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Two contract labor agreements for the Washington County Health Department were approved on Monday morning by the Washington County Commissioners.

One contract was between Washington County and Chester Conn for the purpose of providing direct observation therapy and related services to tuberculosis patients. The Commissioners agreed that they have not seen anything like this agreement in the past.

District One Commissioner Mitch Antle explained that it is probably because they are seeing some restructuring of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. He said that he thinks the health department is going to start utilizing a more regional concept when it comes to service providers, contract providers and the like.

Nurses interchange within regions in the State. Regions have also been expanded as of late on top of other changes the Oklahoma State Department of Health has made as a whole.

Commissioner Antle said Washington County may see different issues where the County does not employ this directly observed therapy, but they need the capacity to if an instance arises. The contract labor agreements for the County Health Department are effective until June 30th, 2021.