MINUTES
DUKES COUNTY HEALTH COUNCIL
April 22, 2004 Meeting
West Tisbury Public Safety Building
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Tad Crawford called the meeting to order at 7:33 a.m. A quorum was present. In addition to Tad, the following members were in attendance: Nancy Gilfoy, Cindy Doyle, Fred Rundlet, Ilene Klein, Chris Knowles, Jo Ann Murphy, Frank Honey, Bob Tonti, Ken Chisholm, Ned Robison-Lynch, Michele Lazerow, Patsy McCornack, Terry Appenzellar, Paddy Moore, Mary Jane O’Connor-Ropp, Marni Lipke, Cathy Brennan and Jane Cleare. Also present were Dukes County Manager E. Winn Davis (ex-officio member), Sarah Kuh, and Dukes County Executive Assistant Brian S. Kinal, who took these minutes. Absent were Anthony Teixeira, Jacque Cage, Susan Desmarais, Pat Donegan, Mike Dutton, Sarah Greenberg, Anson Krickl, Michael LaPolla, Leslie Leland, Cynthia Mitchell, Elaine Pace, Lt. Donald
Rose, Kathy Rose, Charles Silberstein, Peter Strock and Tim Walsh.
The next meeting was set for May 27.
CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS
Chairman Tad Crawford asked the council members to introduce themselves, which they did.
Because the minutes of the March 25 meeting were distributed late, Tad postponed a vote on those minutes until the May meeting.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Treasurer Terry Appenzellar said the treasury balance as of April 12 was $36,554.09. She also submitted a written report with greater detail. Paddy Moore made a motion to accept the report, seconded by Cathy Brennan, and the motion passed unanimously.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The following Health Council officers were elected on a motion by Bob Tonti, seconded by Paddy Moore: Chairman, Tad Crawford; Vice Chair, Jacque Cage; Secretary, Kathy Rose; Treasurer, Terry Appenzellar.
COORDINATING COMMITTEE LIAISON RESPONSIBILITIES
Tad distributed a chart titled “DCHC Coordinating Committee Leadership & Liaison Responsibilities.”
INITIAL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Cathy Brennan distributed a chart listing assignment of members to the council’s various committees and groups: Coordinating Committee, Behavioral Health Committee, Chronic Illness Network, Data Committee, Elder Affairs Committee, Funding Committee, Lighthouse Alliance Representatives, Nominating Committee, Oral Health Working Group, Primary Care Working Group, Vineyard Health Care Access Program, Wellness and Prevention Committee, and Youth Committee.
Speculating on the Health Council’s future, Tad enumerated four possible eventualities:
1) Full success;
2) Short of that, but with important initiatives undertaken;
3) Co-opted by a single group or faction, thereby losing its ability to represent all of the key stakeholders in health care here; or
4) We simply declare, “It’s not working”, that we don’t have the participation needed and advise the County Commissioners accordingly.
Tad urged the full participation of all members and that we stay focused on the Council’s core mission: “the creation of a cooperative, integrated network of health care for Martha's Vineyard.”
FOUNDATION FOR ISLAND HEALTH UPDATE
Paddy Moore, who has been elected President and Chairman of the Foundation, gave a brief presentation on the background of the organization. She said right now, the Foundation’s focus is on rolling out the Health Report. She said the Foundation is a spawning ground for new ideas for reforming and health care, e.g., computer technology for sharing data. Paddy said cooperation among agencies is paramount to the Foundation.
Tad said there’s a need to sharpen the definitions of the various community health organizations. He said the Foundation for Island Health is research-and-development oriented; the Health Council is a community forum and sounding board, and the Island Health Plan provides a funding mechanism.
Ilene Klein, who is one of the Health Council’s representatives to the Lighthouse Alliance, said cooperation is critical because, for example, Lighthouse has priorities for the area, including the Vineyard. Those priorities might or might not mesh with the Health Council’s, she said.
ADVANCE INFORMATION ON GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Fred Rundlet, director of Wampanoag Health Services, said the tribe receives notices of federal Health and Human Services grants 30 to 60 days before anyone else. Since the tribe’s territory is considered to include all of Martha’s Vineyard, Rundlet said the Wampanoags would be willing to share those early notices with the health community at large.
Tad remarked that the Council needs an updated grants policy, and that grant opportunities should be aligned with Council priorities. Terry Appenzellar’s Funding Committee is working on that. He said that in many instances, it would be more appropriate to direct grant opportunities to agencies themselves rather than the Council.
There was a general discussion about grants.
PLANETREE VISIT
Cathy Brennan reported that a Planetree Assessment Team visited the hospital recently, but did not meet with Health Council representatives. Cathy said she spoke to Dedie Wieler, Quality Assurance Director at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, who is coordinating the Planetree program there. Wieler said she wants community input and felt that Planetree’s next visit chould provide an appropriate opportunity to meet with the Health Council.
REORGANIZATION OF COUNTY DEPARTMENTS
County Manager E. Winn Davis said he is working on a reorganization of county departments and offices to emphasize a team approach. One of the new departments will be Health and Human Services. In addition to increased teamwork, Winn said a cohesive department is likely to be more attractive to grantors than a collection of mostly one-person offices.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned around 9:30 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brian S. Kinal
| 
