Tamera Hess, from left, director of nursing for the Belmont County Health Department, answers questions from health board members Dr. Renato DelaCruz and Dominic DeFelice during a meeting Monday. The cost of vaccinations is a concern Hess raised. T-L Photo/JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Women, Infants and Children program is settling in at its new home, Director Lori Decoy told the County Board of Health on Monday.

DeCoy described the moving process, noting that the owner of the Chase Bank building in Bellaire where WIC had been housed for more than 20 years had asked for a financial guarantee that Decoy or the moving company would cover the cost of repair if the elevator were to break down while in use for the move.

While she did not sign any agreements, DeCoy was relieved to report that the elevator did not break down. She said if they had not used it, the movers would have had to carry 20-plus years of furniture down 84 stairs and told her afterward that they would not have done the job.

DeCoy said the new facility in the former Office of Veterans Affairs location at 3326 Belmont St., Bellaire is a great fit for WIC with everything on the main floor.

“It’s just been amazing for us,” she said. “… It’s just so much better.”

The WIC program reported the following activity for February: 32 recertification appointments, 72 certification appointments, 1- follow-up appointments, 12 high risk appointments, 103 group appointments and 56 health assessment appointments; it is working with 42 breastfeeding mothers with 20.49% of infants breastfeeding; it made 172 referrals, was an assigned caseload of 832 clients and current caseload of 799. Peer helper Kristin Parker resigned as of Feb. 1.

WIC will host an open house/National Nutrition Month celebration/WIC 50th anniversary celebration from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at its new location.

After hearing reports from DeCoy and other staff, the board held three executive sessions related to personnel. Back in open session, board members voted unanimously to hire Chantel Griffith as front desk secretary for the health department and Jenna Cunningham, registered nurse, as a vaccination/infectious disease nurse.

Meanwhile, Deputy Health Commissioner Rob Sproul reported vital statistics for the county for January and February:

Births – 2 in January, 2 in February;

Deaths – 51 in January, 57 in February;

Burial permits – 10 in January, 11 in February;

Certified copies of birth certificates: 81 in January, 100 in February;

Certified copies of death certificates – 267 in January, 291 in February.

In the absence of Rich Lucas, director of environmental health who was in Columbus for training, Sproul told the board the department needed to refund an extra payment for a food service license by WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital, noting there must have been a clerical issue at the hospital because “they paid twice.” The board unanimously approved the refund.

He also asked the board to approve a variance for installation of a septic system. He said the required setback is 50 feet, but the site only has room for a 40-foot setback. All board members voted in favor.

The monthly environmental report for February included the following details:

New designation of the former Back Deck Grill in Bridgeport to become the Crumbly Apron.

Vending inspections – 4; mobile inspections – 2; standard inspections – 48; re-inspections – 1; complaints – 1.

Sewage – 5 site review applications; site visits/layouts – 2; finals – 8; permits – 4; 12-month inspections – 10; evaluations – 2; installers registered – 4; septage haulers registered – 2; septage hauler inspections – 2.

Tattoo/body piercing – 4 registered.

Wells permitted – 1.

Garbage hauler inspections – 3.

Reported bites/exposures – 16.

Specimens sent to Ohio Department of Health for rabies testing – 1 dog – negative.

Nuisance investigations – 2.

Phone consultations – 215.

Email correspondence – 256.