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WC CWF Health District Board Minutes - 11/14/2025 WICHITA FALLS-WICHITA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH BOARD MINUTES 0couxrry,kt November 14, 2025 Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District 1700 Third Street— Clements Conference Room Wichita Falls, Texas Public Health BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Keith Williamson, M.D., Chair Physician—City Appointment Terri Farabee, RN Registered Nurse—City Appointment Rachel Reitan, DNP, FNP-c Citizen At-Large—City Appointment Morgen Gardner, DDS Dentist—County Appointment Ray Forsythe Citizen At-Large—County Appointment BOARD MEMBERS EXCUSED ABSENCE: Melissa Plowman Restaurant Association—City Appointment Jered Harlan, DVM Veterinarian —City Appointment OTHERS PRESENT: Amy K. Fagan, M.P.A. Director of Health Brandi Smith, BS, RN Assistant Director of Health Whitney Flack City Councilor Mark Beauchamp County Commissioner Victoria Contreras, RN Guest I. CALL TO ORDER Dr. Williamson, Chair, called the meeting to order at 12:00 pm after a quorum of members was attained. II. Approval of Minutes &Absences Dr. Williamson called for a review and approval of the September 12, 2025 minutes. Dr. Williamson asked for a motion to approve the minutes. Rachel Reitan made a motion to approve and Dr. Gardner seconded. The minutes were approved unanimously. Dr. Williamson stated that Dr. Harlan and Melissa Plowman are excused from the meeting. III. Pertussis Briefing Dr. Williamson introduced Whitney Syrus, Epidemiologist with the Health District. Whitney said that Wichita Falls Health District has had an increase in cases in the past month and the State has had an increase in the past year. Pertussis, also known as "whooping cough," is an acute infectious disease caused by bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis typically has an insidious onset, with catarrhal symptoms (runny nose, low grade fever, slight cough) that are often indistinguishable from those of minor respiratory tract infections. After 1-2 weeks, the paroxysmal stage develops, often characterized by coughing fits (paroxysms) which may be followed by an inspiratory whooping sound, apnea or vomiting. This stage usually lasts for 1-6 weeks, but may continue for up to 10 weeks. In the convalescent stage, there is a gradual resolution of paroxysmal coughing, which may resolve within weeks but can continue for months. Pertussis is spread from person to person through respiratory droplets or contact with airborne droplets. Pertussis is considered highly contagious. Persons with pertussis are most infectious during the catarrhal period and for 21 days after cough onset. However, persons with pertussis are no longer considered contagious after appropriate antibiotic treatment has been completed, which usually consists of five days of treatment. Pertussis symptoms usually develop within 5-10 days following exposure. CDC recommends routine vaccination and postexposure prophylaxis to prevent spread. Infants and children are recommended to receive a 5 dose DTaP series, with the first dose starting at 2 months of age and the final dose administered between 4-6 years of age. Adolescents are recommended to receive a single dose of Tdap at 11-12 years of age Adults are recommended to receive updated vaccination every 10 years to maintain protection. Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District has received reports of 16 confirmed and/or probable pertussis cases since 9/25. Of these, 14 had confirmed vaccination history; 15 of the 16 cases have been investigated. Of these, seven cases have been linked to two common exposure sources and two active outbreaks have been identified. By definition, a pertussis outbreak is defined as three cases that overlap in time and place, with cough onsets within 21 days of each other. Mark Beauchamp asked about the 16 confirmed cases and 14 had been vaccinated, He asked if the symptoms were less because they were vaccinated? Whitney said she has seen it both ways. It depends when they were taken in to be treated. Amy stated it was surprising how long some of the kids had been sick. The children had a cough, but parents were not aware of the outbreak. Sometimes the symptoms are confused with allergies. Per a DSHS Health Alert released on 11/3/25, provisional data reports indicate that Texas has had more than 3,500 reported pertussis cases through October of this year. This is roughly four times the number reported for the same period last year. As of 11/6/25, preliminary data reports indicate a total of 1,171 pertussis cases have been reported for PHR 2/3 for 2025. This represents a 51% increase from 2024 (775 cases) and a tenfold increase compared to pre-2024 levels (avg 123 cases/year from 2020-2023). Ray asked if it was possible that people develop an immunity to some vaccines. Dr. Williamson said we hope they do. They don't become resistant to developing that immune response from repeated exposure to the vaccine. What happens is there will be a local reaction. Following case reporting, investigations are initiated as quickly as possible. Case guardians are recommended to discuss pertussis exposures with their medical providers and seek evaluation for postexposure prophylaxis for household contacts. Daycares and schools are notified when a case has been determined to have attended while infectious, and pertinent recommendations are reviewed. A pertussis awareness letter for parents of children attending affected daycares or schools is being disseminated to facilities as cases are identified, with particular emphasis on facilities with associated outbreaks. A Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District update was disseminated on 10/29 to our local healthcare providers to enhance situational awareness and reiterate recommended testing/treatment 2 guidelines. Weekly conversations with DSHS have been occurring to reassess the situation and seek the most updated guidance. By definition, a pertussis outbreak is considered closed or inactive once two incubation periods (42 days) have passed since either the last reported linked case or last linked cough onset, whichever was the latest. Active surveillance continues. Dr. Williamson introduced a visitor we have today, Victoria Contreras, RN. She is in a leadership class with Texas Tech and is a nurse a United Regional. She lives in Wichita Falls and has been a nurse for 8 years. We went around the room and introduced ourselves. IV. Play Well Program Dr. Williamson introduced Monica Gil Garcia, Wellness Administrator. Monica spoke about the Play Well program. It is a collaborative initiative led by the Wellness Division of the Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District. They partner with community organizations, United Regional, local schools, and the City of Wichita Falls Police Department, to teach internet safety, cyber bulling, health, nutrition, physical activity, and mental wellness. The Play Well Wichita County project is designed to create a safe, inclusive, and engaging platform for young people to voice their opinions, share ideas, and engage in meaningful conversations. The forum focuses on youth-related topics, such as bullying, cooking, healthy relationships, internet safety, self-care, and more. The Objectives are to: 1. Educate the Youth: To provide information and experiences on specific topics regarding the challenges we face as a community. 2. Empower Youth Voices: To provide a platform where young people can express their thoughts and opinions freely. 3. Foster Dialogue: To encourage open and respectful discussions among participants on important issues affecting youth. 4. Support Community Building: To create a sense of connection and belonging among participants through shared experiences and interests. January 20, 2023 was the starting date. The target audience is primary youths age 6-18. On June 20, 2023, the first summer camp was implemented. We received a lot of data from that. On January 20, 2024 until now, Play Well has been delivered at: All Hands Community Cultural Center Summer Camp City of Wichita Falls Summer Camp Kirby Middle School Hirschi Middle School Barwise Middle School Help Me Grow Wichita County The Arc Wichita County All the Boys and Girls Clubs Legacy High School Expected outcomes: 1. Increase youth engagement in important social issues. 3 2. Development of communication and critical thinking skills among participants. 3. Strengthen sense of community and collaboration among diverse youth groups. The Play Well program represents a significant opportunity to empower young people and foster meaningful dialogue on issues that matter to them. Through this initiative, we aim to create a dynamic and supportive environment where youth can grow, learn, and make a positive impact in their community. On February 20, 2025, the Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District was presented an Award at the annual Texas Association of City and County Health Officials (TACCHO) conference at College Station, Texas. Play Well was announced as the winner of the highly competitive Education Through Innovation Award. The award recognizes the educational efforts developed by local health departments in Texas to disseminate and promote public health information and public health initiatives. We also received Program of the Year for 24-25 with Communities in Schools. That is a Wichita Falls ISD organization. We are very honored to receive this award. We went to a Healthier Texas Conference in October and presented a Play Well program poster. We talked to different Health officials and were able to share our information with other Educators. Rachel asked if we received funding from the Community Partners. Monica said they do not receive any money from Community Partners and do not purchase anything with grant funds. They have items that are given to them to use. V. Funding Update Amy Fagan, Director of Health spoke about the funding update. Ray asked about the funds ending in 2027. Amy said it is a federally funded grant and we will keep trying to get the funds to continue. Dr. Gardner said it would be terrible for it to end. She said other organizations may pick it up and continue the work. VI. Next Meeting Date January 9, 2026 VII. Adjourn Dr. Williamson adjourned the meeting at 12:50 pm. ( ��� Signa re Keith Williamson, MD, Chair, Rachel Reitan, DNP, FNP-c, Vice-Chair, Melissa Plowman, Secretary 4