Next HCCCH meeting - March 24th 12:00 Noon

Attending: Susan Berry (Chair), Jim Fisher, Tyler Frank, Vyvyenne Ritchie, Mary Jane Bush, Helena Peterson, Donna Fraser, Iris Simon, Heather Albert-Knopp, Rain Bowden, Kathy Teel, Jenny Gott, Barbara Peppey

Check in:
Helena Peterson
• URHCC presented a community dialogue on substance abuse recently.
• Next meeting First Tuesday in February will discuss coordinating Drug Task force and other substance abuse intervention programs.
• Change of email addresses healthy@downeast.net changed to healthy@downeasthealth.org
Barbara Peppey
• HPP - 150 participants in 10k steps program
• Bangor - Heart Association Day Long Conference. February on a Saturday
Iris Simon - one more flu shot clinic
Jim Fisher Safe Routes to School

Policy Report - Mary Jane
Mary Jane, Vyvyenne, Barbara and Doug met last week
• Mary Jane prepared a list from that meeting
• Doug reorganized the list and added additional points
• Both were handed out, but neither were accepted as written

Process to move forward
Helena and others encouraged the committee to hone the talking points to fit in a short handout
The committee will need written comments soon.
Helena - want to know more specifically what we are advocating.

Need to create some higher level categories or other means of breaking up the list
• need to maintain funding
• advocate policies that support healthy communities

Many points need further clarification – while they might be clear to members of Healthy Hancock, our legislators may not understand what we mean by “school nutrition” or “focus on local control” or “need to fund coalitions not currently funded by the Fund for a Healthy Maine.”

Education Committee - Jenny Gott
• Ten Thousand Steps
• Ordering more pedometers
• Some organizations are still joining
• pushing the starting data later – the project will dove tail with beginning of Move and Improve
• Move and Improve
• Training Feb 4th - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM at Ellsworth City Hall
• March 5th or 6th - starting walk in Bucksport
• - April - next walk may be in Sedgwick
• - Early May - Black House
• - Late May - Jordon Pond House

Barbara - Peninsula Chamber - virtual walk of the Peninsula called Every Step Counts

Jenny notes that – There has been some frustration in the education committee. The committee is composed mostly of School Health Coordinators, and Iris from Health Link, and they are able to implement these incentive programs in the schools and certain communities, but do not have the resources to do more work outside of the schools.

Susan Berry - The education committee is concerned that we are not reaching out to enough communities with health programs. One community does something, the school comes on board, but other communities aren't engaged. Need more community coordinators. How do we involve more communities?

Barbara - trying to work through the business community. HPP does not have the resources to run these programs in all of the communities. There will need to be better coordination between the communities.

Susan - need to look at the balance between the healthy community programs and the long-term issues of infrastructure, community design, etc. How do we tap into local leaders to move projects ahead.
Mary Jane - might be better to have a year round program like move and improve to build continuity.
Jenny - may be as simple as sending announcements to the communities about programs and how to get involved.
Susan - can the community advocates put together a contact list for the communities.
Helena - request that the school group share their list of contacts and contacts with the gaps identified.

Research Committee
Jim reported that Tyler and Jim have been doing the community assessments and are nearing completion
Heather reported that MDI hired a consultant who will have their assessment in February

Youth Substance Abuse Committee - Tyler Frank
- created at the last meeting
- handout identifies a vision and mission

Members
- Healthy Hancock, One ME - includes some members of Healthy Hancock
- Bucksport, One ME
Planning a March 12 visit of Dr. Craig on Social Norms Marketing.
Requesting $1,500 from HCCCH to pay for the Craig Visit.
The program costs an additional $6,000 beyond the cost of the visit.
Budget discussion will continue by email.
Tyler is asked to announce the committee meeting to the full list.

Debrief on the legislative breakfast
- Susan did a good job organizing the legislative breakfast. Thanks Susan!
- The presentations and discussion were interesting and productive
- One outcome was that in the future, the secretary should email HCCCH the draft minutes ASAP. After a week he will send the edited minutes to the legislative delegation.

Planning for Prosperity follow up
Mary Jane and others expressed concern about the draft recommendations written
Policy Committee has a list of priorities

Next HCCCH meeting will take up writing an alternative document for goals and objectives
- Jim will send notes from the health meeting out
- Jim will talk about this with Tom Martin

New Co-Chairs - Barbara Peppey and Helena Peterson volunteered and are approved

Dental Access
• Drew Matlin is no longer working with Downeast
• Dentist resigned, but three others will come in part time.
• Mark Boyd will be asked to come to future meetings
• Looking for another staff dentist.

Heart Association Conference
• Barbara wonders weather we want to put up a booth
• Charge for a booth is $100
• There was not sufficient interest to go ahead with this.

Pep Grant - Susan Berry and Kathy Teel
• Teachers are trained
• Pedometers have been distributed
• Working on assessment
• Seeking climbing walls, heart rate monitors and snowshoes
• Project is taking a lot of time, but is exciting.

Discussion of the joys and sorrows of pedometers
• Using Walk 4 life - pedometers work better than some other brands.
• Bodytronics are holding up pretty well. Call the 1-800 number to get the quantity pricing. (Price around $18)
• Walmart carries several models as do the sporting goods shops.
• Some of the advance models provide analysis of miles, calories, etc.

Jenny Gott’s Birthday – March17th, 2004