13th Annual Membership Meeting Proceedings

Content Manager: Brenda Proffitt, MHA
Bechara Choucair, MD, 2007 - 08 Network Chair, called the meeting to order and reported on 2007 - 08 Network activities:
  • Participated in planning workshops, round table discussions, plenary sessions and other events for the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference
  • Maintained a website on homelessness and health care featuring clinical resources on general topics as well as specific diseases and conditions
  • Published and distributed five issues of the newsletter Healing Hands, three issues of the e-newsletter Healing Kids, and four issues of the e-newsletter Network News
  • Surveyed members regarding our website and the Healing Hands newsletter; Communications Committee and staff are using data gathered to make improvements in these products/member benefits
  • Contributed an update on Network activity to the HRSA publication Opening Doors, a newsletter going to all HCH grantees
  • Published two case reports illustrating health care issues or services for homeless people that have educational value for the field of homeless health care
  • Implemented a special project on poverty and health care, resulting in a model curriculum for professional schools to modify and adapt for their own use
  • Focused on cognitive impairments and TBI in homeless patients, developing a monograph, Healing Hands issue and case report on this emerging topic
Next, Bechara announced election results for 2008 - 09 Network officers, who were elected during the Annual Steering Committee Meeting held on June 12:
Chair: Linda Barnet, BSN, RN
Chair-Elect: Barbara Wismer, MD, MPH
Secretary: Alan Pickett, BSN, RN
Treasurer: Bob Donovan, MD
Bechara then turned the meeting over to the 2008 - 09 Network Chair, Linda Barnet.

Steering Committee election
Linda thanked Bechara for his leadership and introduced Lisa Thompson, DNP, APRN-BC, Chair of the Network Nominating Committee. Lisa presented the slate of Steering Committee candidates for election to the Steering Committee, 2008 - 2011:
  • Isabella Christodoulou, MSW, LCSW, Tulane Drop-In Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Rachel M. Herbig, MSW, MHP, Valley Cities Counseling & Consultation, Seattle, Washington
  • Gregory A. Morris, PA-C, Peak Vista Community Health Centers, Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Tina L. White, MBA/HCM, Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers, Saint Louis, Missouri
And for re-election to the Steering Committee, 2008 - 2011:
  • Linda C. Barnet, BSN, RN, HCH/Mercy Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts
  • Pia C. Valvassori, PhD, ARNP, Health Care Center for the Homeless, Orlando, Florida
The Membership approved the slate as recommended by the Nominating Committee. Elected candidates assumed office following the Annual Membership Meeting.

Award presentations
Tanya Page, MD, 2007 Local Hero, presented the 2008 Local Hero awards to Kathy O'Dea, CNP, RN, Hennepin County Health Care for the Homeless, Minneapolis, and Trish Lopez, MSW, Valley Cities Counseling & Consultation, Seattle. Brenda Proffitt, Network Director, presented Judi Allen, DMD, with a gift of appreciation for five years of service on the Network Steering Committee; Bob Donovan, MD, accepted the gift on Judi's behalf.

Shoptalk
Jan Caughlan, LCSW-C, Communications Committee Chair, introduced Shoptalk, a process used by the Steering Committee to identify emerging issues, recent trends and ongoing challenges in the homeless health practice setting. The purpose of the discussion was to gather information that the Steering Committee can use to help set Network priorities and future direction. Meeting participants worked in small groups with discussion facilitated by Steering Committee members. Jan asked the participants to select one to three priorities at each table and to report to the larger group. A list of identified priorities is in Appendix A.

In terms of next steps, the Network Executive Committee will review the list of priorities and assign topics to Network working committees, as appropriate. Committees will develop proposals for Network activities and present the proposals to the Steering Committee for review and comment. Once the proposals are accepted, staff will seek funding for the activities. Not all of the listed priorities can be addressed in the coming year, but perhaps two to three of them may be funded. Network activities funded in the past include products such as:
  • Workshops, pre-conference institutes, curricula development, videotape production
  • Practice-based research
  • Communications and publications including newsletters and monographs
  • Adapted practice guidelines, pocket cards, case reports
  • Web-based resources
Linda thanked the audience for its participation and adjourned the meeting.

Respectively submitted,
Brenda Proffitt, Network Director

I hereby attest to the accuracy of these minutes:
Alan Pickett, Network Secretary

Appendix A | Shoptalk Priorities
  • Youth participation in activities of the Network
  • Difficult clients
  • Integration of preventive care
  • Continuity of mental health care (medications, referrals, post-discharge care, etc.)
  • Pain management in population with substance use issues
  • Housing First: then what? (clients with behavioral issues facing evictions, substance users who relapse, etc.)
  • Chronic homeless families: Mental health services for children
  • Addiction treatment integration in primary care services
  • Hepatitis C, mental health and substance use: diagnosis, treatment, support, etc
  • "Medical home" for people experiencing homelessness
  • Cultural competency: Provider training
  • Solution: creating online social support network
  • Developing economic crisis affecting the most vulnerable populations
  • Coordination of services for substance use and mental health, particularly for young people and families
  • Financial sustainability of HCH projects, including flat funding
  • Stigma [for professionals] associated with treating people experiencing homelessness
  • Lack of access to specialty services
  • Work force development: Recruitment and retention [mentioned by two groups]
  • Best practices and trainings for TBI
  • Barriers to receiving services due to lack of identification
  • Immigration and homelessness
  • Sharing different tools with other projects through the Internet
  • Orientation to HCH for new staff and students
  • Provider stress and burnout
  • Ethical issues related to services provided to people experiencing homelessness
  • Long-term, stable housing
  • Complex cases
2008 – 09 NETWORK OFFICERS
treasurer
Network Chair-Elect
Barb Wismer		 treasurer
Network Secretary
Alan Pickett		 treasurer
Network Chair
Linda Barnet		 treasurer
Network Treasurer
Bob Donovan

13th ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING PHOTO ALBUM
treasurer
Trish Lopez & Tanya Page		 treasurer
Lisa Thompson
Nominating Committee Chair		 treasurer
Tina White