Illinois Department of Human Services Quality Care Board met June 15.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
Present
Peter B. Neumer, Inspector General; Charles Wright, Deputy Inspector General; Saul J. Morse, Chairperson; Megan Norlin, Board Member; Shirley Perez, Board Member; Joyce Medley, Administrative Assistant
Called to Order - 11:02am
Approval of April 13, 2021, Minutes
There were not enough board members on the call to have a quorum. The approval of the April 13, 2021 minutes was postponed to the August meeting.
Introduction from Chairperson, Saul Morse
The board welcomed Saul Morse as the new chairperson. Saul provided background regarding his education and experience for the Board. Also, the board members all introduced themselves.
Bi-Monthly Update on OIG Operations
As the COVID restrictions started, there were changes from staff being in the office to working remotely almost 100%. Staff are beginning to return to the office somewhat as situations change. OIG is working with DHS for guidance to determine who needs to be in the office or may benefit working from home. Some staff are in the office daily. Staff are returning to some on-site investigative work. We have generally been conducting interviews remotely through phone and WebEx with electronic document transfers. We are looking to see if more work can be done remotely for investigations. However, in-person does create a better environment for interviews. Beginning with cases that are registry reportable, staff will be mandated to do in-person interviews. We still need to work out the logistical details for a safe reasonable procedure.
The number of all complaints did drop post COVID. Complaints have been going down since 2018, but COVID may have exacerbated that trend.
Staffing levels of OIG were discussed. There are vacancies awaiting the CMS hiring process.
Administrative Matters
Discussed moving the bi-monthly meetings to the third Tuesday of the month due to a scheduling conflict for the Chairman. The board members present agreed with changing the meeting dates.
The board discussed moving future meetings to Webex or in-person.
The Chairman also discussed reaching out to the Governor's office regarding appointing new members to the vacant board seats.
Other Business
The board agreed to reschedule the meetings to the third Tuesday every other month for this fiscal year. The next board meeting is scheduled for August 17, 2021 at 11:00am
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 12:22 p.m.
https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=135884
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