General Council Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Location:
Mid Region Council of Governments
Time:
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Members Present: Michelle Melendez (chair), Daryl Smith (vice-chair), Erin Engelbrecht (secretary), Lora Church, Julie Lucero, Valerie Quintana, Michelle Skrupskis
Non-Voting Participants: Cathy Ahiyite, Judy Baca, Leigh Caswell, Claire Dudley, Jeanne Forrester, Andrew Gingerich, Sherri Gonzales, Janet Mason, Jerry Montoya, Meg Radigan, Dianne
Rivera, Catherine Sánchez, Kristine Suozzi
Staff: Marsha McMurray-Avila, Martín Muñoz, Enrique Cardiel
Agenda Items
1.
2.
3.
Welcome and intros
Questions on written
report from staff
Update on Collective
Impact for Neighborhood
& County (CINCH)
 Discussion/brainstorm
of current activity
(polices, strategies,
programs) in
Bernalillo County
related to CDC
Strategic Directions
for Community
Transformation Grant
Discussion
Action
Attendees did not have questions about written staff report.
Marsha reported on the trip to Atlanta, GA, for the Community Transformation Grant (CTG) Kick-Off she
attended with George Schroeder and Leah Steimel. One important take-away point from the meeting is the
importance that the CDC is placing on CTG grantees to help demonstrate the value of prevention through
policy, systems and environmental changes. We are being encouraged to show results – short-term through
capacity-building and long-term through implementation of an action plan. With the downturn in the economy,
funding for prevention is a prime target for cuts, making it especially crucial to protect the Prevention & Public
Health Fund within the health reform act (PPACA) through which the CTG is funded.
Marsha led the group in identifying current policies, strategies or programs in Bernalillo County in the three
required CTG Strategic Directions areas: Tobacco Use, Healthy Eating and Active Living and High Impact
Clinical Prevention. (This same exercise was done with the CINCH Leadership Team on 11/15.) See notes –
“Strategies in Place – Bernalillo County 11162011.”
The two remaining Strategic Directions are optional and although there was no time to discuss them, we
would like to get feedback on those areas as well, since we will likely want to link these into the other three
required strategies. Everyone was invited to think about these and provide input to Marsha through email or
bring up at the next meeting. The Strategic Directions are:
 Social & Emotional Wellness; Mental and Emotional Wellbeing (Increase health and wellness, including
social and emotional wellness)
 Healthy & Safe Physical Environments (Increase bicycling and walking; improve the community
environment to support health; reduce motor vehicle injuries and fatalities)
Send Marsha any additional
thoughts/comments on policies, strategies,
programs in Bernalillo County related to
the CTG strategic directions, especially the
two optional areas.
Marsha noted that there are unifying frameworks we can use to link all the strategic directions. The
Community-Centered Health Home model (from Larry Cohen – Prevention Institute – See announcement
below) is one way to link what happens in the clinical setting and then follow it back to the community to learn
what is causing the illnesses/injuries that are being seen in clinics. Michelle Melendez commented that there
BCCHC Meeting Minutes
Page 1 of 2
Agenda Items
Discussion
Action
are healthcare providers who are interested in such models, but they need to be cultivated.
4.
Community updates and
announcements
Marsha and 14 other community members working in the South Valley will be traveling to Cuba for a MEDICC
international health exchange program. The MEDICC group will consider ways to potentially model some of
Cuba’s success in the South Valley.
The NM Alliance of Health Councils has reserved January 19th as Public Health Day at the Roundhouse
during the legislative session. Health Councils, NMPHA and DOH are all invited to have tables and there will
be a press conference over the noon-hour to emphasize the importance of public health/prevention and
maintaining public health funding. Anyone who is interested in helping out with the table or the press
conference should contact Marsha.
Contact Marsha if interested in helping with
Public Health Day at the Roundhouse on
January 19, 2012.
Kristine Suozzi announced the Brian Smedley lecture at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (Bank of
America Theater) on December 1st at 7pm. His lecture is: “Moving from Science to Policy & Practice: Building
Healthy Communities Based on Human Rights.”
Dianne Rivera announced that the Emergency Care Campaign in Spanish and English has launched. They
want people to understand the difference between when it is appropriate to use an urgent care center and
when they actually need an emergency room, with a goal of reducing unnecessary ER visits. Posters are
available in English and Spanish and can be placed in Community Centers or Public Health Offices, APS, etc.
Electronic versions of the posters will be sent out to the BCCHC email list. Hard copies can be obtained from
Dianne Rivera directly.
Leigh Caswell announced that Larry Cohen from Prevention Institute will be the keynote at the NMPHA Policy
Forum on December 7th at the Albuquerque Marriott from 8 am to 5 pm. Workshops will include Critical Health
Literacy, Food Policy and others. Scholarships are available. See www.nmpha.org for more information and
online registration. There will also be a free event with Larry Cohen on the evening of December 6th from 6:00
to 8:00 pm at the UNM HSC Domenici Center. Contact Leigh for more information.
Valerie Quintana provided a follow up on the City of Albuquerque summit on violence prevention precipitated
by the recent APD shootings of people with mental illness. She reported that it was a great event and wellattended. Tim Karpoff was the facilitator for the day and there will be more follow-up to the event.
Valerie also reported that HSD/Local Collaboratives are involved in resource mapping (not just behavioral
health), trying to identify informal resources – like support groups – that are not included in current resource
directories.
Daryl Smith is working on a survey on community health workers (CHWs) in NM that will be coming out this
week. Daryl asks the members to assist with its distribution to CHWs across the state. The survey will be on
SurveyMonkey in English and Spanish—hardcopies also available. Definition of CHW is very broad and
includes a variety of community health positions, excluding licensed social workers and certified health
educators. Can include many of the VISTA and Americorps members working in NM.
BCCHC Meeting Minutes
Next BCCHC meeting will be Dec 21st from
11:30 -1pm at MRCOG. The Lead Team
will work on a format for the meeting that is
more appropriate for the holidays.
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