Commission on Aging

Roswell Commission on Aging Meeting Minutes September 18, 2013 Present: Lynne Ybarra Tom Dunlap Dusty Huckabee Bob McCrea Bonnie Montgomery Morgan Nelson Guest: Kristin Trotter, RN, Lovelace Hospital The meeting was called to order at 3:05 p.m. Minutes of July 17, 2013 were approved. Emeritus will soon offer Assisted Living for low-income residents. Kristin Trotter gave an overview of upgrades at Roswell Lovelace Hospital. She will ask about the possibility of offering free transportation for Lovelace clients to travel from Roswell to Albuquerque twice a year. The Cardiac Catheterization Unit remains a mobile unit. Heart Hospital, Albuquerque, is affiliated with the Lovelace System. There are no immediate plans to add a third floor to the existing building although there are long-term plans for expansion of services. The Labor & Delivery Unit remains at capacity. The Emergency Room will be expanded in 2014. They also want to attract more orthopedists. There is no Pediatric Unit at the Roswell Hospital. There are more staff hospitalists serving patients in the hospital. Lovelace will participate in the Health Insurance Exchange: www.bewellnm.com. The Vistas cover page featuring Commission on Aging was excellent. We appreciate Morgan paying $250 for the ad that appeared in the newspaper. KBIM’s RoundTable was effective in their interview. Tom addressed Affordable Care Act that begins on October 1. It applies to those under 65 years of age who do not have health insurance. There are exemptions for religious-affiliated providers. Guest comment: possibility of Xcel increasing customer bills by $23. Tom will contact the Public Regulation Commission for clarification. If bills are increased, it was recommended that consumers contact area Senators Pirtle and Ingle. Steering Committee, New Mexico Aging & Long-term Care: Tom will invite Darryl (White Mattress Company) to the next meeting. The next meeting will be Wednesday, October 16 at 3 p.m., JOY Center. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:35. Respectfully submitted, Bonnie Montgomery Recorder