Dr. Lillian Ney (photo courtesy of Jamestown Community College)

The Chautauqua County Board of Health President is expressing concern for the County Health Department with the departure of Christine Schuyler.

Schuyler’s last day as Director of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services was Tuesday, November 29 following Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel‘s decision not to renew her contract.

Health Board President Dr. Lillian Ney said she learned from local school district representatives who attended the Board of Health’s meeting Monday, November 28 that Schuyler was an incredible asset to districts in the county during the COVID-19 Pandemic, “The State Health Department was changing rules right and left, and guidelines right and left. It was very confusing. It was a dilemma. It was a tremendous dilemma. And she (Christine) had a calming and common sense of approach to it that the schools really, really appreciated. And as the time grew nearer for her leaving, they were reaching out and saying, ‘Oh my goodness. What are we to do now?'”

Ney said one of her concerns is that there are three major illnesses going on in the public health arena currently with the surge in Influenza A cases, an increase in RSV, as well as COVID still being an issue in the county, “And now we have a deficiency I say, I don’t know if that’s the right word. But we’ve lost two outstanding performers in the Health Department. One is Christine, because Christine is now gone. And Bree Agett, who was our epidemiologist, who is really outstanding as well, she’s now gone. And I just heard yesterday, much to my despair I guess I would say, that we’re losing another of our outstanding nurses.”

Ney added that it is difficult to recruit people to work for the Health Department and that she prays there isn’t another major public health problem, “You know, to recruit to the Health Department at that level in terms of Christine’s ability and Bree Agett’s ability in epidemiology, how are we going to find folks like that in the county? Thankfully, Dr. Michael Faulk, who is a great guy, is going to be chairing the department. I think it’s on an interim basis for now perhaps, but more than likely maybe more going forward.”

Wendel has said further details about the reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services with the Department of Mental Hygiene are expected in early 2023.

Christine Schuyler

The head of the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services is out as the County plans to reorganize the department

Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel announced that Christine Schuyler would be departing as Director effective November 29, 2022. He said in a release that her current term expires at the end of the month and he made the decision to not reappoint her to another five-year term.

Schuyler first began her career with Chautauqua County in July 2008 when she was appointed as Public Health Director for the Chautauqua County Department of Public Health. She then took on the dual role of Commissioner of Social Services in June 2011 as the Department of Public Health and Department of Social Services began its merger into the Department of Health and Human Services. In November 2012, she was then appointed as the Director of the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services.

With Schuyler’s departure, Wendel has assigned DHHS Physician Michael Faulk additional duties to act as Interim Public Health Director overseeing the Division of Public Health.  Deputy Commissioner of Social Services Jon Anderson will serve on an interim basis as Acting Social Services Commissioner overseeing the five social services divisions.

Wendel said he expects to announce the reorganization of the County’s human services departments by early next year.

The clinic will take place at Evergreen Health located at 320 Prather Avenue.

The vaccine is given in a two dose series, 28-35 days apart. As such, a second dose vaccine clinic will be scheduled for Wednesday, November 16, 2022. Individuals are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose of vaccine.

Public Health Director Christine Schuyler said while there are no confirmed cases of monkeypox in Chautauqua County yet, there have been over 3,800 confirmed cases in New York State.

Chautauqua County residents must meet current eligibility criteria set by New York State in order to register for an appointment. Vaccine clinic attendees do not need to be Evergreen Health patients in order to receive vaccine. Attendees must be at least 18 years old and are asked to bring photo ID. Face masks will be required.

Eligible individuals can register here: https://bit.ly/MonkeyPoxCHQ

According to the NYSDOH, those eligible for monkeypox vaccine at this clinic include:

• Individuals with recent monkeypox exposure to a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox in the past 14 days.
• Those at high risk of a recent exposure to monkeypox, including members of the gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming community and other communities of men who have sex with men and who have engaged in intimate or skin-to-skin contact with others in the past 14 days in areas where monkeypox is spreading.
• Individuals who have had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity, including men who have sex with men who meet partners through an online website, digital application (“app”), or social event, such as a bar or party.
• Any individual that may be at risk of future exposure to infection with monkeypox, even though they are not at high risk of a recent exposure to monkeypox.

The Health Department strongly encourages anyone with symptoms consistent with monkeypox, especially lesions or a characteristic rash among individuals at risk of monkeypox, to be assessed by their health care provider.

For more information on monkeypox, please visit https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/monkeypox/

Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccine Booster

The new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster is now available in Chautauqua County.

Chautauqua County Public Health Director Christine Schuyler issued a statement saying booster doses are common for many vaccines and that updated formulations are sometimes needed to provide the best protection against new variants of a virus.

The updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the CDC is designed to protect against original strains of the virus, which the former monovalent vaccines covered, and the Omicron variants that account for the majority of current new infections.

Schuyler said those who are eligible should get a new booster dose at least two months after completing their primary series or at least two months after receiving a booster. Pfizer’s updated booster dose is recommended for individuals 12 and older and Moderna’s updated booster dose is recommended for adults 18 and older.

The link for pharmacies offering the booster dose is available here:
https://chqgov.com/public-health/novel-coronavirus-covid-19

The Health Department is also offering bivalent Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to individuals ages 12 and older at the Health Department Office in Mayville, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. You are asked to call (716) 753-4491 to schedule an appointment.

From January through April 2022, there were 96 reported cases of gonorrhea in Chautauqua County. This figure is 2.4 times greater than the 40 infections reported in 2019, and numbers grew progressively higher with each year.

Health and Human Services Director Christine Schuyler said, “Because of COVID restrictions in 2020 and 2021, STI screening numbers were lower than normal. Despite limited access to screening and testing resources, gonorrhea numbers climbed in 2020 and 2021. Experts suspect that there were and are many more cases in the community that have gone undetected. Our department recommends that sexually active community members seek out testing and treatment for STIs.”

During the first four months of this year, gonorrhea was most common among people ages 20-39 (68% of all reported infections), and cases reported were 58% female and 68% male. During the same time frame, chlamydia infections reported were most common among 15-29 year olds (74% of total infections), and were 68% female and 32% male.

Gonorrhea is a common STI that can infect both males and females. It is a very common bacterial infection that is treatable with medication. If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause very serious and permanent health problems. If you are pregnant and have gonorrhea, you can pass the infection to your baby during delivery. Talk to your doctor, get tested, and treat gonorrhea as soon as possible.

Other sexually transmitted infections include, but are not limited to, Chlamydia, Herpes, HIV/AIDS, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection, and Syphilis. STIs, which are preventable, pass from one person to another through vaginal, oral, and anal sex.

People who are sexually active are encouraged to contact their primary healthcare provider for testing and treatment. If you do not have a primary healthcare provider, you can get tested at The Chautauqua Center (TCC), which has locations in Jamestown and Dunkirk, or Evergreen Health in Jamestown.

The Chautauqua Center (TCC)
· 107 Institute Street, Jamestown; 716-484-4334
· 75 East 3rd Street, Dunkirk; 716-363-6050

Evergreen Health Services (age 18 and over)
· 320 Prather Avenue, Jamestown; 716-664-7855

CDC: COVID-19

Antiviral treatments for COVID-19 are now available in Chautauqua County.

The Chautauqua County Health Department said two oral antiviral medications, Paxlovid and Lagevrio (molnupiravir), have Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for treatment of COVID-19. They are available by prescription.

Public Health Director Christine Schuyler said treatments for COVID-19 are most effective when given soon after symptom onset so it is very important for persons experiencing symptoms to test early. She said because oral antivirals are taken by mouth and do not require an IV or injection, they are convenient and easy to administer.

Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should test as early as possible, and if the test is positive, eligible individuals should discuss treatment options with their health care provider.

These therapies require a prescription by a licensed and authorized provider. Contact your healthcare provider if you test positive for COVID-19 and meet the following eligibility requirements:
• Age 12 years or older weighing at least 88 pounds for Paxlovid, or 18 years or older for Lagevrio (molnupiravir);
• Test positive for SARS-CoV-2 on a nucleic acid amplification test or antigen test; results from an FDA-authorized home-test kit should be validated through video or photo but, if not possible, patient attestation is acceptable;
• Have mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms
• Patient must not be hospitalized due to severe or critical COVID-19; and
• Able to start treatment within 5 days of symptom onset.

Both Paxlovid and Lagevrio (molnupiravir) are currently available by prescription at pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, in nursing home pharmacies, and retail pharmacies.

Retail pharmacies currently reporting availability throughout Chautauqua County include CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen’s, and Wal-Mart.

Additional questions about COVID-19 treatment options or availability can be sent to COVID19Therapeutics@health.ny.gov.

Wastewater sampling results for Jamestown and Dunkirk

The Chautauqua County Health Department reports that wastewater samples collected from Dunkirk and Jamestown Wastewater Treatment Plants detected low levels of COVID-19.

The samples were collected weekly since March 8, 2022.

The Health Department said people who are infected with COVID-19, whether or not they have symptoms, shed the virus in fecal matter. Wastewater testing is a non-intrusive and anonymous method to detect basic levels of COVID-19 in a community without relying on ill individuals to seek out testing.

Public Health Director Christine Schuyler said, “The wastewater surveillance program is an early warning system for managing COVID-19 as we transition to an endemic phase. Ongoing global surveillance gives us a better sense of how to respond to outbreaks of this disease because we can’t play catch up. We have to be prepared – not to isolate and quarantine people – but to mobilize staff and resources such as testing availability, PPE, the healthcare and long-term care systems, vaccination efforts, and first responders. A wastewater surveillance program is an important epidemiological tool in the communicable disease prevention toolbox.”

Raw (untreated) wastewater is collected weekly at the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Wastewater Treatment Plant and the City of Dunkirk Wastewater Treatment Plant. Samples taken at the Jamestown plant represent waste from the entire City of Jamestown and the Village of Falconer. Samples taken at the Dunkirk plant represent waste from the entire City of Dunkirk. Samples are taken over a 24-hour period, then sent to the University at Buffalo Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering (UB) for analysis using Digital PCR technology.

The PCR technology detects the number of SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies present in wastewater. During the three weeks of testing, levels were less than 800 copies per liter at both the Jamestown and Dunkirk wastewater treatment plants. According to researchers at UB, the number of copies per Liter is generally in the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands range when COVID-19 cases start to increase.

The COVID-19 Wastewater Monitoring program is being developed in partnership with the City of Dunkirk, City of Jamestown, UB, the New York State Department of Health, and the National Association of City and County Health Officials. Local data will be shared as a component of the Health Department’s weekly COVID-19 reports, and will also be included in the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network Dashboard in the coming weeks.

Chautauqua County Legislature’s Human Services Committee

The County Legislature’s Human Services Committee approved a $2 million grant to hire fellows to work with the County Health Department.

Department of Health and Human Services Director Christine Schuyler said the two-year grant is through the State Department of Health Public Health Corps Fellowship Program, “This was a brainchild of the State Health Department during the Pandemic. In an effort to increase the public health workforce, this program was devised and every county in the state was allocated a certain amount of funding in order to either employ, or contract with, or some how bring these fellows on board.”

Schuyler said the county would use a local non-profit agency to hire the fellows. She said the grant funding received allows hiring up to 13 fellows, but the county will likely only use four.

Schuyler said the fellows are those working toward degrees or have degrees to eventually become employed in public health. She said the state guidelines allow the fellows to work in a variety of ways, “So for instance, we could have a fellow placed at the federally qualified health center to assist them with COVID work. We are also in the process of our community health assessment, which is a requirement of the state and a fellow could assist us with that process from the outside, and also with our accreditation of our local health department which is something we’ve been wanting to do and we now could have extra resources through this state funded program to help make that happen.”

Schuyler said this program would hopefully bring in more people to work in public health. She said the Health Department has experienced a 20% cut in workforce in the last 10 years and given that it’s an aging workforce, employees also will be retiring soon.

Chautauqua County Legislature’s Human Services Committee

Local businesses have already saved $30,290 under Chautauqua County’s Environmental Health Permit Fee Relief program.

The program, funded using American Rescue Plan monies, is operated out of the County Department of Health and Human Services. Director Christine Schuyler said 81 food services establishments and 71 mobile food service establishments have taken advantage of the program so far.

Schuyler, in a presentation to the County Legislature’s Human Services Committee, said increases in state permit fees for tanning facilities mean that the relief program funding will be completely expended. The initiative hopes to cover the cost of permit fees for about 1,400 permit holders for two years, amounting to approximately $240,000 in relief to businesses in Chautauqua County.

The Human Services committee also approved a $25,000 grant for the Chautauqua County Mental Hygiene Department‘s Mobile Crisis unit.

The grant is to be used for education and training; billing, equipment and electronic medical record expenses.

The committee did not act on a resolution that had been tabled by the County Legislature in February regarding an $11,000 grant for wastewater monitoring.

The full County Legislature meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

Public Health Director Christine Schuyler said in a release that the County Health Department and New York State contact tracing team has exceeded capacity.

She stated, “You no longer should expect to receive a call from us, nor do you need to call us. Please follow the general direction that we provide for isolation and quarantine and contact your healthcare provider for medical advice. If you are in need of isolation or quarantine documents, they are available on our website.”

The Health Department is adopting the CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, updated based on what is currently known about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Anyone, regardless of vaccination status, who receives a positive COVID-19 test result, either from a lab, pharmacy, medical office or an at-home test, is to self-isolate for 5 days and notify their household and close contacts.

Those who have no symptoms or their symptoms are lessening after 5 days can leave your house. You must continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others for 5 additional days. If your symptoms are not improving, or you have a fever, continue to stay home until fever resolves and symptoms improve. Contact your healthcare provider for medical advice.

Close contacts of someone who has tested positive may be asked to self-quarantine, especially if not fully vaccinated, monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, and seek a COVID-19 test three to five days after exposure, or sooner if symptoms develop. The most common COVID-19 symptoms include runny nose, congestion, sore throat, cough, fever or loss of taste or smell. However, COVID-19 can cause any viral/flu-like symptoms.

People who need a County-issued isolation or quarantine order for employment or school can print and complete an attestation form, located at chqgov.com/.

Chautauqua County residents can report a positive COVID-19 at-home test result at chqgov.com/.