Oak Ridge Reservation: Communications & Outreach Work Group

Communications and Outreach Work Group

February 6, 2002 - Meeting Minutes

Attendance

ORRHES Members present:
James Lewis and David Johnson

Public Members present:
Linda Gass

ATSDR staff present:
LaFreta Dalton (phone) and Bill Murray

James Lewis convened the meeting at 5:35 pm.

James Lewis said a letter of appreciation had been sent to Dr. Lucy Peipins’ boss for her outstanding effort in presenting the Epidemiology Workshop both to the Public Health Assessment Work Group (PHAWG) and to the ORRHES.

James also mentioned that part of the COWG/ORRHES outreach strategy included the recommendation by the ORRHES to ATSDR to develop a website.

La Freta Dalton said the ORRHES website has been put on the ATSDR contractor’s (ERG, Inc.) website and pilot testing will begin next week.

James Lewis remarked that some former ORRHES members who had expertise in developing websites are no longer on ORRHES. There must be time available to explore the use of the website. The indexing of the website is critical as is the search strategy that can be used. Links to key documents are needed on specific topics.

La Freta Dalton said that there is no search engine on the website in accordance with the directions from the ATSDR webmaster. In the pilot testing, there will be two (2) comment periods (two (2) weeks each) during which comments will be accepted. The changes will be incorporated in the four (4) weeks following the comment period. The website will be completed in ten (10) weeks.

James Lewis said that the work needs to be completed quickly. He asked if the website would be available during the four (4) week modification periods. A process document is needed for ORRHES that estimates time to completion.

La Freta Dalton promised to update the chart.

James Lewis emphasized that a summary and timeline is needed for the ORRHES meeting on March 26, 2002. A health concerns form with the person’s name and an identification number is also needed. There were additional comments about the form that it has to be user-friendly and a pre-paid postage mailer would be useful. Another issue was where the form would be sent.

Regarding the website, James Lewis thinks several items should be included, i.e., organizational charts (ATSDR/ORRHES/WG), contact points, email addresses of ORRHES members.

He also recommended that the Work Group Chairs should review questions and issues raised by the public and that ATSDR should review all the ORRHES and WG minutes.

The review of the minutes of the last COWG meeting (November 8, 2001) was deferred to the next meeting.

The agenda items for the next (not scheduled) meeting include:

• Minutes of the meetings on November 8, 2002, and February 6, 2002.
• Fact sheet
• Health concerns form
• ORRHES website
• Prior recommendations

The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 pm.