Onslow health director hired as interim in Jones County

July 15--Jones County's local health board fired its new health director last week and, two days later, appointed Interim Director Angela Lee, who leads the Onslow County Health Department.

Kimberly Shill served as Jones County health director less than a month before her dismissal on Wednesday, Jones County Manager Franky Howard told The Daily News.

"She was terminated due to qualifications issues with the state's requirements," Howard said.

Lee, the Onslow County health director, was appointed Friday, he added.

All local health directors in North Carolina must be licensed to practice medicine or have relevant work experience and: a master's in public administration or a public-health related discipline or a bachelor's relevant to public health, according to N.C. General Statutes.

A local health board has 60 days to fill a director's vacancy before the state health director will make the appointment, according to General Statutes.

Shill was dismissed without severance pay, Howard said.

Jones County pays its health director $64,616 annually, but Lee will be paid a percentage of her earnings in Onslow County based on an agreement between the two counties, Howard said.

"We have an agreement with Onslow County that is based on a percentage of what she's paid over there," Howard said.

Lee's salary is $95,950 as Onslow County health director, Onslow County Manager Jeffrey Hudson said.

Onslow County spokesman Todd Lyman said an agreement is being drafted by Howard and Hudson that would tap funds from Jones County for Lee's interim service.

"Jones County would pay for this from their county's budget," Lyman said of the "mutual-aid request" from Jones County.

Jones County will pay 25 percent of Lee's salary in Onslow County with several stipulations. For example, Lee's service as interim director in Trenton will not exceed 90 days and will end as early as Jones County's health board fills the vacancy.

"She just cannot do the work of both counties for longer than that," Hudson said.

Jones County will end up paying Lee $922 each two-week pay period before taxes, Hudson said.

Lee earns $3,690 before taxes per pay period in Onslow County, he added.

In addition, Onslow County will charge Jones County 5 percent of Lee's $95,950 salary for "use of Onslow County equipment and facilities for Jones County," Lyman said.

She must keep dual time sheets, Hudson said.

"We imagine that she'll be using her office phone," Hudson said. "She's not to be located every day in Jones County. She's going back and forth."

The new role will extend Lee's current work hours, Lyman said.

"Ms. Lee will be expected to fulfill the needs of both Onslow and Jones Counties and is aware of the increased workload, including night and weekend work during the limited-term interim appointment period," Lyman added. "Her duties will increase substantially."

Howard said the draft agreement was sought upon the advice of the state health director.

In April 2013, Jones County Health Department did not pass accreditation review, which is required of all local health departments, Howard added.

He said Shill's termination was not the result of the now "conditional" status Jones County Health Department was levied during the review by a team from the N.C. Local Health Department Accreditation Board.

The staff of roughly 12 at the Trenton-based health department assumes many roles in a rural county with constant demand for services, Howard said.

And with high turnover -- as that county competes with neighboring counties' departments -- "you have to start over, it seems" with training to achieve accreditation, Howard said.

The accreditation review -- of 41 benchmarks and 148 activities -- became mandatory after standards were set in 2002, according to the N.C. Local Health Department Accreditation website.

"They look at everything from clinical services to board-of-health governance and minutes," Howard said. "Things that we were doing, but we just weren't documenting."

But the state did not conduct the reviews immediately.

April 2013 marked the first state accreditation review of Jones County Health Department, which has a $1 million annual budget, about half of which is drawn from that county's general fund, Howard said.

He added that marks a "pretty good chunk" of Jones County's roughly $14 million budget.

Onslow County learned June 20 that it achieved accreditation, according to information from the county.

"So that's a bonus," Howard said of Lee's expertise with the process that includes an announced visit by the state's team that spent about a week at the health department in Trenton. "We hope to piggy-back on that."

Howard said Lee has the credentials that the state requires of local health directors.

He said his county's high demand for services from the health department and limited staffing prevented its success in the review.

"The turnover, that caused some things not to get done on time," Howard said.

The agency has had to reduce programs, such as adult services amid limited funding and rising thresholds for operation, he added.

"The folks without insurance, they'll go to the health department for their care," Howard said.

Jones County Health Department is at 418 Magnolia Lane in Trenton. For information about services, call 252-448-9111. Onslow County Health Department is at 612 College St. in Jacksonville. For information about that department's services, call 910-347-2154.

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