Approved September 12, 1996
Amended 1998; 2000, 2002, 2003
Article I Name
The official name of the Council shall be the Dukes County Health and Human Services Advisory Council. The working name shall be the Dukes County Health Council.
Article II Purpose and Responsibilities
A. Purpose
1) In accordance with Resolution #001-96 adopted by the County Commissioners on the 6th of March, 1996 (attached herewith as Appendix A), to provide advice and recommendations to the Dukes County Commissioners regarding a cooperative, integrated and consumer-centered health care system.
2) To create a plan for an integrated health care system.
3) To facilitate the implementation of that plan.
4) To annually review, evaluate, and revise as appropriate, the integrated health care plan.
B. Responsibilities
Specific responsibilities would include but not be limited to the following:
1) Create a structure with a set of shared values that will allow the mission to be accomplished.
2) Identify community health needs, assess services, and foster the development of programs to meet those needs.
3) Identify the health education needs of the community and foster the development of programs to meet those needs.
4) Develop a plan whose purpose is to recommend a coordinated system of services that integrates alternative and traditional methods of care.
5) Analyze health data.
6) Identify the financial resources necessary to implement the plan.
7) Identify community health status indicators and recommend priorities to be addressed by the Health Council.
8) Develop methods to support the availability and fuller utilization of appropriate Island-based services.
9) Develop community relations programs that will gather and distribute information, and educate the public.
10) Annually review and evaluate the integrated health care system of the island.
Article III Membership
A. Eligibility
Membership in the Council will be open to any individual who has an interest in the health and wellness of the people of Dukes County, including providers and consumers of such services. Members are expected to be committed to fulfilling the mission statement of the Health Council.
B. Composition
The Health Council shall reflect the population of Dukes County. Diverse attitudes and backgrounds related to the delivery of health care shall be represented. The Health Council will consist of thirty-five (35) voting seats (attached herewith as Appendix B) appointed by the Dukes County Commissioners to represent as practically as possible:
Eight-Ten (8-10) Consumers
Six (6) Public Officials
Six (6-8) Health Care Practitioners
Eight-Ten (8-10) Representatives of Health Provider Organizations and
The Dukes County Veterans’ Agent, the Associate Commissioner for Affairs Concerning Handicapped Persons, and the Associate Commissioner for Affairs Concerning the Elderly.
C. Appointment
1) The Coordinating Committee will create a Nominating Committee to oversee the appointment process and make recommendations for appointment to the County Commissioners in consultation with the Council.
2) The schedule for application will be set so that appointments will be made in January. All appointments will be two-year terms, except when completing a vacancy and when the process for staggered terms is implemented.
3) A press release and/or ad will be placed in island newspapers soliciting interested members of the public to apply. Those interested in serving on the Council shall complete an application to be submitted to the Dukes County Commissioners.
4) Appointees to the Council serve at the pleasure of the Dukes County Commissioners; it is the responsibility of sponsoring organizations to petition the County Commissioners for a replacement if the person recommended by them becomes inactive within their organization.
5) Vacancies will be filled at the discretion of the County Commissioners after receiving recommendations from the Council.
D. Membership Rights and Responsibilities
Each member of the Council:
1) Shall receive written notice of all regularly scheduled meetings of the Council, the Coordinating Committee, and Council work groups;
2) Shall be entitled to vote and otherwise participate in the business of such meetings;
3) May submit items for placement on the agenda of meetings, provided such request is made at least ten days prior to the date of such meeting;
4) Will refrain from voting when matters being voted on present a conflict of interest, or if voting on minutes of meeting where absent;
5) May submit letters of resignation if they are unable to meet minimum standards for attendance (75% of the regularly scheduled meetings of the Council per calendar year), participation, or any other reason;
6) Shall be a member of either the Coordinating Committee or a Council work group.
E. Health Council Activities
1) Identify and prioritize health system issues to be addressed by Council work groups.
2) Elect members to the Coordinating Committee.
3) Act upon recommendations submitted by the Coordinating Committee.
4) Approve recommendations to be submitted to the Dukes County Commissioners.
5) Designate representatives to present approved recommendations to the Dukes County Commissioners.
6) Facilitate implementation of the actions taken by the County Commissioners.
Article IV Council Meetings
All meetings of the Council shall be subject to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
A. Regular Meetings
Council meetings shall generally be held monthly, but may be held more or less frequently at the discretion of the Coordinating Committee. One such meeting will be designated as the Annual Meeting.
B. Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting shall be scheduled by the Coordinating Committee for the purpose of approving the budget and for the transaction of such other business as may come before the meeting.
C. Special Meetings
Council members will be given five days advance notification by mail, or forty-eight hours by telephone, if a special meeting is called.
D. Governance
1) At all Council meetings, a majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business properly coming before the meeting.
2) The Council will make decisions of policy and purpose based on the principle of achieving group consensus. Votes may be taken as a means of confirming the will of the group. A 2/3 majority vote of members present will constitute a consensus on matters of policy.
3) A simple majority vote of members present shall decide questions coming before them related to issues of budget. The County Manager will be asked to vote if there is a need to break a tie.
4) Meeting process will be based on C.T. Butler’s “Consensus” and Robert’s Rules of Order.
Article V Coordinating Committee
A. Composition
The Coordinating Committee will consist of seven members, elected by the general membership of the Council.
B. Term of Office
Members of the Coordinating Committee shall be elected by the general membership of the Council following the first regular meeting in January after appointment. Coordinating Committee members shall serve a one-year term.
C. Election
1) Health Council members who are interested in serving on the Coordinating Committee will make their interest known on their application form. At the first regular meeting of the Council each nominee will be invited to speak to Council.
Each member may vote for seven candidates. The seven highest vote getters will be elected to the Coordinating Committee.
2) In the event of a tie that results in more than seven members being elected, there will be a run-off for those slots affected.
3) In the event of a vacancy on the Coordinating Committee, a replacement member to serve out the remaining term will be elected by the Health Council.
D. Officers
The Coordinating Committee will nominate a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, to be ratified by the Health Council. These officers will serve in that capacity for both the Coordinating Committee and the Health Council.
E. Coordinating Committee Activities
In support of the Purpose and Responsibilities as outlined in Article II, A & B:
1) Facilitate the work of the Health Council & establish the necessary Task Forces, Sub-Committees and Advisory Boards.
2) Coordinate Task Force, Sub-Committee and Advisory Board activities.
3) Review Task Force, Sub-Committee and Advisory Board objectives and timelines.
4) Make recommendations to the Health Council.
F. Meeting Protocol
The Coordinating Committee shall hold meetings at least monthly, alternating with the Health Council. The quorum for the Committee shall be a majority of the total Committee membership. Consensus remains the guiding principle, but a majority of the quorum may decide a question.
Article VI Task Forces, Sub-Committees and Advisory Boards
Unless otherwise provided, membership in Task Forces, Sub-Committees and Advisory Boards will be drawn from the Health Council and from the public at large. These work groups will coordinate their work and carry out their responsibilities consistent with the overall goals of the Health Council and other Council work groups. Task Forces, Sub-Committees and Advisory Boards shall submit reports and recommendations to the Coordinating Committee and to the Council at large as deemed necessary.
Each Council work group shall choose its own chairperson. They shall set their own frequency for meeting. In addition, efforts and activities will be guided by the principle of community involvement.
Article VII Amendments
Any member of the Health Council may make a recommendation for an amendment to the bylaws. Any amendment to the bylaws requires a 2/3 vote of the Council. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to all Council members prior to a regularly scheduled meeting.
Appendix A
Resolution #001-96
Whereas, the Commissioners of Dukes County voted to create an advisory committee of community health provider and consumer volunteers known as the Dukes County Health and Human Services Advisory Committee, as an ad hoc committee, to identify a community vision and direction for health care in Dukes County, and;
Whereas, the volunteers have met regularly and, through consensus, identified the vision, mission, goals and objectives for health care in the community of Dukes County, and;
Whereas, the volunteers have identified an organizational structure, process and activities for achieving those goals and objectives, and;
Whereas, the volunteers believe the time has come to: 1) constitute the workings of the committee as an official function of the Home Rule Charter government of Dukes County and 2) seek broader community representation by recruiting members from all facets of public health provision and consumption in Dukes County,
Now therefore be it resolved by the Commissioners of Dukes County, that there shall be created, as of this date, an official advisory committee to the Dukes County Home Rule Charter government to serve as the Dukes County Health and Human Services Advisory Council.
Be it further resolved that:
In order to establish and maintain continuity within the Council, all appointments shall be for a period of two (2) years, with equal staggered terms to be developed for implementation thereafter.
Excepting the County Manager who shall serve as ex officio member of the Council, the composition of the membership will, as practically as possible, be represented by thirty-two (32) citizen members who shall be appointed from volunteer recruits by the Dukes County Commissioners in the following manner:
Six (6) Public Officials,
Eight (8) Consumers,
Six (6) Health Care Practitioners, and
Twelve (12) Representatives of Health Care Provider Organizations,
in such manner as will be established by the Council Bylaws, providing, however, that the Commissioners will seek to name members who shall reflect the population of the County.
Through the use of task forces, the Council shall seek additional input from the community in its meetings by recruiting additional participants from all towns and populations of the County and, as such, shall not exclude any participant from consideration.
The membership shall choose its own officers, generate its own bylaws (within the parameters set by the Commissioners for public advisory boards and commissions), call and hold regular meetings in observance of Commonwealth open meeting laws, take minutes of its meetings and make them available to the Commissioners and the public, report to the Commissioners in an annual setting on the good works and progress of the Council, and offer advice and opinion to the Commissioners on matters affecting health care within the County, which are established by the Dukes County Home Rule Charter as the proper responsibility of the Commissioners.
Passed on the 6th of March 1996 by unanimous vote.
(Note: This is the original resolution and does not reflect bylaw amendments.)
Appendix B
Resolution #001 -02
WHEREAS, the Commissioners of Dukes County voted to create an advisory committee of community health provider and consumer volunteers known as the Dukes County Health and Human Services Advisory Committee, as an ad hoc committee, to identify a community vision and direction for health care in Dukes County, and;
WHEREAS, the volunteers have met regularly and, through consensus, identified the vision, mission, goals and objectives for health care in the community of Dukes County, and;
WHEREAS, the volunteers have identified an organizational structure, process and activities for achieving those goals and objectives, and sought community representation by recruiting members from all facets of public health provision and consumption in Dukes County,
WHEREAS, on March 6, 1996, an official advisory committee to the Dukes County Home Rule Charter government to serve as the Dukes County Health and Human Services Advisory Council, with the working name of the Dukes County Health Council (DCHC).
NOW THEREFORE be it resolved by the Commissioners of Dukes County, that Resolution
#001-96 is amended as it relates to membership composition of the Dukes County Health Council.
In order to establish and maintain continuity within the Council, all appointments shall be staggered for a period of one (1) or two (2) years.
Excepting the County Manager who shall serve as ex officio member of the Council, the composition of the membership will, as practically as possible, be represented by thirty-five (35) citizen members who shall be appointed from volunteer recruits by the Dukes County Commissioners in the following manner:
Six (6) Public Officials,
Eight (8) – ten (10) Consumers.
Six (6) Health Care Practitioners, and
Ten (10) - Twelve (12) Representatives of Health Care Provider Organizations, and
The Dukes County Veterans’ Agent, and
The Associate Commissioner for Affairs Concerning Handicapped Persons, and
The Associate Commissioner for Affairs Concerning the Elderly.
In such manner as will be established by the Council Bylaws, providing, however, that the Commissioners will seek to name members who shall reflect the population of the County.
The membership shall choose its own officers, generate its own bylaws (within the parameters set by the Commissioners for public advisory boards and commissions), call and hold regular meetings in observance of Commonwealth open meeting laws, take minutes of its meetings and make them available to the Commissioners and the public, report to the Commissioners in an annual setting on the good works and progress of the Council, and offer advice and opinion to the Commissioners on matters affecting health care within the County, which are established by the Dukes County Home Rule Charter as the proper responsibility of the Commissioners.
Passed this ___day of _____________by a vote of the Commissioners including ___yea votes and ___nay votes and ___abstentions.
__________________________________________________
Attest, Leslie Leland, Chair, County of Dukes County Commissioners
Appendix C
Resolution #001 -03
WHEREAS, the Commissioners of Dukes County voted to create an advisory committee of community health provider and consumer volunteers known as the Dukes County Health and Human Services Advisory Committee, as an ad hoc committee, to identify a community vision and direction for health care in Dukes County, and;
WHEREAS, the volunteers have met regularly and, through consensus, identified the vision, mission, goals and objectives for health care in the community of Dukes County, and;
WHEREAS, the volunteers have identified an organizational structure, process and activities for achieving those goals and objectives, and sought community representation by recruiting members from all facets of public health provision and consumption in Dukes County,
WHEREAS, on March 6, 1996, an official advisory committee to the Dukes County Home Rule Charter government to serve as the Dukes County Health and Human Services Advisory Council, with the working name of the Dukes County Health Council (DCHC).
NOW THEREFORE be it resolved by the Commissioners of Dukes County, that Resolutions
#001-96 and #001-02 are amended as they relate to the membership composition of the Dukes County Health Council.
Excepting the County Manager who shall serve as ex officio member of the Council, the composition of the membership will, as practically as possible, be represented by thirty-five (35) citizen members who shall be appointed from volunteer recruits by the Dukes County Commissioners in the following manner:
Six (6) Public Officials,
Eight (8) – ten (10) Consumers.
Six (6) – eight (8) Health Care Practitioners, and
Eight (10) - Teb (12) Representatives of Health Care Provider Organizations, and
The Dukes County Veterans’ Agent, and
The Associate Commissioner for Affairs Concerning Handicapped Persons, and
The Associate Commissioner for Affairs Concerning the Elderly.
In such manner as will be established by the Council Bylaws, providing, however, that the Commissioners will seek to name members who shall reflect the population of the County.
The membership shall choose its own officers, generate its own bylaws (within the parameters set by the Commissioners for public advisory boards and commissions), call and hold regular meetings in observance of Commonwealth open meeting laws, take minutes of its meetings and make them available to the Commissioners and the public, report to the Commissioners in an annual setting on the good works and progress of the Council, and offer advice and opinion to the Commissioners on matters affecting health care within the County, which are established by the Dukes County Home Rule Charter as the proper responsibility of the Commissioners.
Passed this ___day of _____________by a vote of the Commissioners including ___yea votes and ___nay votes and ___abstentions.
__________________________________________________
Attest, John Alley, Chair, County of Dukes County Commissioners
Appendix D
The Health Council will be composed of the following:
8-10 Consumers
• Members to include, but not be limited to, the following:
people with disabilities, the business community, senior citizens,
the public sector, public school employees, clergy
• With not more than 20% of their gross household (earned) income to
be derived from any health care related activity
• Consumers may not serve as an elected officer on the board of any local
health provider organization
6 Public Officials
One representative of the All-Island Board of Selectmen
One County Commissioner or their representative
One representative of the Island Police, Fire, EMTs or Boards of Health
One representative of Wampanoag Health Services
One representative of Elder Services/Island Council on Aging
One representative of the Regional School System
6-8 Health Care Practitioners (drawn from but not limited to)
• 2-4 Physicians, chosen from the following specialties:
anesthesiologist internist radiologist
dentist general surgeon orthopedist
family practice neurologist psychiatrist
• 2-4 Non-physician practitioners from the following:
acupuncturist medical equip. provider physical therapist
chiropractor mental health provider physicians assistant
CNA/HHA midwife pharmacist
EMT nurse podiatrist psychologist
herbalist nutritionist respiratory therapist
homeopathist optometrist social worker
massage therapist
8-10 Representatives of Health Provider Organizations
Two representatives from M. V. Hospital
• The Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital and
• One administrator representing Windemere
Two representatives from M. V. Community Services
• The Executive Director of M. V. Community Services and
• One administrator representing home care nursing
4-6 other Provider Appointees will be drawn from, but not limited to:
The AIDS Alliance
The Foundation for Island Health
Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard
The Island Health Plan
The Vineyard Nursing Association
The Whole Health Alliance
and
The Dukes County Veterans’ Agent, and
The Associate Commissioner for Affairs Concerning Handicapped Persons, and
The Associate Commissioner for Affairs Concerning the Elderly
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