While this isn’t new information, there are still some people that are confused as to whether they can receive a COVID Vaccination at the same time they get an Influenza (flu) Vaccination.
To clarify, the Centers For Disease Control and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) guidance states COVID-19 vaccines can be given during the same visit with other vaccines, including flu vaccine, if the recipient is eligible for the vaccines.
Considerations for Coadministration of COVID-19 Vaccines and Other Vaccines While there is limited data on giving COVID-19 vaccines with other vaccines, including flu vaccines, experience with giving other vaccines together has shown the way our bodies develop protection and possible side effects are generally similar when vaccines are given alone or with other vaccines.
Consider:
Whether the patient is behind or at risk of becoming behind on recommended vaccines.
Their risk of vaccine-preventable disease (e.g., during an outbreak or occupational exposures).
The reactogenicity profile of the vaccines (It is unknown whether reactogenicity of COVID-19 vaccine is increased with coadministration, including with other vaccines known to be more reactogenic, such as adjuvanted vaccines or live vaccines).
COVID-19 vaccine has been associated with enhanced local/injection site reactions l (e.g., pain, swelling, redness). If possible, administer COVID-19 vaccine and other reactogenic vaccines (e.g., MenB, Tdap) in different limbs. Clinical information and materials on COVID-19 vaccine products can be found here.
Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney has announced that the City Administration Office will be closing for the Christmas & New Year’s holidays, beginning Christmas Eve- December 24th.
The offices will also be closed the entire week of December 27th due to the year-end holidays.
It will reopen on January 3rd.
Residents needing to contact the City during that week, should call the Chillicothe Service Department at (740) 773-2700 or email jeffrey.carman@chillicotheoh.gov
(Columbus) — As the holiday celebrations continue and New Year’s Eve approaches, families gather, and friends reconnect. This season oftentimes brings with it an increase in alcohol consumption and with that, the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control (DOLC) and the Ohio Investigative Unit (OIU) are urging adults to drink and serve responsibly.
All people who drink, regardless of the amount, need to be aware that critical decision-making abilities and driving-related skills are already diminished long before a person shows physical signs of intoxication. If you decide to drink this holiday, please do so responsibly.
“Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve celebrations make for some of the busiest nights of the entire year for bars and restaurants,” said Jim Canepa, DOLC superintendent. “It is important for the staff of liquor permit holders to know the rules while remaining vigilant. Their work ensures that Ohioans and their families enjoy themselves, but within reason, so everyone remains safe.”
State officials consistently educate liquor establishments on the dangers of overconsumption and underage drinking. Liquor permit holders who would like more information on the sale and handling of alcohol and on the rules and regulations should visit: https://www.oiu.ohio.gov/oiu-programs.aspx. As a reminder for liquor establishments, it is against the law to give away alcohol in connection to your business. Also, patrons cannot pay a flat fee for an “all-you-can-drink” promotion.
“We want everyone enjoying the company of family and friends to have a safe place to celebrate the holidays,” said Senior Enforcement Commander Erik Lockhart. “Liquor permit staff and party hosts have an obligation to ensure their patrons and guests safety. Their safety starts with you.”
Before you celebrate, all party hosts or liquor establishments should plan to incorporate these tips to ensure a safe, enjoyable, and most importantly, responsible holiday gathering:
Don’t serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 21.
Don’t serve alcohol to anyone who is intoxicated.
If someone has had too much to drink, don’t let them drive; use a designated driver, rideshare, or taxi service.
If you see someone tampering with another person’s beverage, get that person out of the situation and call for help immediately.
Take reports of threats against your patrons or guests seriously
If you or someone you know needs help, or for more information, contact Ohio Careline at 1-800-720-9616 or text the Ohio Crisis Text Line (keyword 4HOPE to 741 741). For more tips and resources about safe alcohol consumption, visit rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov.
(Chillicothe) – It was a bright, sunny afternoon at a ribbon cutting ceremony in late August when Adena President and CEO Jeff Graham, with the Adena Orthopedic and Spine Institute (AOSI) as a backdrop, talked about the Health System being made up of family, friends and neighbors caring for family, friends and neighbors.
That day, he was looking ahead to the September opening of the new home to Adena’s nationally accredited orthopedics program and specialized care for orthopedics, spine, sports medicine, neurology, podiatry and interventional pain management. While the launch of the AOSI was one of the crowning moments of 2021 for the Health System and its patients, the sentiment spoken that day captured Adena’s everyday commitment to its communities.
“More than 125 years ago, what is now Adena Health System was created by members of the community for the community – its founders passionate in the belief that everyone should have access to quality care,” Graham said. “Today, we share that passion and commitment, which has been demonstrated over the past year through investments in new facilities and technologies; attracting top physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and other caregivers to Adena; and forging even more partnerships with other health systems and community organizations that enhance what we do here at Adena to keep specialized care close to where our patients and families live.”
Much like the prior year, the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges along the way, with the Delta variant of the virus producing COVID-related patient surges far exceeding the hospitalizations that occurred during the initial stages of the pandemic. Adena responded, taking the lead in helping the community navigate the crisis through its urgent care and hospital services, operating one of only 15 mass vaccination clinics in the state and providing drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites for patient convenience and safety. As physicians, nurses and other caregivers continued to man the front lines against COVID-19 while maintaining the usual wide array of other services across the Health System, Adena never lost its focus on the future by expanding its services and community partnerships to benefit more of our area’s residents.
Among those efforts:
· Launching a pediatric hospitalist program partnership in January with Nationwide Children’s Hospital that brought around-the-clock pediatric specialist care to Adena Regional Medical Center, keeping families close to home for essential care.
· Adding what is now Adena Fayette Medical Center to the Adena family in May. Besides the ability to expand services in Fayette County, the move also brought with it plans for future construction of a new hospital in Washington Court House.
· The aforementioned opening of the AOSI in September. In addition to bringing several related specialties together under one roof, the facility also opened with a concierge-level of client service and new technology, enhancing the patient experience.
· An October groundbreaking for a new Medical Office Building expansion onto Adena Greenfield Medical Center. Expected to open in the summer of 2022, the new facility will enhance existing services and the patient experience while setting the stage for future expansion of providers and services in Highland County.
· Adding more than 70 new physicians and Advanced Practice Providers during a very successful recruiting year in 2021.
· Expanding a partnership with The Ohio State University to begin a move to a much-improved electronic medical record system called Epic that will benefit patients when it goes live the latter part of 2022.
· Completing the purchase of the Carlisle Building in downtown Chillicothe. Adena’s decision to become the major tenant for the building played a key role in the Carlisle’s restoration and reopening in 2015 – a reopening seen by many as having been a catalyst for downtown revitalization – and its outright purchase by Adena in the summer of 2021 served to further the Health System’s commitment.
That level of commitment, both to the communities Adena serves and to those who work each day to improve the health and quality of life in those communities, brought with it several honors from key stakeholders in the healthcare industry. Among them:
· Several for Adena Regional Medical Center, including being named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades; receiving a Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care designation from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield; being named a Five-Star Hospital by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; earning an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from Leapfrog; receiving The American Heart Association’s GoldPlus Get With the Guidelines Stroke Quality Achievement Award; and being named a Top Rural Hospital nationally by The Leapfrog Group.
· Recognition for the entire Health System through being named to the Forbes Best-In-State Employers 2021 list.
Adena recognizes that caring for the health of our communities doesn’t exist only within our exam rooms and surgical suites. It also involves playing an active role in the overall health of the community and continuing to develop partnerships that enhance that health.
During 2021, Adena invested more than $1 million dollars in community health funding, including more than $650,000 in an ongoing program providing athletic trainers to several school districts within the counties we serve and more than $400,000 in other community programming and initiatives. Health System caregivers and volunteers also made significant time investments in community involvement, logging in excess of 2,500 volunteer hours, producing over 25 virtual community health town hall events and supporting 68 community events and organizations with either funding or volunteers.
“Over the last two years, our amazing caregivers at every level of the organization have given so much of themselves to care for the communities they call home,” Graham added. “Through unprecedented patient volumes, long hours, constant demands and personal sacrifices, they have persevered and even thrived supporting one another and lifting our region to better places. Through all this, they showed up every day for our family, friends and neighbors providing more than one million visits within our facilities. I am proud of our Adena family. It is because of their strength and talents Adena has never been stronger and why I am excited for what lies ahead in the new year.”
(Chillicothe) – The Chillicothe VA Medical Center offers Blind Rehabilitation Service to Veterans through the Visual Impairment Team.
The mission of BRS is to assist eligible Veterans and active-duty Service members with a visual impairment in developing the skills needed for personal independence and successful reintegration into the community and family environment.
Services provided include:
Assessment, treatment planning, referral and follow-up
Education and counseling to Veterans, their family and/or caregiver
Review of VA and non-VA benefits
Education and outreach within the VA and community
Referrals to appropriate therapies and resources including:
The eligibility of prospective patients to receive BRS care is determined by the review of 3 key criteria:
Veteran is eligible for VA health benefits (or is an active-duty Service member) and
Possesses a visual impairment or
Has received a designation of excess disability (impact on functional abilities).
VIST Coordinators provide lifetime care coordination for Veterans with visual impairments and often serve as the entry point into the continuum of care for Blind Rehabilitation Services. For more information about BRS, contact the Chillicothe VA VIST Coordinator at 740-773-1141, extension 17855 or speak to your Primary Care Provider.
(Athens) – Ohio University’s Military and Veteran Student Services Center and Fiserv, a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology with a significant presence in Ohio, have announced a joint scholarship for the 2022 academic year at Ohio University.
The Fiserv Veterans and Military-Affiliated Student Scholarship will provide two $2,500 scholarships to veteran or military spouse students attending Ohio University starting in the fall of 2022.
“Fiserv has an ongoing relationship with Ohio University and this scholarship is another extension of our partnership. We employ many university alumni and see hiring veterans as a priority, so this scholarship was a natural fit,” said Anthony S. Marino, executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Fiserv and a 1985 Ohio University graduate.
The awards are intended to further the goal of supporting more than 750 veteran and military students, a focus of both Ohio University and Fiserv. The scholarships provide preference for students who are veterans or military spouses, enrolled in or accepted for admission to the College of Business and/or the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, and students who are juniors or seniors.
“We could not be more pleased,” said Terry St. Peter, director of Ohio University’s Brigadier General James M. Abraham-Colonel Arlene F. Greenfield Veterans and Military Student Services Center. “Scholarships such as these fill an important gap in the college funding for veteran and military students. Many people believe that college funding for veterans covers everything, but this is simply not the case, especially for junior and senior students, who may have exhausted their earned veteran’s education benefits for a number of reasons.”
The Veterans and Military Student Services Center strives to support and advocate for veterans and military-affiliated students in their transition to Ohio University and their pursuit of intellectual and personal development.
The Fiserv Salutes initiative is dedicated to making the company an employer of choice for veterans and military spouses, and a provider of a comprehensive suite of business solutions for veteran-owned businesses. Fiserv has consistently ranked among the Military Times “Best for Vets: Employers” rankings and was named a five-star employer in the VETS Indexes Employer Award, underscoring the company’s commitment to veteran employment.
In addition to the scholarship, Fiserv will offer recipients and applicants opportunities to fill internship and analyst positions at the company.
Scholarship applications will be available after Jan. 1, 2022, with an award date in late spring. A joint presentation is also planned in coordination with Fiserv to kick off the scholarship.
(Columbus) — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted have announced the launch of a new grant program to help revitalize local communities through the demolition of blighted and vacant buildings.
The new Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program will provide nearly $150 million in grants to raze dilapidated commercial and residential buildings and revitalize surrounding properties.
The program is part of the DeWine-Husted Administration’s strategic efforts to invest in Ohio’s future.
“There are dangerous, blighted buildings all over Ohio that are nothing more than eyesores that restrict new development,” said Governor DeWine. “We want our local communities to thrive, and through this new grant program, we will help all 88 counties tear down dilapidated structures to make room for future growth.”
The Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program was created with the support of the Ohio General Assembly, which funded the program as part of the 2021 state biennium budget bill, House Bill 110. The program is administered by the Ohio Department of Development.
“We’re attracting companies to Ohio because of our low taxes and excellent business climate, but they need sites to set up shop,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “Remediating these properties turns the blight into new opportunities to attract investment, business, and jobs.”
“Abandoned and blighted buildings are often hazards in our communities,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. “By removing them, we make way for new growth and economic development throughout Ohio.”
As required by House Bill 110, funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure that all of Ohio’s 88 counties benefit from the program, each county will be eligible to receive a minimum of $500,000.
Commercial and residential buildings on sites that are not brownfields are eligible for funding. Counties must designate one lead entity to apply for grant funds on behalf of the county. In counties where a county land reutilization corporation has been established, it shall be the lead entity for that county. Other application details are available in the program guidelines.
The Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program is part of Governor DeWine’s Ohio BUILDS Initiative, which focuses on supporting targeted solutions that impact quality of life, such as water infrastructure improvements, broadband expansion, brownfield redevelopment, the demolition of blighted buildings, and more.
For more information on the new Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program and to apply, visit Development.Ohio.Gov/Demolition.
(Columbus) – Applications are being accepted now through Sunday, January 9th for the next Ohio Wildlife Officer cadet training school, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The Division of Wildlife is seeking to fill 20 wildlife officer positions throughout Ohio and training begins in August 2022.
Ohio wildlife officers enforce wildlife regulations and protect state lands, waterways, and property. This is the Division of Wildlife’s 31st Wildlife Officer Training Academy.
Those interested can complete an application at careers.ohio.gov.
Caption: Applications are being accepted now for the next Ohio Wildlife Officer cadet training school.
“Wildlife officers combine law enforcement and wildlife conservation with public service,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “They serve throughout Ohio, from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, supporting the mission of the Division of Wildlife. This is more than a job for our wildlife officers. It is a career path to do great things and make a difference in their communities.”
Ohio wildlife officers speak to hundreds of clubs and groups about conservation and wildlife programs, as well as perform fish and wildlife surveys. State wildlife officers also provide technical advice and instruction about wildlife management issues, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor-related recreation.
To be considered for the wildlife officer cadet training school, applicants must be 21 years of age upon completion of the Ohio Peace Officer Basic Training Course and possess a valid driver’s license. Completion of core course work in an associate degree or undergraduate program in natural resources, fisheries and wildlife conservation, natural sciences, biology, criminal justice, environmental law enforcement, agriculture, or a related field is required.
Eighteen months training or experience in the above fields may also be acceptable, as would 18 months training or experience in the U.S. military with an occupational specialty related to law enforcement or investigations. Other qualifications include meeting physical fitness standards, completing a background check, and passing a psychological exam and drug screening.
For more information about becoming an Ohio wildlife officer, visit ohiodnr.gov/careers.
(Athens)– The Jackson County Health Department is working in partnership with Ohio University to train and deploy 13 community health workers to address public health concerns and impacts of COVID-19 across 11 counties.
The project was made possible through a $4.5 million grant which was secured with the help of the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health. The grant will train workers in Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Perry, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton counties.
The Alliance was created in October 2017 as a partnership between OHIO and the University of Toledo and is made up of Ohio University employees. Rick Hodges, director of the Alliance, said projects like this are what the organization was created to do.
The organization seeks to tackle problems at the local level using community members because they have a better understanding of their problems than outsiders. For Southeast Ohio, these problems are wide-reaching and complex.
Melissa Kimmel is an Executive in Residence with the Alliance. She said Southeast Ohio residents have health factors which put them more at risk of catching COVID-19.
“Our communities in Appalachia tend to have a higher rate of chronic illnesses and those factors make COVID-19 more impactful,” Kimmel said. To address this, the Alliance is training these community health workers to work on the front lines and improve health literacy in the region.
A community health worker is a community member who receives training in advocacy and brokerage for health care resources and health changes. The key factor that makes community health workers a fit for this project is the fact they come from the community.
“Sometimes people don’t necessarily trust health care and authority in the region, and these are people who speak like them and look like them being trained and returning to their communities to make them healthier,” Keri Shaw, an associate professor at Ohio University, said.
Kevin Aston, health commissioner with the Jackson County Health Department, said these workers are key when it comes to health measures like vaccinations.
“There’s no shortcut to building trust,” Aston said. “Folks who have interacted with me and my staff before the COVID emergency have been much more receptive to listening to what I and my staff have to say because we’ve spent time building those relationships.”
Community health workers can facilitate those connections. The grant gives community members the chance to receive credible health information from their neighbors rather than outsiders.
There is not a complete lack of community health care workers throughout Southeast Ohio, but Shaw says there is room for growth. Several county health departments currently employ community health care workers, but greater challenges limit health care accessibility. Hodges said the phenomenon of community health workers is a new, but severely needed.
“This answers a need we’ve had in health care for a very long time,” Hodges said. “The lack of it has contributed to poor outcomes and I think the presence of community health workers is going to improve them significantly.”
Those greater challenges Shaw mentioned include things like the age of the population, a resistance to seeking outside assistance, transportation, poverty, food options and housing issues. Due to these challenges, health care is not always accessible for Southeast Ohioans and COVID-19 only further complicated the issue.
“I live in a suburb of Columbus, I have great health insurance and I can walk into any provider of my choice within an hour if I need to and get great care,” Hodges said. “People who live in Appalachia who don’t have access to good insurance or face issues like transportation don’t have those choices. There are good primary care providers in Appalachia, but if you can’t get to them, it’s an additional barrier.”
Shaw, Hodges and Kimmel all stressed that the perception good health care is simply absent from the region or people in Appalachia just don’t make good health care decisions is patently false. The problem is the lack of access and that’s what the grant seeks to address.
To implement the project, Ohio University chose to work with the Jackson County Health Department because it is uniquely positioned to best meet the goals of the grant.
“Jackson County is a good fit to house this because the location is central to other counties in the area,” Kimmel said. “There’s a regional understanding of health that has been cultivated and the relationships between other health departments and Jackson County were already in place.”
While the $4.5 million will more than double the budget of the Jackson County Health Department and come with a large influx of staff, the Alliance is confident it’s a responsibility the department is equipped to undertake.
Aston added that the regional relationships will help his department transition into the grant smoother, and while he will be busy, he’s more than ready to take on the challenge.
“The challenging part is that there’s still a pandemic going on,” Aston said. “Public health is still really busy with the pandemic and it’s hard now, but it’s going to get easier … there should be an adequate span of control for the work that’s going to happen.”
The team working on the grant is taking a “strength-based approach,” which means highlighting what certain communities do well and replicating it throughout the area.
Currently, applications for the community health worker applications are being reviewed. In the next month or so, interviews will begin. The team expects hires to be completed by mid- to late November and then training will begin soon after.
Aside from the program’s immediate goals, the Alliance is hoping it has long-lasting effects on health care in Southeast Ohio.
“I hope there is an embrace of health literacy, proactive health behaviors and I would really like to see a reduction in the stigma associated with Southeast Ohio,” Kimmel said.
Shaw added that she hopes to see an increase in trust of health departments and public health. She also hopes that there is an increased understanding of the important role community health workers can play.
There’s also hopes among the Alliance that this grant and programs like it will lead to an increased presence of Medicaid providers in the area, which is currently among the challenges factoring into public health in Appalachia.
Aston said he hopes the grant leaves Southeast Ohio in a position to achieve better health outcomes across the board. Factors like substance use, exercise habits and diet all feed into bad outcomes. Aston hopes increased health literacy can curb those outcomes.
Beyond those goals, Aston wants to spread the word about not only Jackson County Health Department, but all health departments in the area.
“I want people to know local health departments care about the citizens they serve, and I’m happy to have another ally on my team,” Aston said. “Sometimes I’ve heard public health officials maligned, but our hearts are in the right place and I’m happy we’re going to get some extra help and hopefully build some trust.”
A new Code of Conduct Policy for attending and or addressing meetings of The Ross County Commissioners has been approved and submitted to the public, through local media.
Some of the logic of the conduct policy is to address a recent ruling from the Ohio Attorney General that states, while public meetings can still be streamed live, members of the public that want to address the board must do so in-person.
SCOPE OF APPLICATION: This policy applies to all persons attending public meetings of the Ross County Board of Commissioners.
POLICY: This Code of Conduct is intended to promote open meetings that welcome debate of issues Considered by the Board in an atmosphere of fairness, courtesy and respect for differing points of view.
Public Meeting Decorum Persons in the audience will refrain from behavior which disrupts a public meeting of the Board. This will include making loud noises, clapping, shouting, booing, hissing, interrupting Board members or other members of the public, or engaging in any other activity that disturbs, disrupts or impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting.
Persons in the audience will refrain from creating, provoking or participating in any type of disturbance involving unwelcome physical contact or verbal abuse.
Persons in the audience will silence and refrain from using mobile phones while the meeting is in session.
The foregoing policies set forth in this Section 1 apply to meetings of the Board and meetings of Board committees.
Agenda The county clerk, as board secretary, shall maintain the agenda for the county board meetings. Advance public notice of all regular and special meeting dates and times shall be determined by the board. Notice of each meeting shall be publicized according to statute.
Submission of potential agenda items may be made: By the public to the county clerk in writing, email, or over the phone during posted business hours only until 4:00 p.m. two working days prior to the meeting. Agenda items submitted by the public will be included on the agenda but discussion of these items is at the board’s discretion.
To the Board of any County Commissioner or County Administrator who will consider the inclusion of the item on the final agenda, until 4:00 p.m. two working days prior to the meeting. The county clerk may not accept agenda items without approval of at least one board member.
At a regular or special board meeting only for an upcoming meeting. Requests for items to be placed on the agenda shall be described clearly and explicitly, i.e. discussion of, resolution for, open or award bids, approval of, and whether official action is necessary.
The agenda shall not be altered later than twenty-four hours before the scheduled commencement of the meeting, except for items of an emergency nature. The county board shall have the right to modify the agenda to include items of an emergency nature
An agenda shall be published at 9:30 am the Friday, prior to the next board meeting. Distribution of the agenda to the public at this time shall be at the discretion of the board chair and/or the county clerk. The agenda will be posted at the county clerk’s office, and/or county board meeting room.
Commissioner’s packets shall be prepared and available for distribution to board members the Friday afternoon prior to the next scheduled meeting. All materials received by 9:30 a.m. the Friday prior to the meeting will be distributed in the board members’ packets. Materials received after the packets have been distributed to the board members will be available prior to the meeting.
The clerk may request at least one copy for the clerk and each board member of ALL materials relating to agenda items. One copy shall remain at the county clerk’s office for record retention.
Addressing the Board Each group must be present in the meeting and will be given fifteen (15) minutes to speak on an agenda item, subject to extension at the discretion of the Chairperson.
Groups of attendees are encouraged to designate a single member to speak on behalf of the group. The group may distribute the time among various speakers if deemed necessary.
Each speaker should provide his or her name at the beginning of his or her remarks for the formal record. If a speaker represents an association or group, he or she should identify the entity he or she represents.Speakers should discuss only those topics for which they have requested to speak.
Speakers’ comments should be directed to the full Board.
If an individual wishes to submit written comments, he or she may submit it to the clerk of the board, and the comments will be distributed to the Board at the discretion of the Board President.
The policies set forth in this Section 2 do not entitle members of the public to address meetings of committees of the Board. Board committees may permit public comments at their sole discretion.
Meetings: All meetings will be live – streamed starting January 2022 for viewing purposes only.
Viewers or individuals not on the meeting agenda will not be permitted to discuss agenda items through audio-visual equipment. Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct, use of inappropriate or abusive language toward members of the Board or Board committee or other attendees, and any conduct which will disturb, disrupt or impede the orderly conduct of Board meetings shall result in removal from the meeting. All meetings of any public body are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times. A member of a public body shall be present in person at a meeting open to the public to be considered present or to vote at the meeting and for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the meeting.
