Rivers & Bridges Consortium Webster-Nicholas Education Consortium

Rt. 1 Box 615-A P.O. Box 69

Scarbro, WV 25917 Camden-on-Gauley, WV 26208

September 01, 2004

Dear State Rural Health Advisory Panel:

In response to the WVRHEP Task Force recommendations, Rivers & Bridges (RB) and Webster-Nicholas (WN) site coordinators have continued to meet on a regular basis. Both site coordinators made a request to the boards that the consolidated process be complete by December 31, 2004. The proposed overview of the new consortium will consist of two offices, two WVRHEP site coordinators, one community service assistant and one support staff. Cost savings will be at a minimum the first 6 - 12 months with the reorganizing of the consortium. However the site coordinators do anticipate a savings of $15,000-20,000 within the first year. The site coordinators see a better use of resources coming from the consolidation and endless amount of opportunities for the communities and students in these areas. With the continuing budget cuts from the state, the two coordinators hope to use this consolidation opportunity as a way to begin seeking other sources of funding for health education and prevention in the rural communities of Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh and Webster counties.

A letter of request for proposals for lead agency for the consolidated consortium was sent out on July 9^th. All proposals were to be submitted by August 6^th. This letter was sent to over 50 individuals and organizations within the four counties covered (see attached). We received proposals from Camden-on-Gauley and New River Health; both agencies currently serve as a WVRHEP lead agency (see attached). On August 12^th both boards met jointly to review all proposals (minutes attached. At that meeting the board voted to form one board consisting of 15 members. The board also requested that the two proposals be put into a similar format. The newly formed board will come together on September 9^th to review information requested from proposed lead agencies and then will vote on the lead agency for the new consortium.

This is only the beginning of a long process and the boards will continue to meet on a monthly basis until all questions concerning the consolidation are answered and the consortia are operating as one. Please feel free to contact the site coordinators with any questions you may have.

Respectfully submitted,

Lora Adkins, WVRHEP Site Coordinator Robert Blake, WVRHEP Site Coordinator