Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Commission (ATSC) Meeting Minutes November 18, 2014

Commissioners Attending: Susan Hanrahan, Chair; Tim Atkinson, Executive Committee Member; John Selig; Karen Wheeler; Nate Smith; Michelle Griffin (Designee for Commissioner, Tony Wood)

Staff Attending: Faye Shepherd, Executive Director; Larissa Liddell, Administrative Specialist III

Guests: State Rep Love; Leslie Humphries, ABI; Nancy Dockter, COPH; Dr. Rhonda Mattox, MHI; Louise Scott, MHI; Jacquie Rainey, UCA; Grace Ellen Rice, AG Rep; Katie Leath, ACHI; Heather Rouse, ACHI; Fred Taylor, AAI; Becky Hall, UAMS East; Rhonda McClellan, UCA; J. R. Thomas, Tobacco Control; Larry Ray Owens, Tobacco Control; Suzanne McCarthy, ACHI

Minutes Recorder: Larissa Liddell

Agenda Item Discussion Action/Next Steps

Call to Order Chair Hanrahan called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. There was not a quorum. Introduction of Attendees Attendees introduced themselves and gave their organizational affiliation.

Introduction of guest Chair Hanrahan introduced Representative Frederick Love, who is his Bring programs to the PH&W committee speaker Representative second term in the Legislature and serves on the Public Health & Welfare meetings to do presentations. Fredrick Love committee. Representative Love provided an overview of his presentation: 1. The Public Health & Welfare committee; 2. Private Option; 3. Programs funded by ATSC; and 4. Educating the Legislators. He reported that the Senate has 6 Republicans and 2 Democrats on the Public Health and Welfare Committee and the House of Representatives has 14 Republicans and 6 Democrats. He is unsure how this will affect

ATSC Commission Minutes – 11.18.14 ATSC programs in the future but is fairly confident that the private option will be difficult to pass during the upcoming legislative session. He advised that if it is to do so, it will undergo major changes. 75 votes are needed to pass the funding of the private option. Representative Love advised ATSC to bring awareness of the efforts and effects of the ATSC Programs. He suggested creating and distributing to the legislators a one page document that would include information and impact by zip codes. He suggested that Director Shepherd bring the Program Directors to PH&W meetings. Representative Love entertained questions and concerns.

Chair Hanrahan asked what specific information should be provided for the new members?

Representative Love replied that the information should succinctly describe the activities and impact of the programs but that it should be kept to one page.

Director Shepherd commented that when she reports to the PH&W Committee, she is required by ATSC Special Language to report what has been done for the past quarter but that she recognizes the benefit of Representative Love’s recommendations Quorum Established Chair Hanrahan established that a quorum existed at 10:28 a.m. and a request for approval of minutes from the previous meeting was made. A motion to accept the minutes as presented was made by Karen Wheeler Approval of Minutes and seconded by Tim Atkinson. Introduction of guest Chair Hanrahan introduced Heather Rouse and Katie Leath. Ms. Leath speakers Katie Leath and explained that ACHI was responsible for evaluating ATSC’s Child Heather Rouse from Wellness Intervention Project (CWIP). Quantitative data were collected ACHI the first 2 years of the evaluation. The fitness outcomes of the program demonstrated very positive results with students improving physical fitness and schools increasing the minutes in fitness classes. Qualitative data were collected for the third and final year of the project to determine what worked and what did not for the schools. Several interviews were

ATSC Commission Minutes – 11.18.14 conducted with school staff and faculty. Some challenges noted were: institutional needs such as staffing, space, time, and training. Noted strengths were: the Spark program, which was overwhelmingly deemed successful. Some schools have made attempts to secure funding to maintain their fitness program and expand it to before- and after-school students. Overview of the Battelle Chair Hanrahan explained that this report consisted of recommendations Director Shepherd will request some minor Recommendation report for the programs and the Commission going forward. changes regarding wording and the inclusion of a former staff member’s name rather than his/her title.

Chair Hanrahan asks if anyone had comments or questions about report.

John Selig commented that the report was very good and informative. Director’s Report Director Shepherd began by reporting how much the MSA had been in the news recently. The new word of the year, according to Oxford Dictionary, is VAPE. Director Shepherd presented the ATSC quarterly financial reports pointing out that the Commission is at or below all quarterly appropriations for each line item. The new budget going forward in the biennium will maintain the grant line item should the Commission decide to use it again.

Chair Hanrahan commented that Director Shepherd’s presentations to the legislative budget committees went well and that the changes being made by ATSC to reduce spending were well-received by the legislators.

Director Shepherd reported that she went to PH&W for special language twice and presented on the 23rd of October, receiving positive feedback for keeping MSA monies in state with the external evaluator. Director Shepherd asked everyone when they had been told to expect MSA payments to end. Most reported that they had been told that it would be 2025. According to the Attorney General’s office and the Master Settlement Agreement itself, the payments will not end as long as cigarettes are sold. In 2017 the MSA payments will decrease by $5M

ATSC Commission Minutes – 11.18.14 which will affect the ATSC office and ATSC programs.

In 2006 a second set of revenue bonds were financed with the promise of ATSC funds for the UAMS Cancer Research Center. Repayment of these bonds is scheduled to begin after the first set of revenue bonds are paid off. The revenue bonds for the Cancer Research Center will accrue interest before the payments start, which means the debt will have doubled by the time payments begin.

Director Shepherd informed the Commission that all the programs will have their separate evaluator from the UCA group and that initial meetings were either scheduled or had already been accomplished.

Chair Hanrahan asked if there are any questions concerning the ATSC financials or the director’s report. Other Business Chair Hanrahan brought up the legislative session and the new individuals coming into office. She asked for the opinion of the Commission regarding the strategy ATSC should adopt.

Commissioner Smith suggested that it might be advantageous for the programs to provide a luncheon as a means to share information and educate the legislators.

Commissioner Wheeler stated that she thought it was dangerous to go into the session without a strategy and underscored the importance of developing a group strategy. Commission Wheeler offered the opinion that she believed this would require more than a luncheon.

Chair Hanrahan replied that Representative Love suggested the one page document would be helpful and that it would be necessary to have the Programs work with Director Shepherd to develop these.

Commissioner Selig suggested that the Commission reconsider a luncheon because of the some inherent problems.

ATSC Commission Minutes – 11.18.14 Chair Hanrahan suggested that Programs review their data to determine if impact can be reported out by county, zip code, etc.

Commissioner Wheeler suggested that the Programs utilize the phrase “public health” in their explanations of the significance of their work regarding the impact on public health.

Commissioner Selig agreed that the entire report should focus on the impact Public Health.

Chair Hanrahan asked for volunteers to work with Director Shepherd Programs and Commissioner Atkinson will toward this plan. She suggests that Leslie Humphries, Commissioner work with Director Shepherd to prepare the Atkinson, Commissioner Smith, and Commissioner Selig get someone reports and establish the plan to have the dealing with the programs to get with Director Shepherd to work on the information ready for the 90th General short term plan and to have the information ready for the incoming Assembly. legislative Committees. Other Business Chair Hanrahan and the other Commissioners agreed to schedule the dates for 2015 ATSC Commission Meetings after January 2015. The election of the Commissioners will stay the same for now as the Susan Hanrahan as Chair, Roddy Lochala as Vice Chair, and Tim Atkinson as Executive Committee Member.

Chair Hanrahan asked if there were any further suggestions, items or announcements that needed attention from the Commission.

Becky Hall informed the Commission that UAMS East is preparing to go in an entirely new direction. They will be asking the legislator for $1.2 M to start a rural residence training program, in which residents would spend 1 year in Pine Bluff and 2 years in Helena. Dr. Mingle of UAMS decided that it was time to move in that direction and because the operation of a residency program is part of Delta AHEC’s language in the Act, the timing appears to be good. Should the residency program not be accomplished in Helena, there is a threat that it would be moved to another location.

ATSC Commission Minutes – 11.18.14 Commissioner Smith asked if they are considering the inclusion of preventive or family medicine residency.

Becky Hall replied that she no knowledge of that but that she would inquire about it. Next Meeting The next meeting will be scheduled after January 2015. Meeting . adjourned at 11:28a.m.

ATSC Commission Minutes – 11.18.14