Health Issues Committee
March 23, 2007

Minutes: DRAFT

Meeting came to order at 5:04PM; meeting adjourned at 5:56 PM

Present: Denise Torres (Chair); Ericka Calton, Lynda Kennedy, Ian Jones,
Chong Wojtkowski
Absent: Alissa Ackerman, Patrina Huff, Rex Wong, Danielle Wu

I. Current issues:
a. Annual Health Fair, entitled “Make health your mission:”
i. DT is working on a free subscription to the NYSC
ii. DT is working on free NYC condoms from the DOH
iii. HIC members to explore freebies (e.g., the vitamin shoppe)
iv. EC stated we could ask the SC to purchase items
v. DT to table at the health fair; LK may assist with set-up
II. Comparative analysis of GHI insurance offered to other schools’ insurance
offerings asked for by the Advocate
a. A rich discussion ensued regarding how best to identify and meet
students’ need for information, improve access and create change.
These three clear themes were separated as follows:
i. connecting the issue of health insurance as a larger shared
need with political and economic implications
ii. identifying and educating the student body on current
resources and how to gain access to them
iii. understanding ourselves the current limits, obstacles,
constraints to a CUNY-wide health insurance and
communicating this understanding to the student body
b. DT, LK and IJ agreed to research and write on these issues for the
advocate with the following action steps/outcomes:
i. DT: health insurance as a national issue but speaking to
access for non-standard workers and the erosion of
employee benefits. Incorporate into the article the
experiences of the student body for the April issue. DT to
send email with request for vignettes.
ii. LK: identify what resources are currently available through
the Wellness Center and what is actually covered via the
GHI insurance. LK Write article for the first FALL issue of
the Advocate (this will be timely as new students will benefit
from having this information as the semester begins).
iii. IJ: identify the obstacles and barriers to a CUNY wide
insurance benefit (e.g., pooling of students, risk factors,
number of potentially eligible insureds; larger picture we are
not privy to). DT e-mail (with HIC cc’ed) EP/student affairs
and ask for clarity to begin understanding. IJ begin writing
and researching article for second FALL issue of the
Advocate including how other university systems (e.g.,
SUNY, UC, Rutgers) address the issue.
III. Future directions:
a. What issues do we want to focus on?
i. education of student body regarding resources
ii. creating a space for social action
iii. working more collaboratively with administration
b. What types of events/activities do we want to plan or engage in?
i. While all members agreed on the HIC focus, the balancing of
action, education and collaboration reflected personal styles
and approaches. In working through a plan for the future
directions (beyond articles) the HIC identified mechanisms
through which our goals could be achieved in a manner that
engages the approaches appropriately. To wit:
1. education of student body: articles, e-mails, website
2. creating a space for social action: articles, e-mails,
google-groups and using the coffee hour DT speak
to Patrina Huff (Community Building/SC) regarding
what LK called a “Coffee & Kvetch” hour to provide an
arena for students to discuss insurance/health issues
3. working more collaboratively with administration:
a. IJ will follow-up on Item II.b.iii and act as point
person on understanding the organizational
barriers to CUNY-wide insurance
b. EC encouraged collaborative work w/the HC: in
particular around awareness and, for Fall 2007,
the underprojection of FLU shot demand.
c. LK addressed need to have an event/forum for
discussion of research into issues regarding
insurance, health. Identify research, papers,
etc. conducted by students. CUNY as standard
setter for how we treat NYers and a repository
for knowledge. day conference?