 
Region 10 T/TA
PIR Conference Call
Transcript
Moderator: Eugene Gousie
June 18, 2008
1:00 pm CST
Coordinator:
Good afternoon and thank you for standing by. All lines will be in a listen-only mode until the question and answer session. To ask a question, please press star 1.
Today's conference is being recorded if anyone has any objections you may disconnect at this time.
Now I'll turn the meeting over to your host for today's call, Mr. Eugene Gousie. You may begin.
Eugene Gousie:
Good morning to some of you and good afternoon to others. This is Gene Gousie and I'm with the Head Start T&TA network here in Region 10, joined by my colleague Louise Gill.
This is one of our monthly training and technical assistance regional conference calls. And we're pleased that today several members of the regional office staff can join us.
Julianne Crevitan is here, Dorothy Shields, Laura Bocchetti and Leslie Jenkins. Our topic today is around the PIR, the changes in the PIR as you look at completing that in the upcoming months.
And also to frame this in a larger way to talk about the data collection and analysis that accompanies not just the PIR, but all of the outcomes driven data or the data that your program does and could collect.
So we'll be talking today about the PIR update and entries to data entry, data collection, data analysis and use of that information.
We will be taking questions at the end of the presentation and as the operator noted you will have an opportunity to ask those on the phone. If you care to email them in or call them in to Annelle Bogus prior to that time you can do so by calling her at 206-615-3648 or emailing her at Annelle, A-N-N-E-L-L-E, dot Bogus, B-O-G-U-S at A-C-F dot H-H-S dot G-O-V.
And we're going to start this morning by turning this over to Louise.
Louise Gill:
Okay. Well good morning everyone, this is Louise Gill and if you're following along in the slide presentation, we're on the second slide. I want to briefly talk about the PIR update for the 2008 PIR.
We put the information that you can print the PIR off of the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center and the web pages there and also you can go on the PIR web page at Xtria and print the summary of changes.
So really for 2008 there are not many changes. There are just clarifications basically to questions, there are clarifications to enrollment and program option questions, program staff and qualifications.
There are some more clarification and then in the section Child and Family Services, there are clarifications regarding questions there. So if you look at your PIR in some of the sections, they will have the clarification at the bottom of the question section.
And it's usually under if there's place for comments, there will be some type of clarification there. Now in transportation and facilities, there are some new questions. If you were to look at that section, question C56, last year it was just one broad question.
This year they've broken it into C56 A and they've added a new question, C57 and C57A.
And then they've also added some information under C58, center names. So that is where you have the option of reporting the different centers in which there is a federal interest.
So basically that is really all the changes so really the only change has been in transportation and facilities, and further clarification is in the explanation of words in the question in the other section.
So if we move to the next slide, understanding PIR questions, I can't stress enough to just read the questions. Read the instruction out of the user's guide which you can get off the PIR web page.
Read those, read the question and then just answer the question. Don't agonize over fine distinctions. Don't read something into the question that is not there, because that will just create more stress for you and it really just adds a lot of time to trying to answer these questions, so please just read the question and use your user guide and answer it to the best of your knowledge.
Okay, now I'm going to turn it back over to Gene.
Eugene Gousie:
Thank you, Louise. As I mentioned earlier we will be talking about collecting and entering data in this part, and we're talking not just about PIR data but all data that you deal with.
The overall guidance when we're dealing with data of any kind is to develop systems that will provide us with valid and reliable data.
Valid data means data that is indeed measuring what you intend it to. For example, if you're measuring something like services to parents, you need to know how it is that the PIR directions are defining that term, because you want to measure something that is indeed the services for parents and not something that's outside that scope.
Otherwise you're setting yourself up for some invalid data. And on the reliable end, you want to be checking your systems on a regular basis to make sure that the data collection and the information you're getting from the data is not dependent on one person's perspective on this, but that indeed different people in the organization could pull up the same results.
So let's turn to the next one where we look at parts of the process of collecting and entering data, for instance the definition, the collection point, the collection entity, the collection means, the mechanism or data base and the extraction.
What you'll want to do is check your systems to see that you have developed procedures around each of these points and that you review them periodically. We've already talked about the importance of the definition.
And sometimes the terms that you will be collecting data around are used more broadly than the PIR does. Or they may not be defined by an outside group such as a funder but are left to you to define, in which case you're looking for a definition that makes practical sense, something that's fairly intuitive, so that when you use that term everybody will have a pretty good idea of what you're talking about. And something that can be easily explained and lends itself to measurement.
The collection points are the times of the year when you collect data. It may make sense to collect data on a given variable or question on a monthly basis or a quarterly basis or a yearly basis depending when the data is available, how easy or difficult is it to collect the data, what other data is being collected that you can collect at the same time, and other factors such as the cost or the resources used by the program to collect the data and the availability of the staff and complexity of the data.
When we talk about the collection entity, we're talking about who it is that collects that and to some extent this will depend on the means of collection or how the data is collected. Are you collecting data directly from individuals who are basically responding to you in an interview format? That would dictate who it is that's collecting the data, the person doing the interviewing.
Are you collecting data by reviewing forms? Well, that would indicate perhaps someone else is doing the data collection. Who is doing the data collection will depend upon the ways in which you are collecting the data.
Are you doing it from observations? Are you doing it with the person who is closest to the activity?
When we talk about the collection mechanism or the database, that is the program's means of storing and also slicing and dicing the data. You can invest in a more complex and expensive database which will give you many more opportunities to slice and dice that data and pull up more sophisticated analysis. Now on the other hand that will also cost you more. It will require more training and on the whole it will use up more program resources.
The collection extraction part of the process also includes that slicing and dicing and the questions that come with it, as well as determining in the organization who is the best person to be doing that collection extraction.
Louise Gill:
Before we move on I just want to say that I think the key here is that the person who is collecting this information not only for the PIR but anything else, your self assessment, your community assessment, has to understand what they're collecting, what do these questions mean and what is the intention of this report? I think that's why we get a lot of skewed information sometimes, especially on the PIR, it's because the person who's collecting the data doesn't really understand its use.
Eugene Gousie:
Right, it's not just a person who is filling out the PIR, it's people at each step of the process that we're talking about: who's entering the data, do they have an idea of why work's being done there? Who is collecting the data and who is reviewing it?
Louise Gill:
Let's move over to slide number nine, monitoring the process. This is the key. This is the key with everything I think in Head Start is the monitoring process.
In your reviews this is where we find a lot of findings in the PIR. This is why your numbers don't add up sometimes, because for whatever reason we don't monitor this information on a regular basis.
There are steps in monitoring. You need to know who is overseeing the process. Everybody can't oversee the PIR monitoring. There's got to be one main person on your staff who truly loves the PIR and is willing to take this on.
When and how often, Gene mentioned a while ago that you could collect data on a monthly basis, a quarterly basis or yearly basis. For the PIR's purposes, I would recommend that you don't wait for the yearly collection of this.
This needs to be monitored all year long and so therefore you need to look at how you're collecting this data and what are you collecting. But it needs to be done if not on a monthly basis I would recommend a quarterly basis, definitely.
I know your staff goes crazy when some programs say okay we've got the PIR, we've got to get this information and nobody has been collecting this information. And I know, I've heard we don't know what the questions are until we get the PIR.
But you can see for the past couple of years, the PIR pretty much stays the same. So I would just go with what you've had this year to collect for next year.
And then in what ways are you collecting it? What are you doing to get this data? What tools are you using? I've had recent discussion with some of my grantees that says, well, you know this software does good to a certain point and then it's not good after that.
Really look at the software you're using to compilate all this data. What's being recorded as you document, know the questions of the source that you're trying to gather information from.
What's being reported? What are you asking? What's your final outcome? Who are you sending this information to? It shouldn't just be the data entry person that gets this information.
Everybody on your management team should have this information because it's so important, this drives your whole program. So this is a very key part, monitoring the process and it's an ongoing part, as we all know.
Gene?
Eugene Gousie:
We turn to analyzing the PIR numbers. First thing you want to do is check for reliability and validity, check your process. Have you assured yourself that you're measuring what you wanted to be measuring, and as a result it's reliable?
Check each of the data points. Where is it that you're collecting the data and who's doing that collection and how can you check to see one more time that the data is being collected properly and entered properly?
Look for fluctuations in key variables. This becomes part of the bigger piece that we'll talk about in a couple minutes about telling the story of your PIR numbers, the contextual elements that affect the PIR numbers for the year.
Were there some major environmental factors that skewed the data this year and if so, you want to recognize that and you want to enter that information in some of the content boxes where you have the opportunity to explain that.
Again, as you're thinking about analyzing this data and beginning to apply it to changes in the program, what other data do you have that you can compare your program's data with?
For a start you have your own in house historical data. What changes are you seeing, what trends? What variables are fluctuating?
You can pull data or access data on similar kinds of grantees, again to give you a sense of where your program falls in the bigger scheme; you can look at regional data numbers and same thing with national numbers, again to give you a sense, some reality testing of where your data fits and what you might use that for.
Louise Gill:
And I just want to say for the national and the states or the regional information, if you wanted to compare your program to the other programs in the region, we here at the regional office will be glad to assist you with that. Don't hesitate to ask us for that information.
Eugene Gousie:
In using data to develop action plans, you'll want to use not just the PIR numbers but, as you develop action plans based on the data, consider other data sources.
What are your community partners collecting? What information is contained in your community assessment? Use the data to identify strategies that seem to be working and those that you'd like to take a closer look at.
This is using some of those rising numbers and the falling numbers to trigger your attention to the specific strategies you use. You may have strategies that are very successful but don't actually impact your outcome, so you want to look for places where the changes in the strategies link to the changes in your outcomes, in this case the PIR numbers.
So don't think of those strategies in isolation either but realize they impact each other as well as link to the outcomes.
Keep your focus on your outcomes even as you consider strategies to change. And remember strategies will produce unintended consequences and keep these in mind as you review the strategies that you're using to produce the changes in your outcomes. Those strategies also have costs as well as benefits associated with them.
So what are some common challenges to the whole data collection process and analysis?
One is certainly around training. Training is usually not a one time event even if it involves the same individuals over time. As staff leave or change responsibilities you'll need to do more training and how much training you do will depend on the sophistication and complexity of your data system and of your data collection system.
Now finding the right software is a frequent challenge. Don't choose one just because it worked for someone else. You'll have to try it out in your own program, evaluate your own needs and your resources and the capacity of your program to implement a new software package.
And give it some time to play itself out so that you begin to get a feel for the accuracy, the reliability, the validity of the numbers in the information that you're getting from that package.
Trust the data collection process. Sometimes new coordinators or directors make changes in the process because they don't like the analysis of the data done by their predecessor. Separate the person doing the analysis or separate the analysis from the data collection process. Is the data good is your first question, then what can we do in terms of analysis of that data and moving forward on that.
And then owning the data collection process. It's a dangerous thing to put a process such as this in the hands of one person or make one person responsible for this, because then again you can't really trust it, really test the reliability of it. And it puts an incredible burden on one person, to say nothing of the bind that the program finds itself in if that person is no longer available.
On the next slide, a few more challenges, balancing centralization and decentralization. Some aspects of the data collection process typically take place at a central office. And other parts, usually the data collection part, often take place in the field in numerous locations done with numerous staff. Now sometimes programs change the process to become more centralized or more decentralized without really looking at the ramifications of that. And they are around training, they are around reliability of the data, they are around the forms you use, all of those kinds of things.
The leadership at the top level really is necessary to make some changes when you're changing your data collection process or even ensuring that it's a robust and reliable system.
And for any new and increased effort, there's a price to pay. The program may use more resources, staff take on new responsibilities. Parents may be involved in new ways or more intense ways. Get as clear as you can toward the program about what it will take to make changes in your data collection process and make sure the program is willing and able to make that commitment.
Finally, this data, the PIR data like other data that your program collects, does not exist in isolation. So the PIR is telling a particular story about your organization, a very data driven story.
Again use those comment boxes to provide the kind of context that helps make sense of the information you've collected, particularly if it's something unusual, you have a real drop in some way, or something has spiked one way or another.
And the PIR data is part of a bigger set of data about program outcomes as a whole, child outcomes, that is available for you to use to tell the bigger story about the success and value of the work that your organization does.
A future TA call will be focusing on the annual reports and outcome measures and reporting to help tell that bigger picture.
At this point we are going to open up our lines, operator, to take questions from participants and we have a room full of folks here to respond to them.
Coordinator:
Thank you at this time if you would like to ask a question please press star 1. You will be announced prior to asking your question. To withdraw your question press star 2.
Once again to ask you question please press star 1.
Eugene Gousie:
Great, and while we're waiting for the first to come in we have one that has come in from email and I'm going to ask Julianne to read that.
Julianne Crevitan:
Good afternoon everybody or good morning. This is Julianne Crevitan and I do have the first question that came in to Annelle via email. Before I answer this question I want people to know and I think, I'm not sure who's on the phone so it's a little hard to know if you are the direct service person who's actually doing a lot of data entry.
If you're a manager, if you're a program specialist, if you're a content specialist, I will give a little bit of background because I'm not sure who all sees which level of reports.
The question that I'm being asked, the question that's on the table right now is about the program indicator report. "When my program completes the PIR data report, this is a summary of raw data. When this data goes into Xtria which is the contractor who manages the PIR, they actually perform and produce summary data reports for the regional office. And out of that we get a performance indicator report and we get a summary report that we can pull down and take a look at.
And often times that is the one that should much more broadly and may be used to look at the progress of Head Start across the country. In that report all the data comes out in percentages. It doesn't come out in raw data, and so the question that's being asked is how do the percents get calculated?
There are formulas embedded behind many of the PIR questions. The formulas are drawing the data from maybe two different places and producing a percent. So it is absolutely critical when you enter data to really respond to the question. If it's talking about total enrollment, you need to be sure you're counting all the children.
When you calculate a percent your denominator number is an important number because that's the population that the percent is basing its assessment on.
The question is, "How is the following performance indicator computed?" This must be coming from someone who I'm guessing is a manager, where in the PIR report does the data come from to compute the percentage in the following area?
On the PIR performance indicator report, there's a question. Children up to date on a schedule of preventative and primary care, when we received the indicator report, which is what we usually talk to programs about, we're looking to have programs at 90% or higher on all of the indicator reports.
In the question, this is the formula. To get the percent you take the question that asks the number of children who have received medical exams, that's the numerator.
The denominator is the total actual enrollment of children, minus the children that were enrolled for less than 45 days. So it is those two questions that are put together in the data analysis when they produce the report that give us the percent of children that are up to date on the schedule of preventative and primary care.
So it is two questions and that's how we get a percent. Behind what you all see is how are these calculations done and how do these percents get produced in the indicator reports.
And so there are formulas for many of the questions that are on the summary reports. Anyway, that answers that one but it's a long way to get there and that's more likely more data than you wanted.
Louise Gill:
So then, Julianne, it's very important that they understand what they're answering, the difference between actual enrollment numbers and funded enrollment. You've got to understand those definitions and all of that is in your user guide.
Julianne Crevitan:
Absolutely.
Eugene Gousie:
All right, we're ready for a question.
Coordinator:
Our first question comes from Jose De Leon.
(Jose De Leon):
Actually (Jenessa), but...
(Jenessa):
Hi, good afternoon, just a quick question. Based off that formula example that was just given, would it be possible for Xtria to post a formula sheet based off those formula indicators?
Julianne Crevitan:
Yes, I actually have the formula sheet and will make it available after the call.
Louise Gill:
We can post that on our website. Also there will be minutes from this phone call and a recording on the Region 10 web page, at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/region10/programs/head_start_tta/region_10_fcp.html.
Julianne Crevitan:
Contact Louise or Gene if you have questions or problems in accessing that.
Coordinator:
Our next question comes from Kim Steiner.
(Angie Hanson):
Hi, it's actually Angie Hanson from Head Start of Lane County. I have a question regarding Section B, program staff and qualifications.
My question is when we have staff that will fill two roles. For example, we have a position that is called community childcare specialist. And they act in both the capacity of a teacher and a family services staff person. And I would say roughly they do 50% ed and 50% family services.
I'm assuming we don't count them twice when we're filling out the data regarding their educational qualifications, but how should we decide where we put those people on the - as far as the data?
Julianne Crevitan:
If you truly believe that they're 50/50, I'd say pick one or the other, I'd say pick where they are most qualified and put them in the area that they have the greatest degreed background for the position.
If you have them in a combined position and they have more expertise in training in a certain field, I would put them there.
(Angie Hanson):
Okay, thank you.
Coordinator:
Thank you, once again to ask a question please press star 1. Jolene Connor.
(Jolene Connor):
Hi this is Jolene from Head Start in Wenatchee, Washington. We have a question on the family service question number 47, C47.
Do we count the number of referrals made or only the referrals that we're certain the family received? And perhaps they are getting that service from the community. But we're referring them somewhere.
Louise Gill:
Okay, this is Louise and the program specialists help me here. That question is asking for services received. So there is a difference between a referral and a service.
So what you have to do is you've got to follow up. Once you refer them to an agency or whatever, then you've got to find out from the family if they actually received a service?
So a referral would not count by itself. Say you referred them to the mental health agency and you never followed up with them, you don't know if they received services or not, you can't count that.
That's the referral. But if you referred them, you followed through, you caught up with them, they said oh yes, we're going for appointments, that's services.
They actually received something. Does that make - is that clear?
(Jolene Connor):
Yes, thank you so much.
Louise Gill:
We used to ask for referrals and my gosh we do thousands of referrals. What they truly want to know now is are our families actually receiving something from all these referrals we're giving our families.
(Jolene Connor):
Awesome, thank you.
Julianne Crevitan:
That's a really good clarification when you say you know that statement says that received services, they have to have some outcome as a result of the referral. That's a really nice distinction.
Louise Gill:
I go back to my very first slide, do not read so much into these questions, just really look at what is service and what is the referral, and you're answering for service.
Cindy Johnson:
Hello, this is Cindy Johnson, from NeighborImpact Head Start and my question is regarding the table of the PIR on page 15 that talks about the qualifications of child development staff.
Our program has an educational specialist and we also have center coordinators. Would I use both of those personnel in the child development supervisors category?
Julianne Crevitan:
Are your site supervisors all ed managers, education trained? There's a lot of programs that have site managers who are not background degreed in education.
Cindy Johnson:
Our site supervisors are trained to be in the classroom as a lead teacher, so they can fill that role. So they all have an educational background, yes.
Louise Gill:
Do they supervisor the teachers?
Cindy Johnson:
Yes.
Julianne Crevitan:
If your site managers are basically performing the roles and ed supervisor, then they are at supervisor/site manager.
Eugene Gousie:
Let me do a little reminder here while we're waiting. Sometimes we get calls from programs or we get them or Xtria gets them part way through the year looking to revise the data that they have sent in from the previous year.
Which is not possible, once it's finalized, entered into the national database, Xtria does not take your data and backtrack the whole thing to perform some operations on it.
It's a reminder to double check that data before it gets sent on its way and make sure it's as accurate as possible.
Coordinator:
Lorenzo Garza, you may ask your question.
(Lorenzo Garza):
I had a question on page 16 regarding the average salary of direct child development staff.
The average annual salary in comparison to average hourly rate, is there a simple easy process to calculate that? I always struggle with that every year.
Louise Gill:
Okay, so you're looking at question number B13 through 15?
(Lorenzo Garza):
Correct.
Louise Gill:
I'm going to read to you what it says in the user guide. It says "report the average annual salary of teachers, assistance teachers and home based visitors regardless of the qualifications. Report the full salary even if part or all of the salary is funded by a non-ACF source or if the position is split between programs. Do not annualize the salary to 12 months, enter the actual dollar amount paid to the staff member even if they work less than 12 months of the year."
Julianne Crevitan:
You take all of the salaries, sum all the salaries and divide by the number of teachers, by the number of staff, and that comes up with the annual salary. And they show you in the guide if you print that out, it shows you an actual formula and they give you an example. So you could get your one, two, three, four, five, six, add up all these salaries and divide by the total number and that will give you the average annual teacher's salary.
(Lorenzo Garza):
All right thank you.
Louise Gill:
And then when you're gathering each individual teacher make sure you only gather for the number of months they worked.
(Lorenzo Garza):
Right, correct.
Louise Gill:
Not for 12 months.
(Lorenzo Garza):
All right, thank you both.
Coordinator:
Joyce Painter, you may ask your question.
(Joyce Painter):
Hi. This is Joyce Painter with Lower Columbia College, Head Start ECEAP in Longview.
My question is back on family services 47, and just wondering if a family for instance needs information or wants some assistance with their child with toilet training, and our direct service staff gives them that information.
I'm assuming that would count as a referral met? Or service rendered, or - am I correct on that? That's a big question for our staff.
Louise Gill:
What category would you put that under? Let me ask you that first.
(Joyce Painter):
Well I think it could either go under parent education or health education. Parenting education.
Louise Gill:
Say it's parenting education, I agree with that. And do you think your parents received a service by your staff giving them information on potty training?
(Joyce Painter):
Yes.
Louise Gill:
Okay.
(Joyce Painter):
Okay, great thank you.
Eugene Gousie:
However, it should be clear to everybody in the program that that's the definition of the service and so everybody will be making the same kind of determination.
Louise Gill:
Exactly, so make sure everybody's counting information that they give to parents on potty training.
(Joyce Painter):
Right, right.
Coordinator:
We have one other question. Sarah Kuenzli.
(Sarah Kuenzli):
I have a little bit of a concern in the section C around medical documentation - it seems as though in the guide this year it's real explicit around an EPSDT well child exam is required. And that if sections of that exam according to what's supposed to be happening don't happen then you don't get the count back.
Is that right?
Louise Gill:
Well we're going to have a little discussion on that (Sarah), hold on. Okay, you program specialists?
Leslie Jenkins:
It does seem to be very extreme. This is something that we need to go get further clarification on from the office of Head Start. Right now I would advise you just to answer the question as it is written.
If we have further clarification we'll put it through in a regional letter, but right now answer the question as it is written.
Louise Gill:
Okay, so for that - for further clarification on that, on that question C9, answer the question as it's written and read the clarification in your user guide and that same clarification is right there on the question.
And so if your child does not meet all of the EPSDT exams, you won't count them as up to date until we get further notice.
Coordinator:
Maureen Short, you may ask your question.
(Maureen Short):
Good morning Leslie.
Leslie Jenkins:
Hi there.
(Maureen Short):
My question is regarding your answer. In the state of Oregon with the EPSDT schedule that we have a waiver for, explain to me how we might go about that, answering that question as how it's written if they're not required to follow that table.
We assume that they're making, that they're following the guidelines that are out there, but we have no way to assure that. So how do we answer that in Oregon?
(Terry Elofson):
I think we need to get back to the group with these - this is (Terri Elofson). I think we need to get back to this group with some of these issues because there's just too much at stake in terms of program problems if we get the answers wrong.
And I think it probably is going to entail talking to the Xtria people and Office of Head Start people.
Louise Gill:
Office of Head Start is going to have to have the final answer on this one.
(Terry Elofson):
I think that would be a better way to go so that - especially with a waiver, what does that waiver mean. I mean I don't honestly know what it means but what does that mean to the state so that the state can respond in the most appropriate, correct way that they can.
Leslie Jenkins:
I think one way that you can persist forward is if there's an opportunity in ECLKC to forward questions and this is one way to surface it directly from the program position.
(Maureen Short):
To surface questions through the ECLKC?
Louise Gill:
The Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center.
(Maureen Short):
Right, I thought we were supposed to send our questions to the region and not directly do that?
(Terry Elofson):
Because we don't have a definite answer, the answer is going to have to come from OHS. And probably you would get a faster response in putting it on the ECLKC than sending it to us, because we would then have to forward it to the office of Head Start.
(Maureen Short):
Okay.
(Terry Elofson):
The Office of Head Start has been notified that there is a problem with the lead screening in our region and with the Oregon waiver. However, we have not received a response back on how to address that issue.
Leslie Jenkins:
If memory serves me correct I believe that the state of Oregon has been in communication with Julianne. This is an issue that they've been in discussion on.
Louise Gill:
Leslie, I know that they're talking to the Oregon health plan administrators about that as well and we're just waiting to hear, we should hear something after the director's meeting occurring this week in the State of Oregon.
(Maureen Short):
But you know my concern is that we just had our Risk Management Meeting with you all just recently, and I'm looking at my PIR numbers and they're going to be right at 90%, and so - and this is the first year that it's been that way.
But if I'm asked to recalculate them based on an EPSDT schedule, I can't even do that for you at this point. That would take a lot of going back and speaking with physicians about whether - what their well child exam entailed.
If it's something other than what their guidance is in the state of Oregon, so I don't even know if I could meet an August deadline with that. So I'm more than willing to put that question out on the ECLKC.
(Terry Elofson):
I would think that Nancy Hutchins would really want to see this question, too, because she has been working with the pediatrician at the national office and they have been talking about this in Region 10.
Nancy Hutchins has been talking to everyone about this out in DC. And I think it might actually help for her to take that question forward.
If I remember correctly the director's meeting is next week, or is it the week after in Oregon?
(Maureen Short):
It's Friday.
(Terry Elofson):
It's this Friday. She is planning to talk to them, so that could come up then and I will be carry it and all these program specialists can carry it down to her, too.
Leslie Jenkins:
(Maureen), why don't you send me an email what you just discussed. We frankly expected this question to come up first.
Not that we have a really good answer as you can see, but we anticipated it and go ahead and send me the email, I'll forward it both to (Terry) and to Nancy. And we'll keep it real high on our radar.
(Maureen Short):
So let me ask for clarification, so you don't want me to put it on the ECLKC website, just send a question to three...
Leslie Jenkins:
Yeah, start with sending it to me, I'll forward it and we'll see where we go.
Louise Gill:
Well I just want to throw something else into the mix, so what are you going to do if you've got an exam and the doctor marks that they're up to date.
(Maureen Short):
If they complete that and say that they're up to date, I assume he knows what the guidance is for well child exam nd what all that entails, and when I do my PIR that child is considered up to date.
I, as a nurse, I look to him to be able to provide a well child exam check that meets the requirements put out by the American Pediatrics Association.
I do not question them although I will be speaking to all the physicians that will attend a meeting about what the requirement is of Head Start and how we can work together to provide a well child exam that meets the needs of Head Start as well as physicians.
And if we can do that in a way that doesn't deplete their resources.
Louise Gill:
Great answer. Great answer. So I hope everybody else heard that. If the doctor is marked that this child is up to date, you know the doctor's aware of all this stuff coming down through the state, so what do you think. Are they up to date or not?
(Maureen Short):
They're up to date.
Louise Gill:
And then we'll have further clarification as soon as we can. But that may be after August, after you have to submit these reports. We just don't know how quickly we're going to get this resolved.
(Maureen Short):
Thank you, that answers my question wonderfully.
(Terry Elofson):
I'd just like to this is not just a western issue, either. It's across the country issue.
Louise Gill:
Yes, I recognize that in speaking to my cohorts across the nation.
Eugene Gousie:
All right, other questions?
Coordinator:
At this time I'm not showing any further questions.
Eugene Gousie:
Great. We will take the opportunity then to thank you all for your participation today. The information from this call will be up on our website and any further questions you may have, feel free to send them in and we'll address them as they come in.
Thanks to all our guests.
END
Posted on June 24, 2008.