WVRHEP Finance Subcommittee
Days Inn
September 17, 2001
Attending:  Penny Asbury, Southern Counties (for Tommy Mullins); Robert Blake, Webster-Nicholas; Bobby Brown, Winding Roads; Chuck Conner, Winding Roads (facilitator); Betsy Deggs; Country Roads; Drew Dunlap, RHEP Administration; Kathryn Greenlief, Mountain Health-Braxton; Robert Harman, Eastern WVRHEC; Hilda R. Heady, RHEP Administration; Tom Hefner, Mountain Health; Jane Horst, Eastern WVRHEC; Melissa Marco, ROVER (for Jay Prager); Gaye Mitchell, Eastern WVRHEC; Shirley C. Neel, Country Roads; Margaret Novacich, RHEP Administration; Michael Painter, Country Roads; Anna Reno, Little Kanawha; Howard Stallard, Country Roads; Steve Thomas, Mountain Health-Grafton; Georgianna Tillis, Western Counties,
(bold indicates appointed member)

Meeting began with introductions around the table.  Chuck then lead a review of the July meeting process and thanked Margaret for sending the materials the subcommittee requested.

I. Determine the decision-making process of this sub-committee
1. Fluid nature of partners-all segments are represented except field faculty. Concern expressed regarding field faculty absence when decision will directly affect field faculty funding.  Need to have representation of total field faculty groups or use of field faculty list serve
2. Need to make decisions today about priorities of “principles of allocation”
3. Hilda will put together a letter from the subcommittee about the status of the subcommittee and the rationale of how we got to this point.  This letter will address questions to field faculty and/or preceptors who are currently receiving payment or reimbursement.  The site coordinators will assist us in sending this info to the correct partner membership.  We will also use list serve distribution and web posting.  We should also include administrators.  The subcommittee will take 2 weeks to draft the letter and the field faculty will have 2 weeks to respond.  Tom Hefner and Penny Asbury will assist Hilda by reviewing the letter prior to its distribution.
4. The committee had the “fist or five” method of poling described to them which is used by the site coordinators.  This method allows a member to vote in support of an issue on a scale of 0 through 5.  Any persons not showing 5 fingers on an issue are then allowed a voice.
5. The subcommittee voted to accept the “fist or five” method allowing all persons attending meetings to vote (not just those initially appointed by Dr. Weston).  Margaret voiced her reservations.  Some persons will be voting on issues that they have no history about, as they may not have attended any previous meetings.  Also, a regional majority could be arranged to swing numbers.
 
II. Place “Principles of Allocation” in priority order.
1. Define fixed vs. variable.
a.  Variable = field faculty, housing and staff (variable to each site)
b.  Fixed = all other expenses
2. Who do we pay and how do we pay?
a.  Determine reasonable range to include in the survey letter to the field faculty
b.  Proposal #6 of the “DCP 8 proposals” was discussed.  Many attendees believe that method #6 is the most fair distribution.  It also works with the discussion we are now having around field faculty payment and housing distribution.
c.  The group determined the order of ranking of the variable expenses as below:
1.  Field Faculty
2.  Housing
3.  Staffing
d.  Principle for Payment of Field Faculty/Preceptor/Field Professor
1.  Methods
a.  Flat Rate
b.  Hourly
2.  Base Enhancements for low resource areas
3.  What oversight role do we institute?
3. Bob Harman (Eastern WVRHEC) will work with Anna Reno (Little Kanawha) to see how his model and method affects her budget.  Eastern WVRHEC and Little Kanawha represent the two