Oak Ridge Reservation: Health Needs Assessment Work Group

Health Needs Assessment Work Group

March 6, 2001 - Meeting Minutes

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order by James Lewis, NAWG Co-chair, at 8:30 a.m.

PURPOSE OF MEETING

Detailed Review of George Washington University's proposed program

Following a brief period of disorganization (during which it was necessary to collect and copy handouts and fax materials to the participants with telephone links) the meeting began with introductions and a program overview by Rebecca Parkin from
George Washington University. The request that she be allowed to present without interruption was granted and questions were asked at the conclusion of her talk. Several areas of concern including: how participants would be selected in each of three categories, an explanation of the random digit dialing process, why it would be impossible for the work group members to have the exact questions to be asked in the survey, etc. were addressed.

Detailed responses were given to previously raised questions. The timeline for completion of the project was shown and actions scheduled for November 2000 are taking place this month with the earliest projected date of completion being August 2001. Several action items were identified as follows:

Action Responsible Person(s)
Compile list of focus groups (categories and James Lewis and Donna Mosby
sources/organizations) prioritize Needs Assessment Work Group
and provide to Subcommittee (3/19/01)

Get LOC Directory to GWU (3/14/01) Susan Kaplan

Inform Bill Murray of time & place Susan Kaplan
of LOC Board Meeting (3/06/01)

Get information on focus groups Lynda Lewis
conducted by Sutherland Group
for GWU (3/14/01)

Verify that DOE IRB review/approval Theresa NeSmith
of protocol is not required

Contact ATSDR Washington Office to Theresa NeSmith
request a list of community members or
others who have testified before Congress
regarding Oak Ridge

Get invitation list for the Spring 1999 Theresa NeSmith
town hall meetings

Forward the website: Nine Counties/ Theresa NeSmith
One Vision to GWU

Fax list of organizations identified and
Documents reviewed to NAWG (Mosby) Rebecca Parkin

The decision was made to schedule a Needs Assessment Work Group Meeting for 5:00 p.m. on March 14, 2001. The meeting is scheduled at the Scarboro Community Center, so that babysitting services may be provided, if necessary.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 for lunch and the decision was made that no
afternoon session was required since all of the questions were answered during the morning session. (Synopsis of Q & A session to be made available as a separate document).

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Agenda
2. GWU Handouts

EVENING SESSION 4:30 - 7:00
Meeting Minutes

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 4:30 p.m. by James Lewis, NAWG Co-chair.

PURPOSE OF MEETING

The purpose of the meeting was to provide an executive summary of the morning session, to address questions and answers from the work group and to provide the opportunity for public comments, concerns and recommendations.

ATTENDEES

Atkins, Peggy
Brooks, Alfred
Carter, Bill (Teleconference Link)
Dalton, LaFrieda (Teleconference Link)
Davidson, Kowetha
Hanley, Jack (Teleconference Link)
Johnson, David
Joseph, Timothy
Kaplan, Susan
Lewis, James
Lewis, Lynda
Mosby, Donna
Murray, Bill
NeSmith, Theresa
Parkin, Rebecca
Raetzer, Franz
Sonnenburg, Barbara

Brief introductions were given by the morning attendees and a more extensive one by newcomer, Franz Raetzer. The summary was provided by L. Lewis,
T. NeSmith and R. Parkin.

Peggy Atkins provided a personal account of illness she is confronting and made a request of the group. She received several suggestions of ways in which she might proceed as well as being informed of areas that were outside the parameters of the current effort of the Health Education Needs Assessment. She was encouraged to provide a written statement, (if she wishes to do so) to be read into the record at the Subcommittee Meeting on March 19, since she will be unavailable to attend.

The rest of the meeting was used to discuss issues that may be impeding the progress of the group. These include:

• Skills training is needed
• Improved communication with GWU
• Structure (rigidity) vs. flexibility
• Group direction - where is it?
• What is the mission?
• Ensure proper channels of communication
• Time -Turf - Trust issues
• Responsibility & Accountability
• Handling differences of opinion
• Everyone copied on e-mail is not fully informed - cannot "assume" effective communication has occurred
• Have deployed "warriors" who have been given nothing significant to fight and who tend to turn on each other
• How well informed do we want and need to be
• How do we handle dissemination of information
• Internet website presence will be a solution to some information needs
• Meetings for the public should be scheduled for after working hours
• Take part of Subcommittee Meeting to do a process check - what works, what doesn't
• How can we accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative
• Being proactive vs. reactive
• Same core group on various work groups results in seeing the same frustrations
• Lack of participation on work groups of many Subcommittee members

The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m.