Appalachian Health Policy Advisory Council Meeting Summaries

May 2011
The Appalachian Health Policy Advisory Council met in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 2011, to discuss the following issues.

• An update on ARC health program activities, including the 2011 Competition for Community-Based Substance Abuse Initiatives.
• A continued discussion of plans for ARC's 2011 annual fall conference, Healthy Families: Healthy Future, to be held September 7-9, 2011, in Prestonsburg, Kentucky.
• Presentations from representatives from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), including deputy director David Mineta, who spoke on recent ONDCP activities in Appalachia, and science policy adviser Tim Condon, who spoke on the national Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan.

The council also continued the strategic planning exercise begun in prior meetings. Members recapped stakeholder roles and key health issues for the Appalachian Region as outlined at the January 2011 meeting, then prioritized seven key issues into focus areas. A summary of the exercise will be presented to ARC leadership during 2011 for further review and discussion.

January 2011
The Appalachian Health Policy Advisory Council met in Washington, D.C., on January 27, 2011, to discuss the following issues.

• An update on major new health-care funding soon to be released from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration.
• A discussion of ARC's 2011 annual fall conference, which will focus on Appalachian health concerns. The council will have a role in planning the agenda for the conference, and will conduct several conference activities. The conference will be held September 7-9 in Prestonsburg, Kentucky.
• Presentations on two ongoing health research activities sponsored by ARC: a study documenting regional disparities in health-care access and health insurance coverage; and a study documenting oral health conditions and disparities in the Appalachian Region. Both studies are expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

The council also began a strategic planning exercise to help identify priorities and provide focus for the group's efforts in advising the Commission on regional health issues. The exercise will be concluded at a meeting to take place in the spring.