To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Jennifer Ludwig, Director, Public Health
Prepared By:
prepared
Penny Grande, Deputy Director, Public Health
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presenter
Presenter: Jennifer Ludwig, Director, Public Health
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Subject:
title
2:00 PM *Amend Office Hours at the Englewood Public Health Office
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
Public Health requests to amend the county office hours resolution (BOCC Resolution 24-016) to allow closure of the Public Health Englewood Office (4857 S. Broadway, Englewood, CO 80113) on Fridays. This request is for the purpose of staff safety and increased service delivery at other locations. The request has been approved by the Arapahoe County Board of Health.
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Background and Discussion:
Based on client needs, services in Public Health’s Englewood office offer extended hours Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m Services provided at the Englewood office include WIC, Sexual Health and Immunizations. Currently, WIC is the only program that offers appointments on Friday. Immunization and Sexual Health staff provide services at the Altura Plaza clinics on Fridays. By shifting staff to serving clients for extended hours on Monday through Thursday, we have increased access for clients to receive services before and after their work times. This adjustment to our staff’s schedules has created very limited staffing at the Englewood office on Fridays, creating a safety concern. With the proposed new hours, the limited staff currently working on Fridays will work remotely or be reassigned to our Willow Office, Aurora South Office and Altura Plaza Office to provide additional services to support our staff and clients.
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact to the county or the department. There is the possibility of cost savings since there will be limited utilities used and staffing will be able to be utilized in a more efficient manner supporting other offices where client visits are higher on Fridays.
Alternatives: Some of the other alternative solutions include hiring security which is an expensive solution without a current budget allocation. Another option is having staff work shorter shifts on Monday through Thursday, and having more staff work on Fridays, which reduces our ability to serve clients when they are able to visit us for services before and after their workdays. If we don’t close on Fridays, we will need to look for alternative ways to ensure there are more staff in the building for safety, which will impact our ability to provide services on Monday through Thursday from 7:00-8:00 a.m. and 5:00-5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommend that the Englewood office be closed on Fridays for the purpose to provide safe working conditions for staff and clients, and to divert staff to other offices to provide additional support on Fridays. This plan was discussed with the Englewood Office Support Coordinator and Division Directors, and all are in support.
Concurrence: The Board of Health approved this proposal at their meeting on February 21, 2024.