February 5, 2013
February 5, 2013 – The Trillium Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) would like to announce the next meeting of the Rural Advisory Council (RAC) scheduled February 8, 11:00 am–1:00 pm at Veneta City Hall, 88184 8th Street, Veneta. The February meeting agenda will include a Mental Health and Addictions Plan Update by Lucy Zammerelli, Program Supervisor at LaneCare. The RAC is a nine member advisory body comprised of rural consumers and community leaders charged with making healthcare improvement recommendations to the Trillium CCO Board. Monthly meetings are scheduled to occur in various rural Lane County communities. Each meeting is open to the public with the first ten minutes devoted to public comment. Public comment guidelines are available on the Trillium website. The RAC convened its first meeting in December, with a second meeting in January. These meetings were spent on orientation, rules, general housekeeping and the election of officers. Elected officers are: Charene Reavis (Florence), RAC Chair, Lezlee Craven (Cottage Grove), RAC Vice Chair and Shelley Morris (Director of Options Counseling, Florence), Trillium CCO Board representative. Additionally, three RAC members have been selected to serve on the Community Advisory Council (CAC): Lezlee Craven, Charene Reavis and Jessica Rice, (Oakridge/Westfir). There are a total of nine RAC members who have each committed to serve a two year term. At the December meeting in Florence, RAC members heard the Community Health Needs Assessment Presentation (CHNA). The CHNA presents a wide variety of health related data that show how Lane County rates in obesity, smoking, exercise, heart disease and stroke, mortality, prenatal care, and the social determinants of health. The January meeting included a presentation of the Tobacco Cessation & Prevention Plan by the CAC Prevention Workgroup. The Prevention Workgroup was convened to investigate strategies around tobacco cessation and prevention. Plan recommendations include evidence based strategies regarding education and training, policy changes and coalition building. “Trillium is excited to support the RAC in their work,” says Terry Coplin, Trillium CEO. “One of the primary goals of the RAC will be to assess the health needs of rural consumers and engage them in improving their health and that of the community. This work will be influential in guiding our transformation efforts.”
