Partners for a Healthier Community


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Minutes for the Meeting of February 10, 2006

Present:

David Weed	Mike Coughlin	Katy Dutille
Paula Harrison	Sue Sterrett	Bea Medeiros
Pat Fanning	Denise Wright	Maria Evora-Rosa
Paul Quinn	Marcia Picard	Karen Scott Statser
Julie Miller ?? (SouthBay)	Robert Oliveira

A meeting of Partners for a Healthier Community was held on Friday, February 10, 2006 at SouthCoast Hospitals Group – Charlton Site. Chairperson David Weed called the meeting to order at 8:30 AM.

Minutes

The minutes of the January 13, 2006 Steering Committee were circulated in advance.

VOTED to approve the Minutes of the January 13, 2006 meeting of Partners for a Healthier Community as circulated.

Financial Report

Treasurer Joe Borges was not present. A review and discussion of budgets was held as follows: Some discussion was held on spending roughly $37,000 through mini-grants or other processes. Some highlights of the discussion included.

§ $500 as seed money to help with a project

§ $4000 in min-grants through an RFR process

§ $500 to help with costs for basic services (website, PO Box, etc)

§ $500 for an Annual Audit

§ Up to $9,000 for 3 Task Forces

§ $500 for the Annual Meeting

§ $500 for Secretarial services for the Steering Committee

§ Requiring a Grants Manager (for large grants over $10,000)

§ Need for a separate task force, incorporate into existing w/time allowance

§ Replicate prior RFR Healthy Cities

§ Limited to Fall River or CHNA effort for wider distribution

§ Healthy Cities = $12,000 (SouthCoast $$$$)

§ Reserve funding for town in CHNA catchment

§ How much out of the 12K for grants? Approximately $5500

§ Treatment or Direct Service not part of mini-grants; prevention use only

§ Requirement for participation in the CHNA

Report of Work Groups

Access to Health Care

Paula Harrison reported on the Access to Health Care Work Group activities. Poster contest coming along nicely. Posters are being picked up for Durfee/Diman. A presentation will be held on Feb 16 at Government Center with judging 4 and 5 PM. The Mayor will award prizes at 5PM. We need $100 for prizes. At this time, we have a $25 gift certificate to AC Moore and a $50 Saving Bond from St Annes CU. We still need to $100 to purchase the 1st Prize. This comes out of the W.G. allotment per David. Paula should contact Joe Borges and provide a receipt. A Press release to the Fall River Hearld News was not printed. Paula spoke to Linda Murphy, and was told that FRHN will look at it again. The Press Release was, again, not run.

Paul Quinn – Propose expansion of “legislative day” to include media.

Healthy Lifestyles

Healthy Lifestyles will meet next week. Reason the work group did not meet this week is that they are trying to start up the school health network. 1^st meeting was on 02/09. Network of the entire Southeast schools/school networks and sharing of best practices. Schools are struggling with new Wellness regulations from the Federal Government. The new regs came out with the Federal Nutrition Policy, but it is inclusive of physical education and nutritional issues. The biggest issue is fundraising. Policy mandates a review of funds are raised (e.g. candy sales to raise funds?). The group is meeting every 6 weeks to review this.

Healthy Youth

Next meeting is March 8^th. B.J. Valente is not present. They are still looking at the “Mapping Project” discussed at our last meeting.

Health City Initiative

Healthy Cities working on the April 6th event; asking that people report their activity for the year. This will be mailed shortly and 3 representatives from each organization will be requested. Advertising will be available. Lobby of Cherry & Webb will be occupied by Face and Places of Fall River by 4 professional photographers.

Other Discussions

Human Services Directory?

Maria Evora-Rosa spoke on the Cardiovascular Program Announcement. This is an educational awareness tool called FAST. The goal is to education citizens on how to identify the signs/symptoms of stroke. The tool kit consists of a 3 minute animation in non-technical terms. It is being offered to boards of health, VNA, school nurses, and the Councils on Aging. Animation is simple so kids and elders can use it. This program is being taken all across the state. Data reports suggest that the 3-hour span where treatment and diagnosis are critical in a stroke is taking up to 22 hours from diagnosis to treatment. Education and intervention needs to take place. Strong group from S.E. were participants. The group looking to meet again.

SYNERGY group is looking to get restarted. If not SYNERGY then something different of similar.

Announcements

HealthFirst Support letter – Cheryl Turgeon has asked PHC for its letter of support for grant funding to cut down on the number of unnecessary E.R. visits and increase access to health care. David Weed provided the letter and made it available to PHC Steering Committee for review.

Motion: Pat Fanning – moved; Sue Sterret – second.

VOTED to accept the request for a support letter to HealthFirst as motioned and seconded.

Human Services Directory Website

§ Listing of human services websites done by Tom Dunce & staff.

§ All current contact information

§ Lacking in the city since the last UW Directory was published 4+ years ago.

§ David W asked Tom if it can be put on the website?

§ Student that composed the directory – lost the file.

§ Scanning (options) or re-typing the information.

§ (From B.J.) – Early childhood (thru Mental Health Grant) are putting together a website with similar contact information. TT Barbara Allard, Director. Confirmed. Number 1 issue – getting someone to maintain it. Paid person now and for 3 years through the grant, and capacity to sustain it going forward.

§ Target is mid-year 2006 for an active online directory.

§ Participation of this group is essential.

§ MassCARES.gov was the one resource that was supposed to solve this, but it did not get adequate funding by the legislature over the past 3 years or so. Was supposed to be a collaborative effort with the United Way. Some participants were not pleased with it. This was due to funding constraints and monetary participation requirements.

§ PHC will try to create something focused on Fall River area.

Gang Prevention - $11m

Supplement budget in the Massachusetts Legislature for gang prevention. Program will administer EOPS. Guidelines are not yet available. Once posted, they will be available on the state’s Comm-PASS system at https://www.comm-pass.com.

Suggested that an advisory group is put together to come up with a proposal to address the issue. Need to stem the activity in F.R. in the hopes of not experiencing it to the extreme that other communities have experienced.

Connection with (dovetail) law enforcement?

Regression in Boston of success from 1990s. Gang violence on upswing again. Relationship between law enforcement, faith community and human services/health communities has weakened. There is now a conscious effort to build those bridges again.

Meeting next month, we will look at RFR if it is posted and review it. There may be up to a 6-week window and the opportunity for 3 minutes for review.

BOLD - Building Our Lives Drug Free – Grant at SSTAR – Moving forward on its subcommittee to develop a strategic plan. The group is proposing to do a day-long or half-day planning session in May. Group met Wed afternoon at the Boy’s Club. Originally talking about integrating the Healthy Youth task force into BOLD, but that is off the table for now. BOLD is moving forward on developing a substance abuse prevention effort for the City. Suggestions for including the Gang Prevention $$$ into BOLD if possible and appropriate.

NOMINATIONS

We need a small nominating committee to start working for June to develop the nominations. Now or request on the March meeting?

Meeting Adjourned at 10:00AM

Next Meeting – Friday, March 10, 2006 at 8:30 AM

SouthCoast Hospitals Group – Charlton Site

Jackson Conference Room

Links to Minutes of Previous Meetings