MEETING MINUTES
NCSOCRC DIRECTORS VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING
March 22, 2007
Persons in Attendance: David Holmes, Tennessee; Dennis Hart, Michigan; Rick Sizemore, Virginia; Laine Wilder, West Virginia; David Cawthon, Georgia; Barry Newill, Kentucky; Barbara Lewis, Arkansas; Don Rullman, Pennsylvania; Jean Jackson, Maryland; Dr. Donald Dew, GWU
David Holmes welcomed everyone to the videoconferencing meeting and an explanation was given by Dr. Donald Dew as to specific reasons why we felt we needed to change the April meeting site from Washington D.C. to the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation in Georgia. These included significantly higher room rates for the week of April 11, 12, and 13, there is no specific reason we have to be in Washington, and the savings in lodging we will have by going to Georgia will guarantee financial coverage of another quarterly meeting. All were in agreement.
Dr. Donald Dew stated GWU would be getting out travel forms to complete and return to him. Greg Schmeig will arrange transportation to and from the airport in Atlanta for those flying. Those who are flying will need to give Greg information as to your flight arrangements. We will be staying on the Roosevelt Warm Springs campus in Cress Hall/Builders Hall.
Dr. Dew reported that lodging and airfare will be master billed. David Holmes will follow up with Greg Schmeig as to final arrangements and will notify everyone prior to the meeting.
Laine Wilder shared in today's meeting that Virginia continues to have financial problems and that the Governor of Virginia and the State Legislature have not yet approved funding for continued center operations. Laine hopes to hear good news about this next week. The Consortium again offered its full support to Laine and his staff and are very concerned about the events in Virginia that effect the continued operations of the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center.
David Holmes reports that David Esquith, Director of State Monitoring and Program Improvement with RSA had contacted him to identify that RSA wants to conduct an evaluation study of the nine Centers. Mr. Esquith has contacted all nine state agency directors to inform them of RSA's desire to do this and states the goals are two fold: (1) to study the role of the Centers in the State VR Program, and; (2) to identify best practices that can be shared among the Centers and State VR agencies in general. David Holmes stated that Mr. Esquith wanted to obtain feedback from the Consortium as to: (1) What would be helpful in terms of an evaluation study as far as the Centers are concerned, (2) How can RSA involve the consortium?, and (3) Once underway what is the best process where RSA could talk to the Center Directors to obtain Consortium input.
Consortium Directors were very receptive and welcome the evaluation study. It was decided to ask David Esquith to be a part of the upcoming April meeting in Georgia via videoconference call to first, be introduced to the nine Center Directors, then provide an overview of what he has in mind regarding the evaluation study project and to have dialogue with the Directors as to what they feel would be helpful or should be included in an evaluation study, determine how the study could be beneficial to the Consortium and each Center, as well as best method to have ongoing communication. David Holmes will follow up with David Esquith to schedule a specific date and time for this video conference call. It is felt this conference call should be accomplished within one hour and will be included on the agenda for the April meeting.
The tentative agenda was reviewed in today's meeting and approved by the Directors.
The video conference meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:50 EST.
David A. Holmes
Superintendent
Tennessee Rehabilitation Center
