Health and Human Services Committee Meeting Transcript 5/8/2017 Title: ATXN 24/7 Recording Channel: 6 - ATXN Recorded On: 5/8/2017 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 5/8/2017 Transcript Generated by SnapStream ================================= [2:02:48 PM] >> Houston: We're meeting in the boards and commissions at Austin city hall, 301 west second street, Austin, Texas. I'm calling this special called meeting of the health and human services committee to order at 2:02 P.M. If there's anyone here that needs to get their parking validated, please see Bob. Do you have the parking validation? Okay. [Laughter] Thank you. If you need to get your parking ticket validated. We have one person signed up for citizens communication. I just forgot your name. Mr. Pena, please come forward. I apologize. I have known you for 400 years and your name just escaped me. >> 399 years. Chair and committee members, my name is Gustavo Gus Pena. I'm going to keep it brief. As you know, the Obamacare issue is a concerning issue with community. What we try to try to educate people to try to get health care in lieu of maybe losing their health care. And it's not affordable, T new proposal by president trump is not affordable. And I can see the [indiscernible] Right now. If possible, if this committee could have some literature printed or whatever, maybe the city council also about educating the community about where to get real affordable housing because let's say, for example, sendero. I have sendero. If I go to visit a doctor, I have close to about a 100-dollar money payment that I have to make just for a doctor's visit, sendero, and that's not affordable. So we lose our health care. I have to go to the va [2:04:49 PM] clinic, which I can do, but they're not as good as going to the outside venues or outside medical services. That's all I have to say, but I want to say one last thing is for -- this is having to do with central health. I know -- I want to make sure that our nurses are appreciated. They are working hard everywhere. Not just at central health, but everywhere. And if we can show our appreciation for them also. And thank you very much for allowing me to speak. I'll keep it short, but a lot of people concerned about their loss of health care out in the community. Anyway, thank you very much. Appreciate it. >> Houston: Thank you, Mr. Pena, for staying on top of all that. Thank you. And I'm sorry, I skipped the minutes. Is there a motion to approve the minute? Minutes? Is there a second? All those in favor of the minutes please raise your hand? Unanimous on the dais. The committee will now take up agenda item number 4, the committee will go into closed session to take up one item, pursuant to chapter 551.047 of the government code, the committee will take up the appointment of city board members to the central health board of managers, interview applicants and secretary top candidates. Is there any objection to going into executive session on the item announced? Hearing none, the committee will now go into executive session. [Closed session]. [4:40:24 PM] We are out of closed session. In closed session we took up and discussed personnell matters related to item 4. We will now take up item 3 discussion and possible action regarding, recommending the top candidates for the Central Health Board of Managers. First of all let me say that in response to this offering. It was overwelming there were approximately 30 new. 30 plus new applicants that came in that we have neer seen before. Which talks about the committment that people in this community have in indigent health care. So there were two positions that we are going to recommend to the Council that will be filled today initially we were asked to fill one postion which was vacated by Rosie Mendoza who's term ended on December 2016 and in additional on the 26th of April we excepted the resignation of Dr. Richard Ewing which created another vacancy. The Committee met on May 2nd and identified five qualified individuals with very diversed backgrounds and experiences in the health care delivery system to populations which are vulnerable. So we interviewed today the two, the five people in I want to thankthose five for offering themselves in the service and mission and goals of central health. Are there any other comments from the members of the Committee? Council Member Garza. [4:42:30 PM] (Garza) I will probably just repeat I just feel exactly the same in our Chair Houston has stated that these are really tough decisions and we get wonderfully qualified candidates. It's always a really tough decision and I am glad we have been really to possibly meet a consensus this time. (Houston) Council Member Kitchen. (Kitchen) I would like to make a motion. I would like to make a motion that we move forward with the appointment of Julie Oliver and Maram Museitif as are two appointees from the City of Austin. (Houston) Thank you. Is there a second? (Tovo) I would like to second that and to just add to the comments that have been already stated this really has been a really challenging process and to those of have followed it know that we have had several rounds of interviewing candidates and has been said: we are really blessed to have had strong candidates who are willing to serve on a board that really requires significant. Significant time, energy and expertise. So thank you to every one who has applied. We really. We really have to have put alot of thought into these decisions because the quality and [4:44:35 PM] caliber of those who have applied. I also want to say that are. All of our appointees. We encourage all of our appointees to work with the legal Council for the Central Health Board to make sure you understand. When it might be appropriate to accuse yourself from particular decisions. Something I would encourage the new, our new appointees to do as well as our existing. Just to make sure it is very clear and that you have the quidence you need to make those decisions in a non-going basis. So thank you again to all those applied. (Houston) Council Member Kitchen. (Kitchen) I just want to add also that we are very, very fortunate to have the caliber of people applying. We know that they will continue to be a force in the community. So, we appreciate that opportunity and I echo my colleagues sentiments that it was a hard choice. But, we are excited with the two that we have. We know they will be great additions to the Central Health Board. (Houston) Ok, let's all call the question all in favor let it be known by raising your right hand. It is unanimous on the dias. I want to thank you ladies for going through this again and we did a great job and this time we had consensus.Which other times it has been challenging to make sure we came out with the right appointee, but we think these two will make a grand additions to the board of Managers. With that the special called meeting of the Health and Human Services Committee is adjourned at 4:45 p.m.