© 2024 WFAE
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Meck Commissioner Puckett Concerned About Culture In The Health Department

David Boraks file photo
/
WFAE

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Puckett said he believes the health department has a culture problem. He said on WFAE’s Charlotte Talks the delayed notification of nearly 200 women with abnormal Pap smear results is an indication of a larger issue.

A lack of urgency, is what County Commissioner Jim Puckett is concerned about. He’s troubled that it took several weeks after a nurse noticed patients hadn’t been notified about their test results before management found out.

“I have confidence in the nurses and the people who run it,” said Puckett. “I do not have confidence in the management of it because I haven’t seen a significant enough change to warrant that. My problem has been all along there has been a hesitancy to admit there was a problem within the culture.”

Puckett also thinks bringing in an interim health director from the consulting firm that is currently evaluating the department looks really bad. County Commissioner Dumont Clarke disagrees. He feels bringing in Gibbie Harris was necessary.

“I was very concerned that if we didn’t get someone very competent and knowledgeable in place in an interim basis quickly we were really going to have a problem,” Clarke said.

The county hired two consulting groups to review the department. Those reports are scheduled to be presented to the county next week.