Business Meeting I
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Attendees: Nancy Miller, Pat Alt, Tom Prohaska, Cindy Bryant, Daniela Friedman, Jim Swan, Ruth McCully, Krystal E. Knight, Maria Genne, Imelda Padilla-Frausto, Steve Wallace, Daniel Meng, Dennis Kodner, Kathy Sykes, Fox Wetle, Debra Cherry, Rick Fortinsky, John Prochaska, Karen Peters, Susan Miller, Dana Mukamel, Kathy Wilson, Keith Elder, Rabbi Reuven Becker, Ashley Love, Janet Frank, Pierrette J. Cazeau (sp?), Marcia Ory
I. Welcome and introduction: Nancy Miller opened the meeting and welcomed all. She announced that we have received a $60,000 grant from the Retirement Research Foundation for student awards for the next ten years. This will support a master’s and a doctoral awardee and two honorable mentions, as well as student travel. This is our second ten-year grant from RRF, with the promise that we will endow the awards after that time. During the first ten years, we have given awards to approximately 40 students, many of whom have become active in the section. We have also received a new award from the Erickson Foundation.
We do have better retention than APHA as a whole (There will be a story about this in the Nation’s Health this Fall). In addition, Daniel Meng did a survey over the summer of our members, and we have remained active in the policy arena. Steve Wallace also keeping our website and listserv current.
II. Minutes from 8/08 conference call: Nancy postponed the review of these minutes until the next conference call.
III. Introduction of new officers: Susan Miller reported that Lene Levy-Storms will be on the APHA Governing Council from 2008-2010. The new GHS Council members are Daniela Friedman and Denyse Lau.
Fox Wetle moved a resolution of thanks and get well wishes for Gerry Eggert. It passed unanimously.
IV. Awards:
Steve Wallace encouraged everyone to sell raffle tickets (6 for $5), and to bring the stubs and money back to the raffle. It will also include a 10-15 minute live auction, in addition to the silent raffle. The raffle and auction are being used to endow the awards. Our funds are pretty solid right now, and we did also get contributions from members for an “enrichment fund”.
Nancy announced that she will be reactivating a Finance and Development committee soon.
V. Membership:
Daniel Meng reported on his survey. Between April and August, the committee met over the phone. The survey itself was conducted in August. In June, we had a list of 441 “member” emails, which had dropped to 400 by August. Between July and September, we gained 46 new members, about 1/3 of them students.
The August phone survey supplemented the email survey. There were 394 invitees, with two reminder rounds. The study got about a 30 percent response rate. We know from the 2002 survey that the more active members are more likely to respond.
Among the respondents:
69 percent were on the listserv.
85 percent decide at least two months ahead of time whether to go to the conference.
91 percent said GHS was their primary or only section.
27 percent said they wanted to get involved in the Section.
There were 47 members without e-mails, but a reasonable level of response to the mailed letter.
Nancy asked that we think about different types of members…consider how to reach out to those with whom we are co-chairing sessions, etc.
Jim Swan pointed out that now members are counted as full members in 2nd sections as well as in the first one.
APHA is doing a pilot study in several states, seeking to create more overlap between state affiliates and sections. Dr. Benjamin’s view is that much of the action in APHA is at the state level. In these states (California, Kansas, Ohio, and Massachusetts), there will be a combined and cheaper rate for state affiliate and section membership.
Fox Wetle pointed out that the Rhode Island Public Health Association did a white paper on Long Term Care (connected with the push toward a comprehensive waiver).
Kathy reported that the Aging Forum is working with state affiliates on Healthy Aging pilots in two places.
Tom stated that through the AOA initiative on Healthy Aging, state health departments and their aging networks are working together. They are pushing for only evidence-based programs, mostly through the ASA and NCOA.
VI. Update on Annual Meeting:
A. Program: Jan Warrren-Findlow was not present yet. But it was reported that the committee did an excellent job of incorporating ideas from last year.
B. Awards:
There will be three leadership awards and eight others, including a new one this year. Each award had a subcommittee, and the process worked quite smoothly.
The leadership award winners will speak at the ceremony on Monday night.
The plan is that for awards other than leadership awards a brief abstract will be read aloud during the ceremony as the awardee approaches the front of the room. John Parrish will also be on the agenda to announce the new award.
C. Conference arrangements:
1. Booth: Volunteers were solicited to staff the booth.
D. Local Arrangements: Steve announced that the cabs will leave for a restaurant in Old Town right after this meeting.
VII. APHA Elections and Resolutions:
1. Elections: APHA candidate meetings will be on Monday from 7-9 a.m. The candidates gave a brief presentation to the Governing Council on Saturday. Various candidates were discussed. There are also three openings for the nominating committee.
2. Resolutions:
The End of Life resolution has raised concern in the disability community about the effort to exclude those with a preexisting disability. This section did support the resolution last year.
There is a late-breaker resolution about the expansion of health promotion research for older adults (focused on CDC and the HAN centers). The resolution asks for $10 million to make the funding more solid. It will be voted on by the Council on Tuesday.
VIII. Working with other sections:
Kathy Sykes reported that the Task Force on Aging is now a Forum. They were working with two communities on change efforts for the built environment. The projects will go on for three years in Atlanta, through the regional commission, and in Toledo, Ohio through the AAA.
There is also a panel planned on health aging and the environment on Tuesday from 2:30-4.
XIX. Planning Ahead:
Nancy reported that APHA is open for proposals for plenary sessions for next year’s meeting.
She also expressed her appreciation for the Section leadership with small gifts.
The meeting was adjourned with thanks to all at 5:30 p.m.