Board Meeting Minutes

Board of Directors Meeting
January 24, 2007
Cedar Shores Resort - Oacoma, SD

PRESENT: Gale Walker, Terry Rieck, Clint Graybill, Dr. Lindbloom, Carla Borchardt, Bob Stahl, Paul Engbrecht, and Joyce Vos.

There being no amendments to the Agenda the Executive Session was called to order at 12:21pm. There were updates to Cases #2005-02 and #2003-01. Any action on Case #2006-01 was deferred until the next meeting in order for the investigator to confer with our Assistant Attorney General, Katie Hansen.

The General Session was called to order at 12:55pm.

  1. Stahl suggested correcting item 3 in the October 26, 2006 Board Minutes so it better reflected Administrative Rule Chapter 44 such as, ARSD requires that an Administrator be appointed by the facility’s governing board but they may extend some flexibility when the Administrator is a fill-in at a second facility. Rieck seconded the motion and it passed.
  2. M/S/P Lindbloom/Borchardt to approve the new licensees and permit holders since October 26, 2006, as presented.
  3. Stahl reported his office had had a good run of surveys since our last board meeting. It was agreed that this board only wanted survey copies of G and F tagged facilities and when an Administrator is cited.
  4. The board reviewed the letters of explanation for late license renewal from Sybesma, Lyso, and Neuberger. M/S/P Engbrecht/Graybill to accept their late renewal. The board also reviewed the list of non-renewed and those non-compliant with the continuing education requirement. Stahl will check his list of facility administrators to see if any of them are active administrators of record.
  5. a. Staff reported she was required to come before the SD Legislative Audit Committee on December 6, 2006 to answer specific questions about the board’s cash balance. The Audit Committee, through the Department Secretaries, asked numerous boards to attend. Staff reported she presented background information as to how the board perhaps accumulated a reasonable cash balance and the prospect that it probably will not remain at that level due to the recent appointment of a full-sized board, more board meeting expenses, and more complaint cases to process. She reported DOH was pleased with her presentation.

    b. Staff reported on her attendance at the NAB Mid-Year meeting in November. She reported NAB was now going to have only one annual meeting, starting June 2008, due to costs and the reduction in attendance. Staff was pleased they didn’t raise dues for membership or CE providers this year. They are also looking for retired administrators to be volunteer CE application reviewers.

    c. Staff reported she registered for the FARB (Federation of Association of Regulatory Boards) conference in February 2007 for the first time because the agenda items were very pertinent to board functions. She stated that she would be splitting the expenses with her other licensing board. M/S/P Graybill/Borchardt to approve Staff’s expenses to attend FARB.
  6. A current financial statement was presented as informational.
  7. Staff reported she had contacted the US Office of Inspector General looking for the best resource for background checks. The OIG referred Staff to the Board of Nursing since they had just done their research and had a system in place. Staff reported she hadn’t been able to meet with that board yet but would meet with their staff member, Andy Albers before the next board meeting.
  8. Stahl said he thought there may be a shortage of Preceptors, or Preceptor training, in the State. He asked why the Preceptor qualification was four years of South Dakota licensure and whether the requirement was in Rule or Statute? He asked whether it could be changed to accept someone that had those years of experience with their out-of-state license and/or SD State exam scores at a certain level in order to qualify? Staff will check to determine whether it would be a Rule or Statute change? Staff mentioned that it didn’t seem like there was a shortage of Preceptors since there were numerous pages of them available and wondered if this thought was generated by particular long-term healthcare corporations that wanted to use their own employees. Staff will bring the list of Preceptors to the next board meeting.

    Stahl asked when the State exam was last updated? Staff explained that the multiple-choice format had never changed although his predecessor and a past board member reviewed it several years ago. She stated that every time the office receives an updated copy of Chapter 44 it’s checked to see if the changes affect an exam question and if so, the question is updated. Staff invited Stahl to review and change the exam for content and style. He said he probably could after the legislative session was over.

    Staff was excited to report the office had contracted with a local person to install three versions of the State exam into a free online HostTest™ software program, and although it had been available since the first of the year, no one had taken it yet. She reported it allows for the examinee to take the test on their PC in private and in a 30-minute timeframe. The examinee has to notify the office of exactly when they want to take the exam, then the office emails the link to their exam just before that scheduled time. The exam closes after 30 minutes and after two 10-minute warnings. The examinee responds to the email immediately after they’re done to notify the office. The score is then sent to them via the mail.

    Walker mentioned the work of State’s Long Term Care Task Force and that the report would be ready in November. He thought the study may call for big changes in what is needed and what is expected in care.

    M/S/P Engbrecht/Graybill to adjourn the board meeting at 2:03pm.