MINUTES 

MAINE HEALTH DATA ORGANIZATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
151 CAPITOL STREET, AUGUSTA, MAINE
THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2003

Chairman Richard Bruns, upon establishing a quorum, called the Maine Health Data Organization (MHDO) Board of Directors meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.  The following Board members were present:  Dana Kempton, Vice-Chair, Theresa Bellmore, 
Robin Bickford, Peter Gore, Doug Libby, Dick Lowd, Rebecca Martins, John Portela, and Sydney Sewall.  Absent members were: Vaikko Allen, Lynn Davey, Cathy Gavin,  
Mark Granzier, David Johnson, Diane Moongrove, and Vicki Purgavie.

Two modifications to the June 12, 2003 MHDO Board minutes were requested under the Patient Advocates Update.  The first change referenced the time frame given by Patient Advocates’ Legal Counsel to allow a 60 day extension, not a three month extension, for a legal response from Board Counsel to action they filed in Federal Court.  The second request for change came from Anne Connolly, CEO of Patient Advocates who believed that the wording “contrary to the agreement from the May 8th Board meeting” was inaccurate. The wording will be removed from the June 12th  minutes.

Executive Director Report

Financial Report:  Executive Director Alan Prysunka stated that the carryover amount reflected on the June financial statement would be subtracted from total amount of money assessed for Fiscal Year 2004.  

Impact of Dirigo Health Legislation:  Mr. Prysunka introduced Ellen Schneiter, Deputy Director of the Governors Office of Health Policy and Finance to the Board and she gave an overview of the recently enacted Dirigo Health legislation. She stated that the language for the data piece was derived primarily from Al Prysunka’s suggestions.  She stated that a transfer of funding for one newly established position and the upgrade of the existing vacant position, for one year, will be transferred from Dirigo Health through a fiscal note.  

Ms. Schneiter explained that Dirigo Health was created as an independent agency with a five member Board, and the Maine Quality Forum, a sub-unit of Dirigo Health, willl be a focal point for all quality data sources that will be used to educate consumers and providers about health care quality.  The Dirigo Health Board will have the MHDO promulgate rules related to quality to prevent duplication of data collection.  Revolving loans will be set up to help all providers submit data electronically and translator software packages are being evaluated with Maine being considered as a possible Beta test site.  Mr. Prysunka will contact his associates in other states to gather additional information.  
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July 10, 2003
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Ms. Schneiter explained that the legislation becomes effective on September 13, 2003, and it is anticipated that the Maine Quality Forum will be active by end of the year.  Dirigo Health itself will not be functional until July 1, 2004.  October 16, 2003 will be the deadline for the majority of providers to electronically submit their data, and smaller health care practitioners in the state will have until October 16, 2005.  Dirigo Health, not the MHDO, will be charged with turning the data into usable information to be released to educate the public by all avenues possible, including the Internet.  In September, Governor Baldacci will announce his nominees for various Boards.  Ms. Schneiter will provide Mr. Prysunka with nomination forms for those who might want to be on various Boards and Committees.
  
Data Compliance:  Debby Tuck informed the Board that C. A. Dean Memorial Hospital has failed to submit Inpatient and Outpatient data as required by statute.  After explaining the notification process the MHDO followed Ms. Tuck informed the Board 
that in accordance with the MHDO’s Compliance Policy their next step would be staff authorization to refer the non-compliance issue to the Office of the Attorney General. She also stated that without the Inpatient data the remainder of the 2002 Inpatient 
data could not be disseminated.  After some discussion there was a motion and a second that the Board authorize MHDO staff to refer the issue of  C. A. Dean’s non-compliance to the Office of the Attorney General if the data is not received by 
July 25, 2003. There was a mention of possibly sending a blind copy to Eastern Maine Health Care.  Motion passed with one abstention.

MaineCare MOA Status:   Board Counsel, Mr. Paul Gauvreau, Assistant Attorney General informed the Board that staff at the Office of Attorney General is reviewing 
Mr. Prysunka’s comments to the draft Memorandum of Agreement and that he 
should be able to report a solution at the next Board meeting.  

Patient Advocates Filing Status:  Mr. Gauvreau informed the Board that the case is 
still scheduled to be solved in  federal court but if ERISA is not an issue then the case may be transferred to state court.  He also stated that he hadn’t had the opportunity to speak with Patient Advocate’s Legal Counsel regarding Mr. Prysunka contacting the plan sponsors but he will do so and provide an update at the next Board meeting.

Maine Health Data Processing Center Update:   Jim Harner, President of the Maine Health Information Center was present to update the Board on recent activities of the Data Processing Center.  He stated that they have been focused on extracting data to the MHDO.  He also stated that although there have some quality issues with the data being received from payers, communications have been good and progress is rapidly being made.  It was suggested that the Data Processing Center Board meet with   

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July 10, 2003
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MHDO Board members to discuss Dirigo Health, and it was agreed that a retreat be held in the fall with the two Boards combined.

Al Prysunka informed the Board that the MHDO purchased a storage unit to hold the all-payer data and that the backup system will be purchased soon.  

Mr. Prysunka restated an ongoing concern regarding an extensive amount of payer’s names showing up through PD Check  (the hospital editing system) due to various spellings of insurer’s names.  In order to correct the problem MHDO staff will produce 
a master file and provide it to the hospitals.  It was recommended that staff work with medical records personnel on this issue.  

Mr. Prysunka notified the Board that hospital representative Michael Brannigan was 
no longer employed by the Maine Hospital Association (MHA) and Vice Chair Dana Kempton will convey to the MHA that a replacement will be needed.  Mr. Prysunka stated that he is waiting for the Governor’s Office to act on current reappointments.  
He also sent a memo to the Acting Commissioner at the Maine Department of Human Services for a replacement for Warren Bartlett but he has not yet received a response.  

Public Comment

None provided.

Future Meetings

The next Board meeting will be held on Thursday, September 11, 2003, at 9:00 a.m. 
at the MHDO office on 151 Capitol Street in Augusta.  

Debby Tuck informed the Board that she had spoken with Susan Menard, Southern Maine Medical Center and Kim Gray, Medical Records Director at Redington-Fairview  General Hospital who have both agreed to give a presentation and to discuss medical records coding as the Board had previously requested.  It was decided that the retreat would probably be in October and their presentation could be done at the November Board meeting.  It was suggested that Board members expect to be available for the retreat from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The meeting adjourned at  10:30 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Adams
Administrative Assistant