Boone County Health Department highlights TB testing partnership, clinics and new interim partners

Melissa Hodgson Aslan introduced herself to the Boone County Health Board as the interim public health administrator for Clinton County and presented a community partnership award to the Boone County Health Department for collaboration on public-health initiatives, including TB testing.

Aslan said she has 30 years’ experience in nursing and has been serving in the interim role since June 3. “I am Melissa Hodgson Aslan. I'm a registered nurse of 30 years,” she told the board. She described local collaboration between the counties on public-health functions such as sharing county orders, industrial inspections and, specifically, QuantiFERON TB testing: Clinton County has served as a testing site that Boone County uses for latent tuberculosis infection detection.

The department also introduced a new public health nurse, Alyssa Weldon, who joined after a vacancy from November to March. Lisa (identified in the meeting as health department staff) and department presenters emphasized rebuilding capacity and continuing services.

Program statistics cited to the board:
- Vital records: 84 birth certificates and 796 death certificates issued. Staff noted the larger number of death certificates reflects administrative processes that allow funeral homes to obtain death records at different county offices, not necessarily a local mortality spike.
- Latent tuberculosis: Four new latent TB infections were reported; three individuals declined treatment and one accepted treatment through the health department. The department reported six open latent TB infection cases, with five being treated at the health department and one treated elsewhere.
- Lead and blood testing: Three elevated blood lead levels were reported (one pending confirmation, two confirmed). The department is providing case management for 10 open lead cases and reported closing four cases.
- Immunizations and clinics: Routine immunization clinic served 85 patients and administered 187 vaccines. School-based clinics vaccinated 97 students with 202 vaccines this year. The back-to-school walk-in vaccine clinic ran the day of the meeting (08:30–18:30) and staff said about 150 students had been served to that point. The STD clinic reported 20 patients over May and June and continues to offer free vaccinations for clinic patients.

Outreach and community work: The health department provided Narcan training at Georgetown Library, participated in Lebanon Library summer reading pickup, distributed smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and first-aid kits, and partnered with Boone County Cancer Society on an anti-vaping pilot program. The department also partnered with the Boone County Community Foundation to translate the Boone County Resource Guide into Spanish, French and Haitian Creole and said printed copies will be available soon.

No formal board action was taken on these program items; the segment was an administrative update. Board members thanked presenters and asked procedural questions, including whether translated guides were available the same day and staff noting ongoing vaccine clinic activity.

Speakers quoted or cited in this article are drawn from the meeting record and identified by name and role at first reference.