Western Regional Community Advisory Committee Meeting

Date: January 15, 2014 Location: WCHS Eastern Regional CenterTime: 12:00pm – 2:00pm

Members Present: Craig Ham, Howard Manning, Paul Gregg, Tracy Stone-Dino, Sharon McMillian, Sharon Peterson, Carlos Villamarin, Ira Jones

Members Absent: Classy Preston, Kathleen Herndon-Lee, Robert Cardoso, Madhu Sharma, John Collins, Cheng Wang

WCHS Staff Present: Michele Crenshaw, Maria Robayo, Karen Morant, Regina Petteway, Bob Sorrels

WCHS Child Youth & Family Program Staff Present: Giang Le, Safa Hamad, Victoria Adeleke

Members Howard Manning, Craig Ham, Tracy Stone-Dino, and Sharon McMillian met at Genesis United Methodist Church in Cary at 11:00 am to ride together to Wake County Human Services Eastern Regional Center in Wake Forest.

  1. Introductions & Welcome led by Frank Eagles,Major of Rolsesville
  1. Child Youth & Family Women’s Infant and Children Nutrition (WIC) Presentation

Safa Hamad, WCHS WIC Program Manager and Victoria Adeleke, WCHS Nutritionist Supervisor

(PowerPoint Presentation Attached)

  1. In regards to plans of WCHS utilizing space at Dorcas Ministries, Safa explained that WIC staffing will be similar to the staffing at the WCHS Northern Regional Center. Federal requirements dictate that WIC vouchers be stored in a temperature control environment and under security. Western Region WIC office hours will start off daytime only, closing at lunchtime. Hours will be re-evaluated after usage can be determined.
  2. Giang Le, Division Director for WCHS Child Youth and Family, communicated that the WIC model being used is the same as when WCHS opened WIC services at their Millbrook Service Center. As with Millbrook, a survey will be conducted by WIC staff in the other WIC office location by asking clients if they would use the Western Region site if available. Giang Le advised that based on zip codes, four thousand WIC vouchers were given to residents living in the Western Region in 2012, projections are as high as six thousand in the coming years.
  3. Group members discussed possible marketing strategies to bring WIC referrals to the West such as: contacting Western Regional pediatricians as a WIC referral source, and advising callers to WCHS locations they can apply in the Western Region.
  1. Western Region WIC Services Planning

Howard Manning recused himself as chairperson during Western Region site options for WIC Services discussion.

  1. Bob Sorrels, WCHS Deputy Director, confirmed that an FY15 Capital Area Improvement (CIP) proposal for WIC services in the Western Region has been submitted as a horizon issue to the Wake County Finance office. The office space at Dorcas has been surveyed and an estimated cost for renovation is part of the proposal.

Bob presented the following timeline:

FY15 budget negotiations occur in the spring, if approved, the planning stage for the FY15 budget begins and May and is reviewed and approved by County Commissioners in June. Bob also explained that the WIC office proposal is in competition with already approved renovations to the Sunnybrook Public Health Building WIC offices as well as other county expansion requests which may delay plans for the Western Region until FY16.

III. Western Region WIC Services Planning Continued

  1. Bob strongly suggested that the WR CAC obtain community input and accurate data to create a more competitive proposal. In addition, Bob urged caution when contacting other counties about their Wake County WIC clients, reducing their numbers could have a negative impact on their staffing.
  2. Mayor Eagles recommended the WR CAC members begin meeting with Cary, Apex and Morrisville Mayors, town council members and Board of Commissioners representing the West to gain support in establishing services in the Western Region.
  1. Next Steps

Regina led discussions about the WR CAC next steps, reminding the group that WCHS staff’s role is to provide information to the CAC, not to participate or form a political position.

Action Items:

  1. Obtain input regarding the Western Region Business Case by all WR CAC members.
  2. Collect data
  3. Build a business case including an emphasis on population growth to present to the Human Services Board by the end of March 2014.
  4. Engage Western Region Pediatricians regarding WIC services for their patients.Mayor Eagles and Paul Gregg will further discuss engagement of the medical community.
  5. Regina will communicate with Ramon Rojano, Director of Human Services, about the WR CAC plans for moving forward and bring back his input.
  6. Giang Le will send the Millbrook Model to Regina to forward to WR CAC Chairpersons.
  7. Giang Le will send a copy of CYF’s WIC services survey to Michele to share with WR CAC Chairpersons.
  8. Giang Le will discuss survey and Western Region WIC services with the County’s state consultant next month
  9. Chief Jones will coordinate a meeting for the CAC to meet with the Mayor of Morrisville.
  10. Bob will send a copy of the FY15 CIP proposal to Regina Petteway and Michele Crenshaw to share with WR CAC Vice Chair, Robert Cardoso.
  11. Howard will contact Giang Le in a couple of months to request Western Region WIC services survey results.
  1. Announcements
  1. Maria announced that Lisa Sellers had a baby boy and a card was available for CAC members to sign.
  2. Maria informed the group that WCHS will be conducting Anger Management Classes at the United Methodist Church in Raleigh. Maria will email details to CAC members.

Meeting Adjourned

Next Meeting Scheduled: February 19, 2014, Genesis United Methodist Church, 850 High House Road, Cary, NC

Minutes Reviewed by: Howard Manning