Fayetteville holds first city board of health meeting

Board of Health
Board of Health

FAYETTEVILLE -- Members of the city's Board of Health said they want to more effectively reach and protect residents during the covid-19 pandemic, citing a lack of response from the state.

The board met for the first time Wednesday, via the online Zoom platform. It has five voting members, all of whom are health professionals, and four "ex officio" members who serve in advisory roles.

The City Council revived the longstanding board June 22 to advise public officials during the pandemic and aid in a citywide public health campaign. The board existed for a number of years but was dissolved in October 2018 because it hadn't had an agenda item in more than a year.

State law allows cities to create their own boards of health to "Secure the city and its inhabitants from the evils of contagious, malignant and infectious diseases."

The board went through some housekeeping items Wednesday, such as appointing Hershey Garner, physician with Highlands Oncology Group, as its chairman. It formally acknowledged a pandemic happening in the city to affirm the reason for reconstituting the board.

Board members discussed correspondence with state officials during the pandemic. Mayor Lioneld Jordan said his office had reached out to the state about issues such as holding public meetings online and how to handle gatherings of more than 10 people and received responses. However, a question about the city's authority to require face coverings went unanswered, he said.

The City Council adopted an ordinance June 16 requiring residents to wear face coverings in most indoor public places.

State directives already say people in bars and restaurants must wear a mask until food or drink is served. Clients at salons, barbershops and tattoo parlors must wear a mask as services permit. The state encourages, but doesn't mandate, masks be worn in retail shops, grocery stores and gyms.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson during a June 17 news conference said he would prefer cities coordinate with the state before taking their own action that could conflict with directives. Jordan sent a letter the same day after watching the news conference, saying Hutchinson's guidance had become "discordant" with the views of the city's administration.

"The question was about my authority to require those guidelines rather than simply suggest them as best practices," Jordan stated in the letter. "I continue to do that daily, just as you do, but that was not enough for my community," adding the city had received mounting pressure from residents to pass an ordinance.

An email sent about 5 p.m. Wednesday to Hutchinson's director of communications and chief of staff seeking comment didn't garner a response as of 9:30 p.m.

Board member Huda Sharaf, medical director at the Pat Walker Health Center at the University of Arkansas, described trying to get specific guidance from the state on how to resume classes in the fall is "like pulling teeth."

The university published its Return to Campus plan June 1, which states a general requirement for wearing masks in public where physical distancing is difficult. Faculty, student and staff leaders called for the wearing of face coverings indoors at all university buildings and classrooms in a joint resolution sent to campus administrators June 26. A university spokesman has said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz supports the resolution.

Sharaf said the university is handling its own contact tracing because the state's Department of Health is overwhelmed. She cited concern over a lack of coordination with the state on efforts to respond to the virus once thousands of students return to class in August.

"Just trying to get everybody on the same page is taking so much time and energy," Sharaf said.

Jordan said his goal is to flood the city with masks. The city opened its $3 million emergency fund at the onset of the pandemic in March, and since then has purchased about 205,000 masks. So far, about 75,000 have been given to residents for free, he said.

"I just want everybody to be protected," Jordan said. "At the end of the day, I don't want anybody to ever say that the mayor and the city government didn't do everything they could possibly do to keep this city safe."

The board is scheduled to meet again via Zoom at 5 p.m. July 15 to discuss the details of creating a city health officer position.

More News

City Board of Health

Voting members

Jay Gandy, associate provost, UAMS Northwest

Lenny Whiteman, vice president of managed care, Washington Regional

Huda Sharaf, medical director, Pat Walker Health Center

Gary Berner, chief medical officer, Community Clinic

Joey Gardner, care coordinator supervisor, Beacon Health Operations

Ex officio:

Stephanie Ho, physician, Vector Health and Wellness

Hershey Garner, physician, Highlands Oncology Group

Brad Hardin, Fayetteville fire chief

Lioneld Jordan, Fayetteville mayor

Source: Fayetteville

Upcoming Events