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MINUTES
DUKES COUNTY HEALTH COUNCIL
Thursday, July 22, 2004 Meeting
West Tisbury Public Safety Building
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Tad Crawford called the meeting to order at 7:30 a.m. A quorum was present. In addition to Tad, the following were in attendance: Vice Chair Jacque Cage, Treasurer Terry Appenzellar, and Council members Robert Tonti, Paddy Moore, Patsy McCornack, Jane Cleare, Mary Jane O’Connor-Ropp, Susan Desmarais, Frank Honey, Tim Walsh, Sarah Greenberg, Nancy Gilfoy, S. Patrick Donegan, Michele Lazerow, Leslie H. Leland, Frederick Rundlet, Ned Robinson-Lynch, and Cynthia Doyle. Absent were Secretary Kathleen Rose and Council members Cathy Brennan, Ken Chisholm, Mike Dutton, Andy Krickl, Ilene Klein, Chris Knowles, Michael LaPolla, Marni Lipke, Cynthia Mitchell, JoAnn Murphy, Elaine Pace, Lt. Don Rose, Rob Sawyer, Charles Silberstein, Peter Strock and Tony Teixeira.
INTRODUCTIONS
Tad introduced Dedie Wieler, quality improvement manager at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and Rick DeTucci, director of Island Counseling.
Tad gave an overview of the county’s budget situation. He explained that the Advisory Board, which approves the budget, would conduct a public hearing on the budget July 29. He suggested that Council members quietly and respectfully urge Advisory Board members to approve the budget with the extra cost to the towns for the Veteran’s Agent.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Treasurer Terry Appenzellar submitted a written report showing the following balances as of July 15: Access Program, $8,228.42; Health Council, $12,468.41; for a total of $20,696.83. The report is attached to these (printed) minutes. Cindy Doyle made a motion, seconded by Jane Cleare, to approve the Treasurer’s report. The motion carried unanimously.
Terry then discussed the grant policy that is being formulated for the Council. She said County Manager E. Winn Davis will seek permission from the County Commissioners to approve the filing of Health Council grant applications up to $10,000; any grant application over that amount would need Commission approval. Patsy McCornack made a motion, seconded by Jane Cleare, to support that policy. The vote was unanimous in favor. Les Leland, who serves on the County Commission, predicted that Commissioners would approve the policy.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Paddy Moore made a motion, seconded by Robert Tonti, to approve the minutes of the June 24 meeting, as presented. The vote was unanimous (those who were absent on June 24 automatically abstain).
PROGRESS REPORTS
Paddy Moore presented an update on the HRSA Network Development Planning Grant. She cited Chris Knowles and Fred Rundlet for their early contributions to the process. Paddy said the grant would be further discussed at a Primary Care Working Group meeting July 27. Terry Appenzellar noted that the County Commissioners should be informed of the grant application.
Tad said it is not yet clear which agency will be the lead applicant.
Dedie Wieler gave a talk about the progress of the Planetree concept at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. As she explained, Planetree is a national, nonprofit organization that espouses re-personalizing patient care, which has become impersonal. M.V. Hospital has adopted the Planetree concept, and is in the process of evaluation and staff training, she said.
Tim Walsh, the CEO of the Hospital, said he, Ilene Klein, Charles Silberstein, Tad and others paid a visit to a Planetree hospital, Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT, and were impressed with what they saw.
A public forum on Planetree has been scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. at Oak Bluffs School.
On another matter, Rick DeTucci, the recently hired Island Counseling director, talked about his background and the challenges faced by Island Counseling. Rick said the agency lost six or seven clinicians in a short period, but recently hired two full-timers and a part-timer, and another hiring is imminent. He said the new clinicians are mostly young and relatively inexperienced. But he said they show good promise and will do well with proper supervision.
Rick said mental health problems and solutions on the island are not that different from those in New Bedford, Fall River or Cape Cod.
Jacque Cage gave an update on Lighthouse. Paddy said Lighthouse should be aware of the Council’s Planning Grant activity because of the Council’s role as a participant in the Lighthouse Alliance.
Paddy Moore reported on problems being experienced by the Foundation for Island Health in completing the Health Report. Pat Donegan expressed concern about the delay, and said there’s a danger that the data contained in the report could be “stale” by the time it’s published.
Jacque Cage updated the Council on the Key Health Indicators Project. She said the data-collection effort will be moved along by two students from the Rural Health Scholars program that will be assigned to the task.
Tad reported on the County’s new website, which will go online after Labor Day. He passed around a color printout of a draft of the home page.
ADJOURNMENT
Cindy Doyle moved to adjourn. Terry Appenzellar seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brian S. Kinal
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