Committee Updates: September-October 2024
Read meeting summaries, project updates, & announcements from each PHEA committee
Aging Advisory Committee
Recent Meetings:
9/10 - Fall Quarterly Meeting: reviewed progress to date and Syra Health presentation
9/18 - AHEOP (Achieving Health Equity with Older Persons) monthly meeting: reviewed existing goals and discussed creating workgroups focused on each goal.
10/16 - Full group will meet one more time before breaking up into subgroups
Status Updates or Announcements:
Following the 9/18 meeting, email invitation to all members to join a subcommittee(s) of their interest with a plan to have each subcommittee work on actions meeting monthly (or more as desired by subcommittee) with quarterly full group meetings.
Alfredo Vergara left his position at Portland Public Health at the end of August. Amanda Hutchins will be a stepping in as Portland Public Health Staff Liaison.
Upcoming Meetings:
Contact chairs for subcommittee meeting schedules.
Contact:
- Chair: Kathy Vezina - kvezina@mainecouncilonaging.org
- Chair: Megan Walton - mwalton@smaaa.org
- PPH Liaison: Amanda Hutchins - ahutchins@portlandmaine.gov
Clinical Advisory Committee
Recent Meetings:
9/10 - Fall Quarterly Meeting: reviewed progress to date, Syra Health presented and clinical committee met together
9/19 - SDOH and Clinical Committees met together to discuss data exchange.
Status Updates or Announcements:
Health Infonet joined our conversation on 9/19 and SDOH/Clinical committees determined they may continue to meet a couple of times annually.
Jiffy Kelley-Young left her position at Portland Public Health at the end of August. As of now, the PPH Staff Liaison position is vacant.
Upcoming Meetings:
Wednesday, October 30th
12-1 pm
Virtual meeting to discuss project topics.
https://meet.google.com/eft-dtwe-pdw
Contact:
- Chair: Ann Tucker - atucker@greaterportlandhealth.org
- Chair: Jeff Aalberg - jeffreya@day-one.org
Community Health Worker (CHW) Committee
Recent Meetings:
9/10 - Alignment Quarterly Meeting: reviewed progress to date and Syra Health presentation
Summary: During the quarterly meeting the committee discussed issues with miscommunication during interpretation; clients getting the wrong message. In regards to the aging group, there are long waitlists, specially for those with Mainecare and/or free care. For maternal care, there is a lack of transportation. Education is needed on transportation of newborns and babies. There is a need for:
- Follow ups after abortions/miscarriages (mental health).
- Mental health access for immigrants in their language.
- Support for wages to those affected by storm floodings, with basic access to food and mental health.
- More community education about American culture, access to resources. There is a mistrust among the community due to their immigration status.
Status Updates or Announcements:
Potential future committee meeting to check in and gather more input on issues discussed on 9/10.
Meet with CHWs and the MEG Committee to come up with assessments/focus groups we can bring to members of the community to understand their needs and ways to help the community become self-sufficient and successful.
Come together with the Aging Committee after speaking with CHWs about the needs they have encountered within the community.
Upcoming Meetings:
TBD
Contact:
- Chair: Sara Fitzgerald- sfitzgerald@portlandmaine.gov
- PPH Staff Liaison: Nélida Berke - nrb@portlandmaine.gov
Community & Faith-based Advisory Committee
Recent Meetings:
N/a
Status Updates or Announcements:
N/a
Upcoming Meetings:
Thurday, October 24th
9:30-11am
Hybrid: 353 Cumberland Ave. & Google Meet
https://meet.google.com/uwu-nmpg-ikb
Contact:
- Chair: Maureen Clancy - mclancy@portlandschools.org
- PPH Staff Liaison: Skylar Bergeron - sbergeron@portlandmaine.gov
Monitoring, Evaluation, & Grants (MEG) Committee
Recent Meetings:
9/10 - Alignment Quarterly Meeting: small group in attendance; discussed the overall role of our committee
9/24 - Reviewed PHEA member survey draft
Status Updates or Announcements:
The committee has decided that the PHEA member survey needs to be revised to be more of a data inventory. PPH, MEG, & Syra are working with MaineHealth FindHelp to see how the Alignment might be better able to utilize FindHelp as a member directory/resource guide. This way, MEG can focus efforts on improving data collection & sharing amongst Alignment member organizations.
Upcoming Meetings:
Tuesday, November 26th
1pm
Virtual: https://maine.zoom.us/j/88161657185
Contact:
- Chair: Rachel Gallo - rachel.gallo@maine.edu
- PPH Staff Liaison: Kirsten Goodrich - kfaucher@portlandmaine.gov
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Advisory Committee
Recent Meetings:
9/19 - SDOH and Clinical Committees met together to discuss data exchange.
Status Updates or Announcements:
Jane Winarta has stepped into role of PPH Staff Liaison, as Amanda will be covering the Aging Committee. Welcome, Jane!
Upcoming Meetings:
TBD
Contact:
- Chair: Barbara Ginley - barbara.ginley@mainehealth.org
- PPH Staff Liaison: Jane Winarta - jwinarta@portlandmaine.gov
Student & Academic Advisory Committee
Recent Meetings:
9/25 - Introduced new members and updates
Identified training themes from past interviews, meetings and research:
- Intercultural humility and communication
- DEIJB
- Wellness for employees (reduce burnout and increase retention)
- Sense of Belonging
- Intercultural community resilience
- Language development
- Leadership and collaborations across differences
- Equity recruiting practices
- Building and facilitating inclusive systems
- Being a professional across differences
Areas participants work in:
- CHWs
- Education
- Healthcare
- Community service
Short-term goals identified:
- Find funding for strategic development for an established annual professional development institute
- Focus groups (Students, parents and community members, including elders)
- Parents - Portland empowered
- Students - Equity coordinators/James
- Community - Ask CHOW alignment and non-profits
- Purpose: to understand and verify needs for professional development, as well as to build intercultural community/advisory council/steering committee
- Marketing for happenings/events/workshops/programs in Greater Portland focused on training themes above.
- Work on acceleration plan to identify timelines and strategies
Status Updates or Announcements:
Annah Houanche has stepped down as Committee Co-Chair but will remain a member of the committee. Thank you, Annah!
Upcoming Meetings:
TBD
Contact:
- Chair: Marie Sheffield - bridge2belong@gmail.com
- PPH Staff Liaison: Val Johnstone - vjohnstone@portlandmaine.gov
Policy Committee (NEW!)
Status Updates or Announcements:
The Alignment Leadership team is working with Syra Health & incoming Co-Chair Deqa Dhalac to draft goals & objectives for the new Policy Committee. This committee is still in the process of being established and is not meeting yet. Those interested in joining or contributing to the Policy Committee should contact Skylar (sbergeron@portlandmaine.gov) or fill out the new member interest form.
Contact:
- Co-Chair: Deqa Dhalac - deqa@cccsmaine.org
Stay Informed
Get notified on upcoming engagements and the latest project related news.