Partners for a Healthier Community


	HOME \| ABOUT US \| WORKGROUPS \| YOUTH \| RESOURCES \| MINUTES \| NEWSLETTER \| CALENDAR \| LINKS

Minutes for the Meeting of September 12, 2008

Present:

BJ Valente	Fran Fuller	Gladys Rosofsky
David Weed	Joan Gancarski	Paul Quinn
Marcia Picard	Marilyn Edge	Kelly Nevins
Pat Fanning	Robin Jones	Sarah Parameter
Marie Chase	Paula Harrison	Brendan Sullivan
Roger Dextradeur	Lisa Rebelo	Mike Coughlin
Robert Hitt	Bea Medeiros	Jamison Souza
Robin Jones	Jenny DiBlasi

A meeting of Partners for a Healthier Community was held on Friday, September 12, 2008 in the newly renovated Jackson Room at Charlton Hospital in Fall River. BJ Valente called the meeting to order at 8:30 AM.

Minutes

The 2008-10 list of Steering Committee Members was submitted by the Nominating Committee to the current Steering Committee. A vote was taken and passed to accept the list as is with members staying on and new membership identified. It was said again that it was nice to see a full room and that anyone on the Steering Committee that cannot attend should send a representative in their place to the meeting.

Persons were encouraged to make nominations to any one on the committee for the officers position for the next two years.

The minutes of the August, 2008 Steering Committee were circulated in advance.

VOTED to approve the Minutes of the August 8, 2008 meeting of Partners for a Healthier Community as circulated.

Financial Report

Financial Report was circulated at the meeting.

VOTED to approve Financial Report through September 1, 2008.

Report of Work Groups

Access to Health Care

Members from the “Homeless Connection” joined efforts with the Access to Health Care. Pastor John Hopkins from Ferry Street Ministries spoke to the group and rallied them around the focus of the homeless. The group will continue to address this issue through the year and develop projects to assist and aid this population. Follow up to last months discussion of the Unnatural Causes tapes was discussed and voted on that we would purchase two sets. Pat Fanning or Paula will get us the information.

Next meeting to be on October 14 from 3 – 4:30 at Health First.

Healthy Lifestyles – no meeting– no report today.

Healthy Youth - meeting first week of October and then November 5, 2008 3:00 pm CD recreation

Jamison reports that it has been a busy month.

Youth Violence Prevention money was renewed for 25,000 and then a call came and offered to increase the amount to 50,ooo. This increase will allow initiatives from the grant to be funded that weren’t in the past. Like mentoring by high school students to middle school and a middle school youth summit, peaceful coalition ,and other activities like American Promise week, Teen Fresh etc.
Teen Fresh will be meeting with the Mayor about the group and planning for America’s Promise Week and a follow up to the youth summit possibly planned for October 25, 208 is Make a Difference Day .
A trip was taken to Washington DC for the 1-00 Best Communities. They were able to meet with representatives and senators for our region. Lillian Phong was one of the students that went on the trip and she has just been elected to Governor Patrick’s youth Council. She is the only one from Bristol County.

Healthy City Initiative

The Steering Committee voted on the mini grants to be awarded to many well-deserved programs. There were 17 in total and six of these were referred to get in touch with Marcia Picard the Coordinator of Children In Balance for possibly appropriate funding. This allowed the selection committee to then be able to award the others in total for their request.

David Weed reported on the following issues and events

Healthy City Summit will not take place on March 19^th2009 as reported previous to this meeting.
Synergy next meeting October 7, 2008 11-3
Open House at DPH in New Bedford 10-7-08 at 4-7 after the Synergy meeting
Meeting in New Bedford on 10/6 about Community Gardens.101 intro to beginning a project and steps to soil improvement etc. Derek Chrsitianson of the YMCA in Dartmouth will present. The on the 9^th in Fall River Library at 4Pm community room for Fall River. The beginning of monthly presentations to prepare for planting in the spring. Discussion of the need for empty lots for community gardens. Questions of liability and other concerns. There have been several lots identified already by organizations and agencies.
Plans for the Fitness Challenge have begun with meetings. Looking at improved areas and successful events from last years challenge. Looking for it to be bigger and better this year. Commitment from the Gruger brothers to be involved.
Children In Balance – working on getting out in the community-promoting curriculum that is geared towards children in afterschool programs. Created by Tufts to control childhood obesity, away from the controls and out in the community. Also looking at upgrading some playgrounds with possible other funds.
Ounce Of Prevention Conference October 21, 2008 Royal Plaza in Marlboro.

Announcements:

Brendon Sullivan Mass Promise Fellow was introduced and spoke about his vision for the next year for Youth Development. Some of those ideas involve continued per leadership for Middle School students including classes in leadership after school,Anti Bullying, and Substance Abuse issues.
Joan announced a community health services presentation on Vaccines preventable diseases. October 16, 2008 at Heritage Park. She passed around more information on this topic.
Marilyn Edge from Tobacco Control for the City of Fall River displayed items a that are available from the clearinghouse from a Smoke Free Family Grant. There is a campaign now about second hand smoke effects on children. If you have seen any of the boards around the city promoting this issue. Packets are being put together to be distributed around the city through school and day cares etc.
Mike Coughlin joins us from his position at DPH. He is the contact for Local Public Health and heading Bureau of Emergency Response that will include Pandemic Disasters and the MRC’s .
Bob Hitt from SSTAR presented the Mass Call II project and asked volunteers to stay after the meeting and fill out a 10 questionnaire for information about opiod knowledge and use. The program is looking at fatal and non- fatal overdoes from opiods.
Paula Harrison announced that dental services have expanded at HealthFirst. Looking at offering more services to the uninsured for dental.
It was announced that the webpage project is moving along. Dave Crowley from social capital ahs begun design and revisions for what will be t the web page hoping for release in early 2009.

Meeting Adjourned at 10:00 am

Next Meeting October 10, 2008

Southcoast Hospitals – Charlton Site

MEETING IN THE JACKSON CONFERENCE ROOM

Links to Minutes of Previous Meetings