MINUTES

 

                                                WVRHEP RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

COMMITTEE MEETING

 

September 11, 2006, Days Inn, Flatwoods

 

Attending: Haylee Heinsberg (for David Brown & Patti Crawford),  Deborah Curry, Tom Hefner, Lew Holloway, Nannette VanDyke-McDonald for E. Jane Martin, Sandra Y. Pope, Jo Ann Raines, Anna Reno, Sonnie Strader, Melissa Wheeler, Bob Whitler. Staff: Alicia Tyler.  Absent: Jay Bonfili, Norm Ferrari, Marilyn Fox, Sharon Lansdale, Jill McDaniel, Phil Schenk, Bob Walker. Guests: Imogene Foster, Shawn Balleydier, Nancy C. Melton, Stephanie Schuler, Elaine Mason, C. Ken Shannon, Jon Willis, Duane F. Napier, Hilda R. Heady.

 

Tom Hefner, vice chair, opened the meeting with introductions. Minutes of the March 13th meeting were approved on motion (Reno/Pope).

 

Staff Report

 

Alicia reported the following:

 

- The Health Sciences Scholarship deadline is October 15th.

- A new flyer is being distributed to site coordinators, AHEC directors, schools, etc., promoting the WV Health Careers website: www.wvhealthcareers.com .

 

WV Center for Nursing

 

Duane Napier, the Executive Director, reported on the Center’s progress. The Center was created by H.B. 4143 in 2004 and became operational in 2005. The Center is funded by RN and LPN nurse licensure fees. The Center’s board, which is appointed by the Governor, held a strategic planning session in December 2005 and formulated a mission statement, goals and objectives. A broad-based Advisory Committee has also been organized.

 

This past year, the Center created a scholarship program, which distributes funds to the nursing schools for awards. A small emergency scholarship fund is administered centrally, but students must apply through their schools. In the future, the Center may partner with other sponsors to provide loan repayment.

 

Duane is participating in the WV Nurse Leadership Institute; his project is to coordinate a Recognition Day to honor outstanding nurses in clinical care, leadership, and advanced practice. 2007 is the 100 year anniversary of organized nursing in West Virginia. A celebration is planned for October 2007.

 

The Center applied for a grant from the Robert W. Johnson Foundation to develop a clinical advancement model at several hospitals and a long-term care facility. It was not funded in the first round, but the Center will reapply. (The Center since received a grant from the Benedum Foundation to begin this work.)

 

Other planned activities include:

 

- A survey of nursing turnover and vacancies;

- A new program for small recruitment & retention grants;

- A web-based clinical scheduling system;

- Initiatives to bring minorities into nursing; and

- Partnership with HSTA.

 

Rural Fellowship Plans

 

Rural leadership fellowships have been funded by the Center for Rural Health Development and the Higher Education Policy Commission. Two AHECS reported on their activities.

 

Southwestern AHEC - Debbie Curry reported the following:

 

- Dr. Little in McDowell Co. is continuing his studies on addiction. He is a member of the Southern Regional Task Force on Addiction, which is looking for alternatives to prison for first-time drug offenders. 

- A new group of four physicians will participate as fellows. The Southwestern AHEC is focusing on new physicians rather than residents; two of these physicians were leaders of AHEC projects as medical residents. The fellowship topics include: improving ekg interpretive skills, diabetes, dermatologic procedures, and women’s health. A possible 5th fellow would focus on health policy.

 

Southeastern AHEC – Haylee Heinsberg reported the following:

 

- Four rural fellows who are either residents or newly placed physicians are being identified;

 - A Speakers Bureau will be developed to schedule medical residents to speak on health careers or public health topics in high schools.

- Training & continuing education is being provided to medical residents;

- Opportunities will be identified for residents to present at state and national conferences on AHEC projects; and

- Health clinics and rural hospitals in the region will be surveyed to determine physician needs and promote rural community practice to residents.

 

WVU Health Sciences Placement Service

 

Elaine Mason gave the following update for 2006:

 

- Assistance was provided to 86 residents, of which 51 (59%) are staying in the state. Placements in West Virginia included chief resident positions, faculty positions, fellowships, and practices. More than half (59%) of the in-state placements were in practices.

- Assistance was provided to residents in programs in Charleston, Clarksburg, Harpers Ferry, Morgantown, and Wheeling.

- Over the past 7 years, a total of 292 (58%) of residents and fellows have been placed in West Virginia, compared to 207 (41%) out of state.

 

Elaine reported that a WV Job Fair for residents, fellows, and health professions students would be held on Thursday, November 2, 2006, at the WVU Health Sciences Center.

 

Elaine was asked about trends in placement. She said that residents generally know where they want to work, and some leave the state for family reasons.  Committee members discussed ways to measure retention of physicians placed in West Virginia. It would be necessary to have access to state-level data on physician location.

 

Other Reports

 

- Shawn Balleydier announced that the Rural Health Conference would be held at Stonewall Resort on October 25th – 27th.  He also reported that his office was now providing FLEX funding for Rural Fellowships through the Center for Rural Health Development.

- Nancy Melton reported that the Recruitable Communities program conducted site meetings in Union, Monroe County, and is talking to Philippi and Clay Co. about site visits.

- JoAnn Raines reported that a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association dealt with the decreasing number of primary care doctors in the U.S.

- Anna Reno said that students are now rotating in all 7 of her counties.

- Jodie said she is starting the verification process for reporting RHEP placements as of 2006.

- Debbie said that the Southeastern AHEC is focusing on the younger end of the health professions pipeline and scheduling speakers for high schools. The Southeastern and Southwestern AHECS are collaborating on a meeting with pre-med students at Concord. Medical students at Marshall and WVSOM will meet with the students.

 

The meeting was adjourned.