June 20, 2006
By Leslie Jones McCloud
Post-Tribune correspondent
GARY — A fear of needles didn’t stop the administrators and food handlers of the Gary Community School Corp. from getting poked Monday.
Administrators and food handlers were at the corporation’s office to comply with a city ordinance and school policy that requires employees to obtain a health card as a condition of their employment. The health card confirms that the bearer has been tested for three contagious diseases: tuberculosis, syphilis and hepatitis A.
“I just want to hurry up and get it over with. We have to take one every two years,” Charmella Greer, public relations specialist for the district, said about getting her blood drawn.

Usually, Greer goes to her private physician for blood work and is familiar with the phlebotomist. But Gary Health Department’s Michael Exom, a nurse for more than 30 years, made sure many of his patients walked away smiling — or at least not crying.
“Most people know they have to get it. A small percent are afraid so we talk to them, calm them down or distract them,” Ellan Hood, a health department supervisor, said.
Registered nurse Ida Parker, executive director of the city’s Department of Health and Human Services, said her department has a contract with the school district to provide the health services required for obtaining a health card. Some believed they only had to take a TB test.
School policy states a TB test is required to work for the district, however to get a health card, all three tests must be complete.
“The health card is for those who serve or handle food and the tuberculosis test is a part of the component. Some get a chest X-ray instead (if they cannot tolerate the TB serum),” Parker said. She said the blood drawn is tested for syphilis and hepatitis A.
“Hepatitis A is transmitted from person to person when people do not wash their hands after coming in contact with body fluids. The city of Gary decided we should add hepatitis A to health card regulations. For the past five years or more we have been testing for hep A, syphilis and TB,” she said.