MDI TOMORROW

Community Health Workgroup

 

Minutes from July 18, 2002 - 9 ñ 10:45a.m.

 

Attending: Joel Farley; Claire Wood, Stephanie Clement, Barbara Peppey, Don Strauss,

Doug Michael, and Gayle Gaynor

 

Excused: Jeanne Fortier and Michael Anderson

 

Doug gave an overview of what the group has done so far and how framing the issues was developed.Ý A draft Community Health Issues document was distributed prior to the meeting by email. Time was given for all to review the draft document and discuss:

 

…         Are we on the right track?

…         Do we want to include all sections identified or do we want to narrow our focus?

…         Do we need to gather any more information?

…         Who would be willing to flesh out specific sections?

…         How might the MDI Tomorrow survey function to gain community feedback on the issues?

…         How can we use the survey to best support creating a preferred vision & values for community health?

 

Question asked to Stephanie ñ Is this format workable for inclusion in the state of the island report?Ý She said she feels this is laid out well and contains most of the info needed.Ý She asked about indicators and how existing data can be used or tracked for the next 10 years.Ý The state or municipalities track some indicators regularly but some will need to be tracked by us.Ý We need to prioritize and identify survey methods and types of questions to ask.Ý Stephanie showed us a tool she is using in some of the other groups that may be helpful for us.

 

Joel discussed the need for quantifiable data and or references to back up the issues.Ý

 

Stephanie told us that MDI Tomorrow is looking at fundraising and grants to support the survey.Ý Some estimates to do the survey have been as high as $40,000.

 

Joel recommended using focus groups (go where the people are) to deliver the survey i.e.: have the survey as part of the kindergarten registration process, etc.

 

Some concerns were expressed on the wording of the survey and making sure that it is worded to get true information not just what people think we want to hear.

 

Joel posed the question about whether we could contact BOH to get/give statistical data.

Barb & Doug discussed the county level effort under Healthy Hancock to gather track-able community health indicators.Ý Barb also suggested that we keep the surveys user friendly.

 

Joel stated that we may need to compartmentalize so that we can identify the ìhotî issues.

Doug suggested that we may not need to compartmentalize because the survey committee will be looking at that when they develop the survey.

 

It was suggested that we identify our priorities.

 

Discussion ensued about the prospect of narrowing our issue focus.Ý We recognize many of the other committees may be dealing with some of the same issues.Ý

 

Joel recommended that we focus on health behaviors and health insurance and give community design and social justice to those committees dealing with those issues more directly (land use, transportation, housing, economic prosperity, youth).

 

Claire stated that we must keep focused on the fact that we are a tourist dependent economy. MDI Community Health Plan is developing a survey to help identify health in the MDI community.

 

Doug said that while we may focus on health behaviors and health insurance we need to make sure that the view of ìcommunity healthî remains broad and include economics & housing and how they impact health and health behaviors.

 

Barb also feels that we need to maintain some degree of focus on the systemic issue relating to community design an use and how policies and town planning impact them and vice versa.

 

Joel said we should focus on where we can get the biggest bang for our buck.Ý What do we recommend that has the greatest benefit on health and the most return on investment?Ý He thinks we should focus on health insurance and health care.

 

Stephanie suggested that maybe we should go broad again and list all the indicators, key players; where data is available, and establish priorities to be included in the survey.

Stephanie suggested that we bring these questions to the next steering committee meeting to help identify the process of who is focusing on what issues.

 

Doug suggested that we consider dividing into issue groups among ourselves to flesh out and identify indicators.Ý All agreed.Ý The task of these sub groups will be to flesh out, list opportunities, gather corroborating data and boil it all down.Ý Each subgroup will meet separately and then we will all meet again August 23.

…         Community Design ñ Doug & Barb

…         Social Justice ñ Doug & Barb

…         Health Behaviors ñ Joel, Claire, Gayle & Jeanne

…         Health Insurance ñ Joel Claire, GayleÝ & Jeanne

Some issues identified that we need to consider when we break out include:

…         Alternative health care providers

…         Coordination of services

…         Economy of scale

…         Remedial versus preventive care

…         Allopathic versus homeopathic

…         Aspect of culture ìfix meî attitude

…         Access to health care & dental care

…         Barriers

…         Empowerment

…         Economic impact

 

 

 

The "charge" to ourselves as next steps:

 

1.    Fleshing out the issues description (using the framing questions provided).

2.    Identify and include where possible supportive data/references to back up the issue

3.    Identify the indicators which might best be used to monitor the issues (indicator questions were also provided by the steering committee)

4.    Identify, begin to frame some survey questions which can survey the public about the issues/and or opportunities scoped by             the committee.

 

Although we tasked ourselves with carrying the process forward with the 4 issues identified, it makes perfect sense to bring in other partners (such as CHP) to help frame flesh out the issues and identify the data (what we know) and the questions (what we need to learn) about the issues and potential solutions. 

 

It was suggested to consider use of existing baseline data such as the old PATCH surveys as guiding documents to ask questions that have statistics from previous surveys to compare them to.

 

It was also suggested that representatives from MDI Tomorrow workgroups get on local town council agendas to help inform and recruit.

 

Don encouraged the group to be considerate of the process limitations we are engaged in and to consider what next beyond the state of the island report.Ý The America Speaks model of electronic town meeting was discussed as a potential method to expand the democracy of our process, to engage more citizenry in the discussion of the issues and the vision for our preferred future.

 

Meeting adjourned at 10:50 a.m.

 

Next meeting of the Community Health workgroup is August 23rd at 9 a.m. at the MDI High School Superintendentís conference room.

 

The meeting of the health behaviors and health insurance subgroup will be on August 7th at 9 a.m. at The Jackson Lab.

 

The meeting of the community design and social justice subgroup will be July 24 and August 5,Ý from 9-11am at the Healthy Acadia office, 11 Kennebec St., Bar Harbor.

 

 

Minutes respectfully submitted by Gayle Gaynor