Present:

Joe Borges, Joan Gancarski, Lynda Sampson, Michael Coughlin, Stewart Kirkaldy, Myrna Santos, Judith Coykendall, Steven Medeiros, Karen Statser, Katy Dutille, Julie Miller, Sue Sterrett, Maria Evora-Rosa, Robert Oliveira, BJ Valente, Pat Fanning  Marcia Picard, and David Weed

A meeting of Partners for a Healthier Community was held on Friday, December 10, 2004 at the Southcoast Hospital – Charlton Site. Chairperson David Weed called the meeting to order at 8:30 AM.

Minutes

The minutes of the November 12, 2004 Steering Committee were circulated in advance.

VOTED to approve the Minutes of the November 12, 2004 meeting of Partners for a Healthier Community as circulated.

Financial Report

VOTED to approve the Financial Report

We have found someone to audit our records. This will be completed some time in the next few weeks.

All receipts from the Legislative Breakfast should be turned in. We will work with New Bedford and will have an actual expense figure for next month.

Task Force leaders present were given tax exempt forms to use. Please use them, and contact Joe Borges if you need another.


REPORT OF WORK GROUPS

Access to Health Care

One more revision has been made to the video. At this time it is too costly to translate the video into other languages, but printed materials in other languages will accompany the video. Steve has been contacting local agencies to see if we can show the video in their waiting areas. The group will be purchasing a TV/VCR combo that can be used by all workgroups. The group will check on the possibility of showing the video on cable TV. There is some confusion in regards to the copyright of the tape. When we contracted with Fireside pictures quite some time ago, we were under the impression that Partners owned the tape. This will be followed up on before we pay for any copying. Results of the survey are being compiled. We were not able to get any in other languages, so we are trying to get some out in Khmer.

Healthy Lifestyles

The group is working on the General Mills grant to replicate the walking programs in the schools. This will require a nutritionist, and we will look to recruit a volunteer. The grant is due February 2nd. We already have a donation of pedometers that will be used as incentives. A handful of students have been assigned to do the vendor surveys at Durfee and this should be completed in January. We are trying to iron out the details of the cardiac event study. Smoking cessation is moving forward. There are two positions now available.

Healthy Youth

The next meeting is December 29th. There is no direct project as of yet that the group is working on, but many activities working with the Mayor’s office.


Health City Initiative

There is an event planned for the spring recognizing the action plan participants. Funding from the Harvard Pilgrim grant is being delayed, so we will be selling spots in an add book to help subsidize this event. We are in the process of trying to collect baseline data from the 50 participants. So far we have only received information from 5 groups. This will be discussed further at the design team meeting. City Hall will be undergoing repairs in the near future.

Announcements

The Boys and Girls Club has received a grant to work on gang prevention. An expert has looked at Fall River gang activity and has acknowledged that we have a definite problem.

Public Health in the 21st Century is next Friday, December 17th from 3:00 – 5:30 at Bristol Technical High School.

Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 10:00. Our next meeting is Friday, January 14, 2005.
 

Links to Minutes of Previous Meetings:

minutes 11-12-04

minutes10-8-04

minutes 9-10-04

minutes 8-13-04

minutes 5-14-04

minutes 4-9-04

minutes 3-12-04.html

minutes 2-13-04.html