MORA Meeting Minutes
May 11, 2011: 10:00 AM
Minutes:
MORA MINUTES MAY 11, 2011
Members Present: Leslie Walleigh (Chair), Bill Peabody, Desi-Rae Severson, Kathy Schulz, & Amy Wagner.
MDOL Support Staff Present: Kirk Duplessis, Jane Garland (sitting in for Dave Wacker), John Rioux, Mike Roland, & Terry Hathaway.
Guests: Karen Michaud & Megan Stiles (Maine Health Care Association)
Call to Order: Chair Leslie Walleigh called the meeting to order at 10:07 a.m.
Introductions: Introductions were made as Karen Michaud and Megan Stiles of the Maine Health Care association were attending the meeting.
Approval of March 16, 2011 Minutes: As Desi-Rae clarified the minutes, Amy Wagner made a motion to accept the minutes as written. Desi-Rae Severson seconded the motion. Vote was unanimous to accept the minutes as written.
Approval of April 13, Minutes: Mike Roland made a motion to accept the minutes as written. Desi-Rae Severson seconded the motion. Vote was unanimous to accept the minutes as written.
Announcements: Desi-Rae announced that the Maine Asthma Coalition has done four trainings on home inspections at the following locations: Auburn, Waterville, Calais, and Presque Isle.
Kathy announced that the Workers’ Compensation Board has passed a Fees Schedule. Legislation is going well.
Maine Health Care Association (MHCA). Karen Michaud, Director of Education, MHCA, explained that the MHCA is comprised of long term care providers and has approximately 200 members, which includes both nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They do not need to be licensed by the State of Maine. The main focus is education, which is provided all year-round. The goals are education targeting administrators, nurses, and social workers so they can stay on top of what has changed, including the national level. There is an education mailing list and anyone can sign up to receive it.
Megan Stiles is in charge of Quality Improvement and Regulatory Affairs, which deals with proposed legislation affecting the nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They also work closely with the American Health Care Association. There is a weekly newsletter which is free to all members.
Strategies to Reduce Injuries to Maine’s Health Care Workers –Kirk Duplessis. Kirk provided a power-point presentation on Strategies to Reduce Injuries to Maine’s Health Care Workers. Kirk reviewed injuries by industry, occupation top five CNA injuries, top 5 CNA events, and top five sources. All of this data is based on FROI (First Report of Injury) submitted to the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board. In the healthcare industry, the occupations mostly injured are nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants. The most common injuries are sprains, strains, and tears. The most common injury event is overexertion and lifting. The most common source of injury is the health care patient or resident of a health care facility. The most injured body part is the lumbar (back) region.
Karen added that the health care workers have the highest stress job with low wages. There is a high turnover rate of 50 percent on a national average. Maine has a better turnover rate than the national average.
Megan added that lifting is due to wrong technique and miscommunication from the top down.
Leslie stated that MORA does not have a sense of where Maine standards regarding safe handling principles in nursing homes. Karen said that safe patient handling education does not get to the CNA level and is based on each facility’s orientation program. Karen would like to do more education on safe patient handling. Leslie asked where Maine nursing homes stood on safe patient handling.
Karen suggested that MHCA could survey their members using the survey monkey tool. She suggested that MORA provide a list of simple questions (comprised of yes and no answers or a selection of answers). Karen also suggested that a business case for safe patient handling. She is willing to work with MORA. Leslie stated that MORA would discuss and come up with questions and get back to MHCA. The survey would show a clear picture of where nursing homes and assisted living facilities are.
Discussion continued regarding CNA’s. They are on a Department of Health and Human Services CNA registry and must have 12 continuing education units per year for the CNA’s to keep their license. Karen added that CNA’s learn better from hands-on demonstrations. Robert Carr is in charge of the CNA registry. The CNA’s need to submit proof of CEU (continuing education units) and active status so they can be tracked by the State as well as by facility.
SafetyWorks! is part of the MHCA work and could provide a break-out session could be a part of MHCA’s annual fall conference. Karen would need the program and biographies of presenters by the end of June. This would be evidence-based: tools for assessment, resources for implementation, and ways to measure. There could be a link to their website or other sources.
Leslie summarized where to go from here: MORA will work on the survey with MHCA and then develop a program based on the survey results.
The next MORA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 8th. Karen will be unable to attend. Leslie can e-mail the questions to Karen. The survey should be done within the next could of weeks. The survey should consist of 10 to 12 short questions. Leslie will take the lead role in this project.
Megan suggested that if anyone wanted to submit an article relating to long- term care for the weekly newsletter that she would need to have it before Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m. for the Friday newsletter. Megan will send examples of the newsletter to Leslie.
Next Meeting – Wednesday, June 8, 2011. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 8, 2011, 10:00 a.m., Frances Perkins Conference Room A, Maine Department of Labor, Central Maine Commerce Center, 45 Commerce Dr., Augusta. Kathy will do a presentation on the most recent Top 100 Costliest Workers’ Compensation Claims.
Adjournment. Leslie adjourned the meeting at 11:38 a.m.
