Topic:

Clarify Steering Committee membership

Discussion:

Steering Committee Co-Chairs: Zail Berry, Letha Mills, Diana Peirce (point person).Steering Committee: Denise.Niemira: Funding, Marilyn Hart: Membership, Ginny Fry: Communication, Judy Murphy: Pain and Symptom Mgt., Access & Availability: Roseanne Palmer, Advance Care Planning: John Campbell. Steering Committee members include Ira Byock and Sharon McDonnell.

Action:

Steering Committees will remain intact. Committee will be called to action as specific work develops. Identified membership/mailing list. Minutes should be shared w/steering committee & staff.

Set up Consistent Meeting Times

Meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Committee members who wish to participate via conference call will be facilitated.  No end date for monthly steering committee meetings determined at this point.

Next meeting April 5^th at the Vermont Medical Society

Preferred method of communication for ExCEL membership

Many members do not have email access. Should all mailing should go to all members? Should mailings be a combination of email and hard copy

 VPQ will add ExCEL link to website.

Diana Peirce will write a letter describing the current activity and also VPQ role. Letter will be sent to chairs and staff for review by 3/12/04. ? Letter about “what’s going on will be sent to whole mailing list.”

Will ask preferred method of communication/addressee of all members. Ginny to work w/Bill on website design.

Clarify Focus

QI Project

VPQ Project Review

5,000 Vermonters die each year. What does the answer look like? Start with what we want to know. Determine goal statement.

Reviewed ‘Pain Bill’, draft #6.

Goal: To Assess the quality of the end of life experience for Vermonters. Timeline: 10 months; achieve goal by  January 2005

Rallying Point Grant

Application due 4/28/04. Madeline feels we are eligible (ExCEL has received Rallying Point Grant in the past) Maureen believes only one $15,000.00 grant per applicant allowed.

Ask Denise Neimera (Chair of Funding) to write grant.

Maureen will send grant application to Denise, Marilyn, Madeline, Judy and. All (incl.Maureen) will assist with grant writing process.

Legislative Update

What’s in the proposed legislation? What else do we need to know? Where to obtain data (that is already being collected)

Reviewed  Pain Assessment and Treatment Act,  6^th draft. Decision to proceed with goal (assessment of quality of end of life care) versus structuring work around proposed act.

Lake Morey Conference

Agenda possibilities: (Request speaker for) Palliative Sedation on Thurs. eve. Current ExCEL activities, VPQ presentation, survey results, legislative/AG initiative, brea-out sessions: Networking of like groups (vital records, death certificate, medical directors discuss palliative care opportunities.) VPQ unavailable on these dates, ask BOD member to assume role of speaking about VPQ? Conference funding through member dues, pharmaceutical companies, etc.

Conference Dates: June 10 & 11. Cost to attend approx. $60.00 per attendee.

Survey Tools

Start with question; what is it you want to know?

The ‘Joan Teno’ survey tool w/three versions and several domains most popular tool for use in surveying nursing homes and hospitals. Tool currently being sent out to 100% of family’s who’s loved one has died two months ago in a hospice setting (with the exception of one hospice in the state).

Per vital records staff, we don’t know what “home” means. We don’t know what “nursing home” means as stated on the death certificate. Makes it difficult to determine actual place of death in Vermont.

May result in focus group activity lead by MD

Bring in interested others to review/amend  survey tool; vital records, Paul Turner, Rich McCoy, Zail, Sharon, Roseanne & her group.

Time line to report back undetermined.

Other Funding Sources

CHI (FAHC), Penrose Jackson, Freeman Foundation, Hitchcock Foundation, VT Community Foundation. Increased receipt of grants will help set the stage for increased credibility and more grant opportunities.

Funding Steering Committee should take the lead on this.