Board Meeting, Montgomery County Annex Building, March 9, 2017
Prepared by: Brittney Watkins / Email:
Mohawk Valley Population Health Improvement Program

Board Members: Maureen Blanchard (Research Foundation at SUNY Cobleskill), Heidi Bond (Otsego County Department of Health), Jacqueline Boyer (NYS Ag & Markets), Christina Cain (Herkimer County Public Health), Corlissa Card (Bassett Medical Center), Kim Conboy (Montgomery County Public Health),Robin Devito (Fulton-Montgomery Community College), Julie Dostal (LEAF), Janine Dykeman (Mental Health Association Fulton Montgomery), Sarah Eipp (St. Mary’s Healthcare), Amy Gildemeister (Schoharie County Department of Health),Brigitta Giulianelli (St. Mary’s Healthcare), Michael McMahon (Montgomery County DSS), Bonnie Post (Schoharie County OCS), Kate Reese (Little Falls Hospital), Lynae Wyckoff (RHENSOM)

Stakeholders: Ann Black (Fulton Montgomery Community Action Agency), Tom Hohensee (Bassett CHSC), Deb Marek (NAMI –MFH),JohnNasso (Catholic Charities), Denis Wilson (Fulton Montgomery Community Action Agency)

Staff: Aletha Sprague, John May, Bonita Gibb, Anna Gleboff, Brittney Watkins, Melissa Scribani (BEST)

Agenda Item 1
Welcome & Introductions / Meeting called to order, introductions made.
Agenda Item 2
Approval of Minutes / The meeting minutes from September 21, 2016 were approved without corrections.
Agenda Item 3
PHIP Overview & Update / Ms. Sprague gave an overview of the Population Health Improvement Program. MVPHIP aligns with the Triple Aim and provides a neutral forum for collaboration and prioritization of regional strategies, while promoting the NYS Prevention Agenda and providing resources to the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) and the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program.
MVPHIP currently has two regional priorities; Behavioral Health, and Obesity, and the board is being asked to select a third priority.
Two upcoming events:
  • Roy German Presentation: The Economic Impact of Latinos, Migrant and Settled Farm Workers. Showing of two films; “They Steal Our Jobs” and “The High Cost of Deporting Parents” followed by a Q&A; March 31st at 1:30 at the Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown
  • Good Counsel for Bad Behavior: Primary Care Prevention in Sweden and the U.S;May 23rd at the Otesaga Hotel from 6 pm to 9 pm in Cooperstown

Agenda Item 4
Board Member Roster / Two new board members will be selected to join the MVPHIP Board. Ms. Sprague provided the board with a Board Composition and Recruitment Matrix with a list of all current board members, and the sectors and counties that board members represent. Ms. Sprague asked for nominations and informed the group that nominations can be sent via email. Once all nominations are received, Ms. Sprague will email a survey and ask each member to select their top two choices for new members.
Agenda Item 5
Community Service Plans/Community Health Improvement Plans / MVPHIP is required to select a third priority/workgroup. Ms. Sprague provided a one page summary of hospital and health departments selected priorities. Ms. Sprague asked that the board look at the goals and select a goal to make the third priority for MVPHIP. Goals include:
  • Increase screening rates for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and breast, cervical and colorectal cancers
  • Increase screening rates for colorectal cancers
  • Promote use of evidence-based care to manage chronic disease
  • Create community environments that promote and support healthy food and beverage choices and physical activity
  • Expand the role of health care and health service providers and insurers in obesity prevention
  • Promote tobacco use cessation, especially among low socio-economic status and those with poor mental health
  • Reduce tobacco use among adults who report poor mental health
  • Strengthen infrastructure for MEB health promotion and MEB disorder prevention
  • Support collaboration among leaders, professionals and community members working in MEB health promotion, substance abuse, and other MEB disorders
  • Increase the proportion of babies who are breastfed
  • Prevent non-medical use of prescription pain relievers drugs by youth and adults
Ms. Sprague explained a purple highlight on the goal of promoting evidence based care to manage chronic disease to highlight that Bassett has received a small mini-grant from NYSDOH to promote evidence based care to manage chronic disease. Ms. Sprague points out that blue highlights fit into what we’re working on with obesity and behavioral health. Currently, the obesity workgroup is focusing on physical activity through complete streets. However, there is an opportunity to work on increasing food and beverage choices.
Ms. Sprague also pointed out on the bottom is Opioids. Although it wasn’t specifically selected as a priority for our region, it is a huge priority in the state and in our region we have multiple task forces working on this regionally.
The board discussed the prevention agenda priorities and goals and there was discussion around the content. There is conversation regarding opioid misuse. A board member points out that different counties have their own task forces, so if it is selected as a third priority,it could unite a regional workgroup. The board also discussed how this could possibly tie into the behavioral health workgroup, specifically regarding stigma reduction.
Ms. Wyckoff asked to draw attention to the Chronic Disease Self Management Program (CDSMP) as well as a national diabetes prevention program; both evidence based programs. Bassett trained 13 local trainers to facilitate CDSMP.
Ms. Boyer explained that there has been a rule change for SNAP retail stores – a project to work with local convenient stores to help them come into compliance, which could tie into a priority as well.
Agenda Item 6
Selection of 3rd Priority/Workgroup / Ms. Sprague asked that board members select their top priority (focusing on goal area) on the evaluation today. Ms. Sprague will send out information to board members not present today to allow them to weigh in and select their top priority.
Agenda Item 7
Workgroup Updates
/ Behavioral Health Workgroup (Julie Dostal):
  • MVPHIP will collect Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data in Herkimer County this spring.The Schoharie County YRBS data should be available late spring with a community presentation planned for June.
  • Working on reducing stigma, related to men’s mental health in particular. The behavioral health workgroup will promote Man Therapy, a stigma reduction media campaign, and it will be kicked off soon.
  • OASIS community coalition grant – should be announced soon.
Obesity Workgroup (Lynae Wyckoff)
  • Focusing on Complete Streets
  • The goal is to bring Mark Fenton, a national expert in active community design,to provide technical assistance in October. He will conduct multiple workshops throughout the MVPHIP region.
  • As part of the process the workgroup is looking to engage our local college students in the Mark Fenton event.
  • Possibility of having a college intern this summer from Colgate University to do GIS mapping in the region in the most populated areas from each county
  • Need help identifying local leaders to invite to summits
  • Once the workgroup has a formalized plan, the details will be sent to board members

Agenda Item 8
Social Network Analysis
/ Melissa Scribani with BEST went over the Social Network Analysis.
Social network surveys were sent to board members and PHIP staff to measure collaboration among the network. It is a tool used to visualize how people interact and a way to measure relationships. Ms. Scribanireviewed the social network analysis in detail to demonstrate how people are engaging with each other. Between baseline and now we are seeing an increase in interactions and communication as well as collaboration (collecting data, sharing resources, joint planning, implementing programs)
Agenda Item 9
Website / Ms. Sprague demonstrates how to utilize the data provided on the Mohawk Valley Population Health Improvement Program Website:
Next Meetings / Next meetings are scheduled for the following:
  • August 10, 2017, 10-12 at the Otsego County Meadows Building, Cooperstown
  • November 16, 2017, 10-12at HealthLinkLittauer, Johnstown