SOCIETY FOR SOCIAL WORK
LEADERSHIP IN HEALTH CARE

OF THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION

CHAPTER MEEETING MINUTES

DECEMBER 7, 2001

QUALITY INN SOUTH, MADISON, WI

Meeting called to order by President Mike St. John.

Welcome and introductions.

MEMBERSHIP SHARING HIGHLIGHTS

Safe Harbor, Madison - child advocacy agency. Does video interviews of victims of child abuse. For more info., contact Brenda Nelson.

Dean Feldman reports increased Amish population in their area. Rural Co-op planning future education program re: Amish culture.

Lancaster hospital applying for critical access status in which Medicare reimburses actual cost rather than DRG amt.

Marshfield clinic considering expansion into Wisconsin Rapids.

Beaver Dam Hospital in planning stages of Memory Diagnostic Clinic thru WI Alzheimer's Institute

Both Rhinelander and Tomahawk breaking ground for new hospitals. St. Mary's, Madison has building expansion plans.

Mendota Mental Health - new unit opening. SW position available.

Sharon Winter, Rhinelander received grant and has begun SW palliative care case manangement.

St. Mary's nursing home, Milwaukee (84 beds and 16 bed sub-acute brain injury unit) will be closing in March. Hopeful to keep sub-acute unit.

NASW UPDATE - Marc Herstand

Legal issues:

- State licensure bill passed Assembly and Joint Finance. Will be going to Senate. Members urged to contact their senator to support bill, AB 206.

- Passage of licensure bill will strengthen NASW position that SW do not need to be CADC certified to do AODA counseling.

- Mental health and AODA parity bill less likely to pass.

Continuing Education:

• Annual state NASW conference in May in WI Dells. Will include Red Cross mental health training, Ethical Sessions for "specialty areas", and panel of SW involved in Sept. 11 disaster.
• NASW planning educational interactive Teleconferences through UW in order to provide increased educational opportunities for SW in rural areas.
• Program on inner city violence, "The Other Ground Zero" on April 17.
• Task Forces beginning in areas of gay-lesbian, child welfare, and racial-ethnic diversity.

For more information on any of these topics call WI NASW 1-866-462-7994 or check their web site www.naswwi.org

TREASURER'S REPORT

Balance as of 12/4/01 $4754.78

Reminders that membership renewals are due by 12/31/01. IF YOU HAVE NOT RENEWED, PLEASE DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Renewals after 12/31/01 will still be accepted.

Cost of renewal $50.00/year. Send renewal along with any changes in your address or e-mail to: Dave Schmidt

St. Mary's Hospital

1726 Shawano Ave.

Green Bay, WI 54303

UPDATE ON NATIONAL ORGANIZATION - Mike St. John

National board of SSWLHC has had conflicts re: our affiliation with AHA. Decision to continue the affiliation but contract with Resource Management Plus for business management of the society. The national board is seeking financial support from the chapters for this. Our chapter board has met and decided to donate $1000 to the national organization, to be made in 2 payments of $500 each, the second payment contingent on a progress report from national. The current structure does not require state chapter members to belong to national but members are encouraged to consider this.

To contact national organization call 1-866-237-9542 or e-mail to: info@sswlhc.org

NASW STATE SUMMIT

Issues discussed included requesting national NASW to increase marketing for the profession of social work, e.g. SW role in Sept. 11 events; recruitment of young people to the field of SW, and increasing minority recruitment. Chapter group discussed need to increase our own publicity efforts for the profession of SW. This will be referred to the board for action.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR NEXT YEAR

Slate of candidates will be mailed to members week of Dec. 10

WEB SITE UPDATE

Neil O'Connor reported there have been website upgrade problems and he is investigating other possibilities/companies. The chapter website has been down as of Nov. 30.

LIAISON REPORTS

WHA - Sandra Stephens New people in leadership positions in WHA, implications not yet known.

COP - Pat Anderson Considering establishment of Family Care Council. Emergency meeting in Jan. to determine fate of COP committees. Also, concern identified that only 20% of MA recipients able to get dental care due to lack of providers accepting MA. May be additional funds through COP for dental care. WI has one of highest death rates from falls. 4 counties in the state are participating in project that provides in-home fall assessment.

Meeting adjourned.

Educational Program titled "Social Work Responses to Accidental and Intentional Assaults on Large Populations", presented by Dr. Ogden Rogers, Director of Social Work Program, UW-River Falls and Neil O'Connor, Clinical Social Worker, UW Hospital, Madison.

3.5 contact hours awarded for attending program.

NEXT MEETING - FRIDAY MARCH 1, 2002

QUALITY INN SOUTH, MADISON

Respectfully Submitted,

Deb Hupf, Chapter Secretary