Health Work Group

Lower San Antonio Collaborative
August 11, 2004
3:30-5:00pm
La Clinica de La Raza

Next Meeting – Wednesday September 8– 3:00-4:30pm

Decisions/Agreements:

• There is a need to actively recruit people for the work group and focus on promotoras project and health insurance enrollments.

Next steps:

• Recruit advisory committee for promotoras project
• Think about reconstitution of the health work group, specifically the health insurance enrollment project.
• USC will send the transition plan and the July site report. These are not static documents. They need to evolve and be informed by the community. Let us know what needs to be changed.
• Think about the health insurance enrollment work. Who would we invite to do it with us and with what resources? Casey is interested in this effort and Fred said that there are probably resources if we are interested. Francell will check to see if there are County resources.
• Rather thank try to do policy change work in the first year, see what issues emerge from the work in the first year from the projects, such as access to health care, immigration rights, diabetes, etc. Junious suggested thinking about this as focusing on process measures first, followed by quantifiable performance measures.
• Fred mentioned that we also want to think about defining what health means and reflect on this in documents to Casey.
• Fred encouraged us to start thinking about sustainability.

Attendees: Fred Blackwell, Kristen Graser, Mara Guccione, Francell Haskins, Joy Ramos, Mapi Tudela, Junious Williams

* Introduction of Mapi Tudela, new Health Education Supervisor with La Clinica.

Promotoras Advisory Committee Discussion

-Some information may be missing because I was late to this meeting-

Kristen described the advisory committee structure she would like the work group to consider.

• Fred advised that the advisory committee not supplant the broader work of the health work group.
• There is an issue of people believing that La Clinica can implement the Promotoras project on their own and don’t see a reason to be at the table.
• We need to actively recruit people.
• Timing: project could inform what the broader health-related work will be (this is related to how the FES work group is working)
• Junious asked why we are using the title “advisory committee.” We should consider what their decision making role will be. Can we use language like “design team?”
• Junious also cautioned about mixing up resident engagement and collaboration. There are three levels of this: 1) Design team to work on promotoras project; 2) health work group; and 3) resident leadership and engagement.
• Kristen asked what the original vision of the health work group was and Fred explained that when it began, there was real interest around the health insurance enrollment campaign. The work plan was developed when funding resources unfortunately dropped off the table.
• Francell raised the issue of providers being the main folks around the table and the plan was focused on our take of what residents needed. What we need is a recruitment effort to bring energy and ideas and to address larger health issues in the LSA informed by residents.

July Site Report

• We looked at the July Site Report. Junious mentioned that safety got added to the list and result area #4 but the work on it is over with with 23rd Avenue work group.
• The site report is not a static document. They need to evolve and be informed by the community. Let us know what needs to be changed.
• Kristen asked how we are being held accountable. What was the vision for how the measures would be achieved?
• Fred asked if we still want to do the health insurance enrollment? If so, who would we invite to do it and with what resources? Casey is interested in this effort and Fred said that there are probably resources if we are interested. Francell will check to see if there are County resources.
• Recruitment needs to focus on promotoras and HI enrollment.
• Kristen was concerned about the “policy change” work in the first year but it was explained that there is not an expectation to do this, but to see what issues emerge from the work in the first year from the projects, such as access to health care, immigration rights, diabetes, etc. Junious suggested thinking about this as focusing on process measures first, followed by quantifiable performance measures.
• Fred mentioned that we also want to think about defining what health means and reflect on this in documents to Casey.

Transition Plan

• There was agreement on the work group plan piece of the transition plan and to move towards a structure that includes leadership from each work group plus key site team members to run the decision-making body for the Collaborative. Two to three years down the line, site team members would transition out.
• Issue – embedding residents in the bureaucracy is unrealistic but they should be involved in programs and strategies elements.
• USC will send transition plan to the group.

Next Steps

• Recruit advisory committee for promotoras project
• Think about reconstitution of the health work group, specifically the health insurance enrollment project.
• Advise on approach – make decisions with who is at the table
• Fred encouraged us to start thinking about sustainability.
• USC will send a copy of the July site report.