Board of Director’s meeting

March 31, 2008

Old Business:

Board membership

The bylaws state: “The board of this Corporation shall consist of not less than 5 and not more than 15 members. The Board of Directors will select new board members as needed to achieve the mission and goals of the corporation. Board members will have a term of 3 years and may be reappointed by the Board to serve the needs of the corporation.

BOD membership will include, but not be limited to representation from: Nursing Education, Administration, Regulation, practice settings from across the continuum of care (with diversity), and others as indicated by the needs of the organization. “

Our current list of directors include:

  1. Jill Lord, RN, M.S. (President)- VP of Patient Care Services, MT Ascutney Hospital & Health Center
  2. Kathy Keleher, RN, M.P.H.- Acting Director, Public Health Nursing, VT Dept of Public Health
  3. Mary Val Palumbo, RN, Ph.D.- Director, Center for Nursing Workforce Research, Planning, and Development
  4. Margaret Gagne, RN, MSN- Director of Nursing Education and Research, Fletcher Allen Health Center
  5. Marilyn Rinker, RN, M.S.- Executive Director, VT State Nurse Association
  6. Patricia Winsted-Fry, RN Ph.D.- Researchist, Evaluation Consultant
  7. Mary Botter, RN, Ph.D.-Executive Director, VT Board of Nursing

Discussion from previous meetings: The Board of Directors are called upon to consider whom should be added, what skills are needed, who might qualify? Once the invitees are identified, Susan could call them to invite their participation.

Possibly invitees include:

*Chair of Nursing Program, VTC - Anna Gerac

*Chair of Dept of Nursing, Southern VT College – Patricia Wrightsman, MS, RN
*Extended Care – Pam Puccia

Chair of Dept of Nursing, Norwich University - Valerie A. McCarthy Ed.D., RN,C

VSH – Dianne Bogdan (802) 241-3343 Leah Matteson,

David Mitchell -

Rutland Regional Med Center - Rhonda Edwards(internship site coord.) or Psych specialist

Rutland Regional Med Center - Carol Egan

SWMC – Kathy Riley

SWMC –Drew Totten or Gail Hanlon RN MSN

Home care/Hospice – Sheila Aubin (Cathy Bernard - Central, Paula Eldridge- Springfield? )

* Anne Walker has been a meeting participant for the last year, due to her role in assisting with strategic planning, and now as consulting faculty for intensive presentations. Anne has a sound understanding of VNIP and comes with extensive team building and strategic planning experience on a national level.

Plan: Unless I hear otherwise from directors before the Nursing Summit, I will contact the individuals identified with an * and request their service on the VNIP Board of Directors.

I request feedback from you as to whom else to invite – either from this list, or in addition to these

New Business:

  1. VNIP, Inc continues to dedicate resources to fulfill contract requirements as outlined for:
  2. NYSNA Preceptor “Train the Trainer”
  3. NCSBN research grant
  4. Within Vermont VNIP
  5. Provides Preceptor workshops, both basic and advanced.
  6. Offers staff development assistance to requesting agencies
  7. Works with educators to develop tools and resources for competence, orientation, and experiential learning in the healthcare settings
  1. To complete the business management work for VNIP, Inc.
  • Melissa Norton was hired as part-time clerical support to assist with data collection for the research project and to cover for Susan Motschman when she needs leave of absence.
  • Tracey Hayes is working on a per diem basis with a primary priority of completing the 501 (c) 3 application. In getting budget information, she discovered issues of concern in our accounting and employee management process and these are being addressed.
  • Robert O’Brien is setting up accounts for payroll processing that is specific to VNIP and Evalie Crosby is working on our tax accounting issues. We will then retain an accounting firm to maintain our year end accounts and file the tax return as necessary.
  • Tracey is also looking into liability insurance for the organization and the Board of Directors
  • Once the accounts are completed for payroll, Mt Ascutney will no longer be providing payroll or benefits for any VNIP employees.

Tracey Hayes – 501 (c) 3 application – Tracey has identified a deadline of May to submit the application, while remaining on our original timeline

For the non-profit status application, Tracey needs:

Detail of day in, day out activities past, present, future

Budget figures for past, present, future – categorized according to IRS requirements.

Need the budget – doesn’t need to be exact

Template for budget - To include consideration of donations

Identify any funds outside the non-profit realm – anything consider as “for profit”

Scholarships – need to be separate line item or are they a membership benefit?

We need validation that we can account for the money flow

Need discussion of HR costs to ensure that the budget is accurate for this line item

Plan: Susan will pull together the needed budget info and send it to Tracey, some will be sent on Wednesday. Susan also needs to summarize the details of day in, day out activities past, present, future. Tracey will send the application to Susan as soon as it is ready for review and editing.

Liability insurance for the organization –Tracey has investigated Lawrence and Wheeler; Springfield, VT and they should be getting in touch with Susan regarding policy and cost. The question came up whether we need to consider Professional liability and/or auto insurance also. Susan currently maintains personal liability with NSO – Nurses Service Organization, but does not know if they cover organizations as well. VNIP needs General liability to meet state/federal requirements and to be able to qualify for certain grants.

Plan: Tracy will continue to pursue information regarding insurance and Jill will let us know what agency is selected for the Hitchcock Alliance

Employee Benefits - With the transition away from Mt. Ascutney Hospital, Susan will lose all accrued benefits and organizational advantages. She currently has 200 hours of long term sick time banked. Health is not an issue, as she is covered by husband’s policy, but she is concerned about ability to contribute to a 403 retirement plan.

Plan: Jill will follow-up by checking with whether VNIP can tie into the Community Foundation benefit policies – that might allow continuance of MAH programs. VNIP needs personnel policies that establish the agency’s protocols on benefits

Personnel policies: Board needs to decide on personnel policies that set the ETO days, sick time, long term disability, etc.

Jill reports that MAH estimates the cost of benefits at 34% of the salary. They have offered:Vacation time and sick leave, Long term disability, Dental, Health policy, Life insurance equal to one year’s salary, and Worker’s compensation

Plan:BOD requests a list of what benefits have been and what they cost. Discussion ensued regarding supporting benefits at the current level (matching the MAH benefits)

Jill will determine if the Community Foundation can offer comparable benefits as part of their fiscal services.

Meetings: Survey of days/weeks that would allow a monthly meeting schedule until business structure is finalized.

Plan: Next meeting at the Nursing Summit, on Thursday, April 11, at 3:30 (with VONL update brief call for votes if decisions needed).

Meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from11 – 12

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Boyer

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VNIP contact info: 802-674-7069 or 10/18/2018