MOUNT VERNON — At Monday’s Mount Vernon City Council meeting, Deputy Health Commissioner Zach Green said Knox Public Health is transitioning to the endemic stage of COVID-19.
The endemic stage is when a large section of the population becomes immune to a disease.
Green said the state has condensed its metrics for monitoring the virus to three:
•200 cases per 100,000 (equates to 120 active cases locally)
•Number of new admissions
•Patient flow as it relates to a hospital emergency department
Under state guidelines, communities in the low-to-moderate category of risk can move to a policy of no masks in public places. Green said he expects Knox County to move into this category next Wednesday (March 9) based on the current case count.
“Currently we are at 47 active cases,” he told council. “As we continue to look at KCH, we are on a downward trend, which is great to see.”
KPH received about $1.5 million in CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) money for the county’s COVID response. About $900,000 of that went to the Community Health Center for its focus on vaccination.
Health Commissioner Julie Miller, who plans to retire in July, noted that KPH is rebuilding and reintroducing itself to the community.
“All the community has known for two years is that we’re the good guys or the bad guys,” she said. “We’re either the good guys taking care of people and helping them through their quarantine and isolation period and their vaccine questions, or we’re the bad guys because we give vaccines, don’t answer their questions, or we don’t agree with them.
“So we need to reintroduce ourself to the community.”
In addition to COVID-19, KPH continued its more than 30 other programs in 2021, including tobacco cessation; immunizations and flu shots; campground, pool, and food inspections; and nuisance investigations and abatements. Revenue totaled $9.067 million; expenses totaled $7.8 million.
Miller said the health center continues to grow. In an expansion of service, KPH purchased Simona Moore’s practice and walk-in clinic.
“2022 also brings us to a levy,” she said. “We are currently at an 8-mill levy, which brings in just over $1 million.
“Our services continue to grow. Mount Vernon city and the county are going to continue to grow, so I think we’re going to look to see what we can do as far as additional support, whether that means through a levy or through other revenue-producing programs.”
Miller said KPH continues to need space but has chosen not to seek space in Cooper Progress Park.
Click here to read the 2021 annual report.
