To: Board of Health
Through: Jennifer Ludwig, Director, Public Health
Prepared By: Penny Grande, Deputy Director, Public Health
Presenter: Penny Grande, Deputy Director, Public Health
Subject: Request amended office hours (Friday Closure) at the Englewood Office
4857 S. Broadway, Englewood, CO 80113
Purpose and Request:
Public Health would like to request to close the Public Health Englewood Office on Fridays. This request is for the purpose of staff safety and increased service delivery at other locations.
Background and Discussion:
Based on client needs, services in Public Health’s Englewood office offer extended hours Monday through Thursday from 7:00 am until 5:30 pm. 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 and we don’t have a current budget allocation for security services. 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 from7:00-8:00 am and 5:00-5:30 pm, Monday through Thursday.
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.
Motion(s): N/A