given it non-stop in October. Clinic visitations are moreover stepping up as more employees turn cozy with the services supposing and positive that their privacy will not be violated, she said.
Locklear mentioned that medications supposing by the pharmacy, and services supposing at the clinic, save both the county and worker money. One e.g. she cited is the cost of physicals for new county employees. Since July, 24 of the compulsory physicals have been conducted at the hospital for a complete cost of $336. The same physicals supposing at a in isolation hospital would have cost the county $4,200.
The commissioners outlayed more than 9 hours conference reports and plan updates from county sub-department heads and others on Thursday. This year's two-day retreat, that continues today, is being hold at the Lumber River Council of Governments office building at COMtech.
Thursday's event enclosed updates on two of the county's leading funds alleviation projects " the construction of the new Emergency Operations core and construction of the new Social Services building. The commissioners moreover listened short presentations about arriving redistricting, prison concerns, plain waste products issues, and open functions projects.
In his inform to the board, Maj. Terry Harris, arch prison warden at the Robeson County jail, mentioned that the invalid race at the prison is down to 422 from a one-time high of 521.
"We can attend to 422," he said, revelation the commissioners that the county's pre-trial module has "been a blessing" at shortening the prison population.

Harris mentioned that the prison is struggling to find the allowance to offer dishes that supply inmates at least 2,100 calories a day as compulsory by law.
"The cost of food is up 13 percent," he said. "We have usually $60,000 left from our $500,000 food budget."
Harris mentioned that the prison is now housing 30 inmates charged with first-degree murder. The median prison stay for these inmates is between two and two and a half years at a cost of $50 to $60 a day, he said.
Charles Britt, the county's Emergency Management director, Jimmy Williamson, the county's 911 director, and Chad Deese, emissary 911 director, updated the commissioners on the new Emergency Operations core located on Legend Drive. Administration is already using the building, with communications to start working in the trickery on Mar 24, Williamson said.
"We desperately indispensable this building," Williamson told the commissioners. The 20,000-square-foot office building will residence 911 communications, Emergency Services, and the Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force.
The 911 officials told the commissioners, who just not long ago hired 5 dispatchers for that department, that 4 more dispatchers will be indispensable if 911 employees are to go on being accountable for P.C. entries of established crook scrutiny requests, such as checks for a driver's license, van registration, or stolen vehicles.
Jan Maynor, with the Lumber River Council of Governments, told the commissioners that the 2010 census information indispensable for redrawing county choosing by casting votes districts is not nonetheless available. The COG will be aiding the county this year in its redistricting efforts.
During Thursday's session, the commissioners also:
" Heard a display from Faye Lovell, of the Department of Social Services, and Sam Isham, of Metcon Construction, about the last construction stage of the county's new Social Services building. The two-story, 105,000-square-foot office building on N.C. 711 will supply space for all of the department's 340 employees. It is approaching to be ready in April.

" Listened to Steve Edge, the county's Solid Waste director, quickly refurbish them on prospective home merger to spread the existing landfill in St. Pauls, that now has a 30-year life span; using the landfill's methane gas network to produce power that may be sole as a means of generating revenue; investiture of new condensed waste products gathering sites; recycling; and two programs for ridding the county of deserted and decayed mobile homes.
" Received an refurbish on the county's H2O network from Al Grimsley, Public Works OVERSET FOLLOWS:director. Grimsley's inform settled that there are 1,717 miles of placement mains in the county; 35 active wells; 12 H2O treatment facilities, with a amalgamated available ability of more than 29 million gallons per day; and a amalgamated H2O storage ability of 8.25 million gallons.
" Heard a short inform from Millicent Collins about grants the county has received. She mentioned the county has received more than $4.58 million in grans given 2009.
"We've completed a lot of great things is to county," Commissioner Raymond Cummings mentioned as Thursday came to a close. "We're streamer in a positive direction."
"I'm learning a lot," mentioned Commissioner David Edge, the lone Republican on the board who is in attendance his initial retreat. "This shelter has been really informative."