San Mateo County Fall Prevention Task Force
May 21, 2009
Attendance: Marjorie Marchant – Community member, Patrice Christensen – San Mateo County Health System., Marie Violet –
Sequoia Hospital, Francine Serafin-Dickson – Hospital Consortium, Cristina Ugaitafa – San Mateo County Aging and Adult Services,
Wendy Lynn – Stanford Hospital Farewell to Falls Program, Kathryn Janz – Matched Caregiver, Kitsum Li,- Mills-Peninsula,
Gennifer Mountain – Fall Prevention Contra Costa County , Marcie Buckwatter – San Mateo Medical Center’ Katie Flynn –
Community member/OT, Toni Homewood – Kaiser, Susan Feledy – Kaiser, Terri Neill – Senior Assist, Ron Lamb – AMR, Miriam
Chacon – AMR, Nichole Kain – Pathways, Nancy Keegan – Catholic Charities, Lois Glover – CID, Kersti Lannus Delgado –
Peninsula Volunteers, Martin Simenc – Home Safety Services, Ellen Corman – Stanford Hospital Trauma.
Agenda Item
Discussion
Action Items
Introductions
 Many visitors and new members – all
introduced and welcomed.
1. Committee Report
Kitsum will help with transition from
 Committee would like to promote
Website (April)
current web provider to new provider.
website by printing up post it pads to
distribute to Meals on Wheels
Patrice will check into cost of purchasing
participants and senior centers.
post-it notes.
 Katie designed a flyer that promotes
site.
 Looking at positive messaging –
Suggested wording -- Maintain your
independence -- Don’t let a fall change
your life
 Changing web maintenance provider.
Committee narrowed choice down to 2

2. Committee Report
Medical Providers (Martin)
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3. Guest Speaker – Dr. Curtis Chan,
Assistant Health Officer, San Mateo
County Health System
well recommended providers – a
company and an individual. Task Force
recommends going with company –
who has potential to have longer –term
relationship.
April recommends keeping web host as
is until contract expires in October.
Two Continuing Medical Education

(CME) programs offered in late April
to Sequoia Hospital and MillsPeninsula. Dr. Larry Rubenstein, leader
in fall prevention from UCLA/VA
spoke to about 40 people at each site.
Larry Rubenstein will be coming to

th
Kaiser RWC on June 12 at 12:30.
Tear sheet “prescription” pads were

distributed at CME event and well
received.
Poster for MD offices at printer.
Margorie asked suggested checklist at
doctor’s offices for patients to
complete on own. Gennifer reported
that Contra Costa County is developing
a checklist.
Dr. Chan shared information on physical
activity programs for seniors – what’s
needed, what’s available and goals for
future. A group of Stanford University
Medical School students will present on
their findings on June 12 from 3-4:30 at
San Mateo Medical Center, Education
Classroom 2.


Toni will check to see room size and
space to determine whether Task Force
members can attend program on June
12th. Toni will let Ellen know and if so,
the room at Kaiser for presentation and
Ellen will send out email.
Toni to check on possibility of
videotaping presentation.
Gennifer will send Ellen checklist to
share
with
Medical
Providers
workgroup to review.
Task Force members are invited to
attend Results presentation on June 12th
Steering Committee will explore
possibility of adding physical activity
committee.
3. Community Presentations (Ellen)
Kitsum will put power point on the website
in the members only section.
4.

Send agency profiles to Kitsum.

Cristina will set up meeting in June to
begin planning
Nichole will get intern job description
out to SF State Gerentology program.
5.
6.
7.
Ellen showed power point presentation that
can be adapted and used to show to seniors
or professionals about fall prevention risk
factors and about the Task Force.
Committee reports
 Data report on website usage
Website (Kitsum)
distributed. Usage continues to
increase. Note – coverage of report was
January-April, and covered the first 2
days of May.
 Members are encouraged to send
agency profiles to Kitsum to be part of
the Member Spotlight section on the
front page of the site.
 Medication section could use some
resources.
 Flyer to developed to promote website
distributed.
Committee report
 Planning to begin Fall Prevention
Fall Prevention Week - Cristina
Week 2009 to begin in june
Committee report
 AAS funding for about $6,000/year
Sustainability – Francine
from 2009-2013.
 Stanford Hospital has committed
$5,000/year for 2 years. This funding
will support an intern position to
support medical providers committee
work, Fall Prevention Week activities
and more. 8-10 intern applications
received.
Announcements
 Kersti announced that Peninsula
Volunteers has a Fitness Conference
June 15-19th. Karl Knopf will be
keynote speaker and Joni Greggins will
be there. Cost is $90 for Little House
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members and $110 for non-members.
Registration includes lunch each day
and materials.
Miriam announced that this week is
EMS week, honoring EMS staff.
Beginning July ’09, AMR will begin
their new contract with SM County.
AMR will be working with EMS to
develop injury programs, and plan to
collect data on falls and to develop
injury prevention brochures and
distribute them to customers.
Next meeting of Fall Prevention Task Force is scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2009 from 1:00 -3:00 pm at Sequoia Hospital Health
and Wellness, 749 Brewster, Redwood City, CA 94063.